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Laminate Floor Assembly Instructions

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The first rule to remember is that you should never throw a tool at someone. We refrained from literally hurling implements at one another. We had been married long enough to realize that yelling at each other wouldn’t solve any problems when we installed the laminate flooring. There were, however, some tense exchanges. Luckily, the worst of our wounds were fresh, not particularly intriguing aches and pains.

Make a strategy. The flooring we chose did not have a wood grain pattern. It has a tile-like appearance and a bold design. That was the first of our blunders. Wood imitations make the transition between surfaces less noticeable.

If your laminate has a bold design, look around the room thoroughly and decide where the attention should be drawn. In addition, you should count the planks in the room to determine their width. You should “hide” any delicate parts behind thicker ones. Do not stagger the planks like a bricklayer would stagger bricks. You might only have a tiny piece of the plank left to lay when you reach an end wall. These will not stay in place, and you will find yourself saying things to your partner like, “It was your job to keep that in mind” and “What do you mean it was my job? You never told me that.” Then, to lighten the mood, he says, “Well, you’re the one with the good memory.” You should always visualize the finish of your run before you start it, and then trim the end of the starting plank that buts up against the wall accordingly.

Think about how you want the laminate to transition from one room to the next if you want to lay it in more than one and the rooms are connected as we did. If the design isn’t set in stone, you can stop at a threshold piece and pick up where you left off in a different room. We had to coordinate everything, and I’ll honestly say that turning corners was a real pain. Never before have you heard so many swear words. Have enough paper on hand if you need to detour around a corner. Bigger sheets are preferable. Generate examples. “Measure twice, cut once” is sound advice for the duration of the job. Still, there will be a lot of grumbling in frustration. Don’t throw away your miscuts; you never know when you might need them. After a long day at your job, you should not attempt to work on your floor. We messed up the most during that time. Since our days off were so dissimilar, we had little choice.

Now that you know how you want it to look (but remember to leave some wiggle room), it’s time to look closely at the floor. The feet are probably perfectly flat if your home has a concrete slab foundation. Sing praises to God. None of ours were. Because our home rests on a high foundation, there was a significant slope between the kitchen and dining area, the kitchen and nook, and the living room. Before we could lay the flooring, we had to level these. I hope your floor isn’t uneven.

Quite a few items on the market provide this specific function. Ideally, they would adjust their difficulty. Right. Following instructions is not always the best course of action. However, this is my inclination in general. My spouse learned that it’s preferable to have the leveling compound be thinner than advised rather than thicker. Sanding was a lot of work, but it was my punishment. For me, the best results came from using drywall sanding papers. If you can help it, skip this procedure. Rather than starting and assuming you will level the floor as you go, it is advisable to live without carpets or anything for a while if your floor is not level. That divot I mentioned in the living room? It was late one night; all we cared about was finishing the room. Without giving it much thought, we drove right over the hump. Fortunately, the laminate floor is flexible, so the trough is not too deep. The salesperson will try to convince you of its adaptability but it is not as adaptable as they want you to believe. We make an effort to avoid stepping there too often.

Get the flooring delivered if you don’t have a big vehicle. If the store is further than a few minutes away and you’ll need to make multiple visits, you shouldn’t try to get anything home in your Jeep Cherokee. Oh, no. That sucked. Get extra flooring to ensure you have enough to cover all the floors. How much buffer you need depends on how robust a pattern you follow and how often you make mistakes. More cushion is required for more traditional ways. Thankfully, the replacement supply we had to order was a close enough match to the original collection.

The salesman will try to pitch you several specialized gadgets. Just buy it. Doing so will save you the trouble of having to retrieve them at a later time. For these basic cuts, we turned to a circular saw. Get yourself a stockpile of replacement blades. Laminate flooring is highly robust and quickly dulls blades. We utilized a rotating plunge cutter/saw for the intricate cuts around corners. If you ask my husband, he’ll remember the name. I have an extensive collection of jewelry-making tools, and I can name each. It is not a flaw of mine that I do not know the proper names for all other devices.

We had to temporarily park our automobiles on the street instead of in the garage. We converted the carport into a makeshift workshop. That saved us the hassle of bringing in every tool every time we took a break from working on the ground. Indoor floor cutting is not recommended. The amount of dust generated is incredible. Before beginning any cutting, please ensure the garage door is closed. You still have to clean your walls after that. Use drop cloths to protect your furniture. I wish somebody would have informed us about that.

A massive sheet of plywood and some saw horses became our makeshift cutting table. Verify the straightness and steadiness of the horses. Screw the plywood onto the horses temporarily. Screw two 2x4s into place down one long side of the table, spaced about five inches apart. This simplifies the laborious task of cutting lengthy boards along their lengths. When cutting, always protect your eyes and ears. Seriously.

Adhere to the rest of the instructions, paying close attention to the distance between the walls and the flooring. That’s right. And sure, I recall what I mentioned earlier regarding the need for directions. Our new laminate floor is lovely. We’re happy that we made the effort. Also, you will.

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