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Primer for laminate. Screed for laminate. Why is a flat surface so important?

Laminate flooring is one of the most popular types of flooring these days. This is due to its high quality and practicality in operation.

When laying a laminate on a wooden floor, you should carefully sand the surface, and also replace the boards that sag under the weight of a person.

The only difficulty in using this material is to prepare the surface on which it will lie down. On what surface can this coating be applied? The surface should be perfectly flat: without tubercles and pits.

Most often, the laminate is laid on a concrete screed.

Laminate classification

The laminate board is a sheet 1-1.5 m long, 6-11 mm thick and 20 cm wide. The laminate board consists of several layers. The top layer is a durable film that protects the material from mechanical damage, and also prevents moisture from entering.

Under the film is a paper texture that determines the color of the laminate. The range of colors of this material is huge: wood, marble, stone, parquet, sand, etc.

Under the textured paper is a carrier layer of high strength wood fiber material. The final layer of the material is a paper structure impregnated with resins and treated with special substances that protect the laminate sheet from moisture. The thicker the laminate panel, the higher its quality and service life.

Laminated board is of different quality and therefore is divided into several classes:

1. Low class - 22. Such a laminate is usually used in hard-to-reach rooms, where heavy loads are not provided.
2. Middle class - 23. This flooring can be used in residential areas with light loads.
3. High quality laminate - 31-33 class. It is laid in office premises, where the degree of operation and load is high. This material is the most expensive, as it has good characteristics.

Laminate board is not recommended for laying in the bathroom and kitchen. Although this material has a high moisture resistance, constant humidity significantly reduces its quality. Therefore, tile is best suited for a bathroom.

When choosing this flooring, you should be guided by the design loads that will be carried out in this room.

The edges of the board are some kind of locks, with the help of which the laminate sheets are joined together. But there is a laminate that is joined with glue, so it does not have the so-called locks.

The lock laminate, in turn, is divided into 2 types, depending on the method of snapping:

1. Collapsible lock - "Click". Such a connection is stronger and more reliable.
2. Lock-latch - "Lock". Laminate with this method of connection is of lower quality and is considered an economical option.

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Surface preparation for laminate flooring

Laminate board can be laid on such surfaces:

1. On a concrete screed.
2. On wooden floors.
3. On linoleum.

There are different technologies for preparing the surface for laying laminate. The basis of all is the alignment of surfaces, if the difference per 2 m2 of area is 5 mm.

If you plan on a wooden floor in which the flatness deviation exceeds the permissible level, then this can be corrected by a grinder.

By the way, the wooden floor must also be checked for strength. If some boards sag from human weight, then they should be strengthened or replaced altogether.

If the horizontal level of the wooden floor differs significantly, then it can be leveled with fiberboard or chipboard.

The best surface for laying laminate flooring is a concrete screed. To do this, beacons are set according to the level and the screed is poured with a cement-sand mortar. A few days after drying, the screed should be checked for cracks. If there are any, they must be sealed to prevent moisture from entering under the laminate.

A waterproofing film must be laid on the concrete surface. This is necessary so that moisture does not get on the bottom of the laminate. The polyethylene film must overlap each other by at least 20 cm, and the joints must be secured with a self-adhesive film.

In order for the floor to be insulated, sheets of plywood 10 mm thick can be laid on a concrete surface covered with a film. Cork can be used as a substrate. This is a more expensive option, but environmentally friendly and practical.

Laminate can also be laid on top of liloleum. Just before that, it is necessary to check the rigidity of the floor and the evenness of the base under the coating. Waterproofing in the case of linoleum is not used.

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Leveling the concrete screed

If the filling of the floor is done in accordance with all the rules and the differences in its surface are insignificant, the floor is ready for laying the laminate. But if, after the screed, unevenness and bumps have formed, it must be leveled with a special compound.

After sealing small cracks and removing all small particles from the surface, the concrete base should be primed. Primer treatment prevents moisture from entering the lower layers of the coating and binds the particles of the solution into a single whole.

The prepared surface is ready for pouring the so-called level mass. This material is a dry mix. To prepare it, you will need more than half a bucket of water, where this mixture should be poured. The mixture is thoroughly mixed with a construction mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

The solution must be sufficiently liquid - the viscosity of liquid sour cream. The liquid solution of the level-mass is relevant when leveling small floor irregularities. If it is necessary to correct significant irregularities, in this case a sufficiently thick solution will be required.

The process of pouring the mass level has a consistent technology:

1. Filling the mixture should start from the top of the floor. In this case, the mixture spreads itself over the entire surface, carrying out self-leveling of the surface.
2. The spreading mixture can be "helped" by distributing this mass with a spatula.
3. However, it is difficult to achieve a flat surface with a spatula. Therefore, for these purposes, take a special roller with spikes. Rolling out the mixture with a plastic roller, the surface is leveled and air comes out of the solution. This is important, since the air remaining in the liquid mass forms small holes on the frozen surface. And this cannot be allowed.

