Laminate Flooring Installation

Even though I work full time in So. California as a locksmith for a university. I have been doing some side work and recently completed a job installing a laminate floor. Working with pre-fabricated material is a little different for me. Although measuring square footage, purchasing and doing the layout for the floor is the same as real hardwood flooring, I found that laminate flooring is much easier to install. The flooring I installed already had the vapor barrier attached to each piece of flooring and the ‘snap and tap’ technique I used to put all together went along very quickly. I still had to cut everything to fit and add the thresholds where needed, which was actually the hardest part of the whole process. It seemed that each transition point went to a different material like, tile, carpet and linoleum.

Taking care of laminate flooring is also different than typical hardwood floors. You just can’t wet mop it like you would a wood floor. You need to pay attention to the manufacturers directions and possibly purchase product from them if necessary. The process to keeping a laminate floor product looking its best is with a dry mop that you just run over the surface to pickup loose debris. If a stain or other type of mark is noticed, you can clean it up with a damp cloth (not wet!) and dry it immediately.

Remember that with man-made materials, like laminate flooring, you need to be careful not to drop heavy objects on the floor due to they will scar the surface of the floor and possibly remove the imitation wood appearance. Also, keep in mind that these flooring products are a wood looking material on top of a high density material, like MDF or particle board which if scared is not repairable. You can take up some of the flooring to replace the bad spots but, this is a lot of work.

Now, I’m not saying not to consider this type of floor. This is the third laminate floor I have installed and each job was different. But, I got to say, these floors are beautiful and last a very long time. They may not be right in a home with a lot kids or animals but they do last.

At Lumber Liquidatorsthey can provide you with information and installation, if necessary.