Filling is important to carry out in 1 day. Both the evenness of the surface and its quality will depend on this. The joints of the pouring of the masses must be carefully rolled out with a roller so that irregularities do not form.

The level-mass dries out pretty quickly, and the next day you can even walk on it. However, this surface is not yet ready for laying laminate. The solution should gain strength within 2-4 weeks.

Regardless of the quality of the laminate purchased, great attention should be paid to preparatory measures. This applies not only to pouring the screed or replacing the old wooden floor, but also to prime the floor. Otherwise, you can forget about the long service life of the floor covering. Features of floor priming before laminate flooring depend on the surface to be treated.

surface requirements

When choosing a laminate as a floor covering, the base will require high-quality preparation. The very basis of the requirement would be to. For two meters of the length of the room, only a height difference of 2 mm is allowed. If this indicator is higher, you will have to tinker with the alignment.

If there is a slope in the room, it must be uniform and of high quality. A slope of 4 mm is allowed for two meters of the room. Before applying the primer to the floor, you should allow time for the substrate to dry completely, whether it be concrete or wood. Otherwise, there is no need to talk about any quality. And the coating itself will begin to swell over a short time.

Another requirement is cleanliness. If even fine sand, dirt, dust remains under the laminate, a creak and an unpleasant sound will occur while walking on it. Therefore, you will have to make every effort to carry out the cleaning.

All this shows that the laminate requires a very high quality substrate, to which the maximum effort is made in preparation, as well as a primer. Only in this case, the life of the floor covering will be increased.

Primer functions

The primer is generally used to increase the level of adhesion - the adhesion of one material to another. But this is only the main function, since there are a sufficient number of others that the primer exhibits when used on the base before laying the laminate as a floor covering:

• For gluing the material, the dust that has appeared most often becomes an obstacle. All these particles are perfectly connected with each other with the help of the applied primer. So, she can deal with such a problem very easily.
• When treating the floor with a primer, the likelihood of such negative consequences as mold and fungus is practically excluded. All this can harm itself, as well as human health.
• The base of the floor under the floor covering will have such a quality as moisture resistance.
• Powerful traction of all materials in a bunch. Even the existing minor voids under the laminate will be filled with a pre-prepared primer. In addition, there are deep penetration primers that can cope with the task quickly and efficiently.

Laminate on concrete base

To cope with the height differences in the area in the room, self-leveling mixtures are usually used, which are presented in an assortment in a hardware store. The stages of work are as follows:

This is the whole process, how to perform before the laminate, after which you can start laying the floor covering on the surface of the concrete floor. At the same time, it is worth remembering that work on laying the coating can only be started when the leveling mass dries. Usually it takes a few days.

If there are significant potholes in the base, concrete mortar should be poured. As in the case described above, the surface must necessarily go through the priming stage before applying the solution. Only then is the screed before laying the laminate. In this case, the mixture during operation will not crumble and spoil the floor covering, creating extraneous sounds while walking.

Choosing a primer for concrete

The concrete surface under the laminate cannot take on all types of primers presented in the store. This should be taken carefully so that all positive qualities appear. An acrylic mix and an epoxy compound are best suited, which can be used to prime the floor before laying the laminate.

Acrylic mixture as it is considered a universal remedy. It can be used not only on concrete, but also on drywall, wooden base, even synthetic materials.

The epoxy mortar is designed to be applied directly to a concrete base. During operation, it can withstand various chemicals, while protecting the surface from moisture and destruction of layers.

If necessary, antiseptics can be added to the composition of the primer mixture. This will eliminate the likelihood of the development of fungus and similar microflora.

It should be noted that the primer is applied before in several layers. The first layer should dry for 6-8 hours, after which the second layer is applied. Laminate installation does not begin immediately after the priming layer. An additional layer is preliminarily made in the form of a substrate, which can be cork or foamed polyethylene. The substrate performs heat-insulating and moisture-proof functions. In addition, the level of noise coming from the lower floors will be significantly reduced.

Laminate flooring on a wooden surface

Many people think about whether the floor is primed before on a wooden base. Over time, a wood floor can begin to rot and lose its original appearance. This should be carefully checked before priming the surface before laying laminate flooring. If there are any damaged boards, it is best to replace them with new ones rather than experimenting with whether or not to prime the floor before laying the laminate.

If there are slight differences in the level of the floor, you can use a method such as scraping. Large errors in the floor will only hide correctly laid. There are alternative materials that will differ in quality and cost. The choice is up to the performer. In any case, you need to prime the floor before the laminate.

It is also mandatory to eliminate areas where the wooden floor sags. This is not acceptable for laying laminate, as it will fail very quickly. The existing creak when walking on wooden boards will also appear when walking on a laminate. To avoid this, it is necessary to carry out the preparatory measures correctly. When all the initial steps have been completed, you should think about choosing a specific variant of the primer composition.

Choosing a primer for wood

You should not even think about whether you need to prime before laying the laminate. The main thing is to choose the right material option. The most optimal as a primer on a wooden base is a universal alkyd mixture. But this mortar is usually used for other surfaces before laminate flooring.
For wood, you can also purchase a polystyrene primer. True, in this case, all measures should be taken for high-quality ventilation of the room where the work is carried out. This is due to the fact that the composition of the primer mixture contains a large amount of toxic substances that can have a negative impact on human health.

Special is the shellac mixture for priming the floor before. The peculiarity lies in the fact that it is used on coniferous and freshly laid wood.

The laminate itself is not laid on a wooden base coated with a primer, but on an additional layer. It is worth noting that the flooring should be laid perpendicular to the previously laid boards.

Application features

When a specific variant of the primer composition is chosen, you should think about how to apply it correctly. Previously, the entire surface is cleaned to the maximum, as with each type of work. Even all greasy stains are best removed, for which a solvent is used.

The primer can only be applied on a flat surface. All wet areas must be completely dry to work on. One coat of primer will not be enough. You should give it time to dry and proceed with further application of the layer. Drying times vary. Everything is written in the instructions from the manufacturers, which should be paid attention to. It is worth paying attention to the fact that a long time frame between applied layers will lead to the appearance of dust on the surface.

The standard version of the applied primer is two layers. Do I need to prime the floor before laying laminate flooring? If the base is too porous, more layers will have to be used to achieve the desired result.

Treating the floor surface before priming compounds will increase the service life of the floor covering itself, eliminate the likelihood of mold and fungi, and protect against moisture ingress. The main thing is to choose the right specific composition for application to a concrete or wooden base, which must be carefully prepared. Not only the operational period of the coating will increase, but it will also be possible to get rid of the negative manifestations of the floor base in the room.

Laminate is a fairly unpretentious and easy-to-lay coating. An absolutely flat subfloor will ensure its maximum service life, otherwise the coating will have to be changed in a couple of years. Even in new buildings, the floors have many defects, and if the laminate spreads during a major overhaul, then flaws made by previous builders are added to the defects of the concrete base.

How level should the floor be for laminate flooring?

Laminate imposes stringent requirements on the subfloor, the height difference should be no more than 2 mm per 1 m2, although in practice the laminate is laid with a difference of up to 3 mm. Almost any floor needs to be leveled before laying laminate flooring. Otherwise, over time, the panels will begin to move relative to each other, the locking joints will break, the floor in the places of irregularities will fall apart into separate panels and begin to deform. The durability of the laminate, of course, will depend on its class and quality, so the choice must be taken very seriously. After all, it is known that the most expensive laminate does not mean that it is the best.

Therefore, before laying the laminate, it is necessary to level the floor. This problem is relevant for all residential premises in our country. For beginners, the alignment procedure seems very complicated and impracticable on their own. But in fact, any floor leveling technology can be easily mastered. If you approach this process with all responsibility, it is quite possible to level the floor yourself.

Several technologies are used for this:

• leveling with plywood;
• leveling with a monolithic cement screed;
• leveling with masses;
• dry screed using the "superpol Knauf" technology or the like.

Any of the above technologies will give, if all the work is done correctly, a perfectly flat floor.

Preparation

Before starting, a number of preparatory work should be carried out:

• clean the floor from construction and other debris (be sure to use a vacuum cleaner, the brush does not remove dust and small particles of debris);
• with tile glue or putty to close up rough irregularities and cracks;
• measure the unevenness of the floor. The easiest way to do this is with a laser level. The highest part of the floor and dips are noted. If the elevation is single, it is easier to remove it than to bring the floor to this height;
• install beacons, in this capacity, you can use drywall guides, self-tapping screws or mortar. They are installed at a distance of 30 cm from the walls and 60-90 cm from each other over the entire floor area. Their level is verified using a laser level.

Leveling the floor alone is very difficult, especially when it comes to self-leveling floors. Therefore, you will need 1-2 assistants (more - it makes no sense).

Leveling with plywood on logs

This method has worked well for leveling floors without removing the old wood flooring, but is often used in other cases as well. If the level difference is less than 2 cm, then the leveling logs can be omitted, plywood is attached to the rough coating, and laminate can be laid on it.

For leveling, you will need plywood - enough sheets to cover the floor area twice, logs - wooden unplaned boards of 2 or 3 grades of coniferous or deciduous wood (except linden and poplar). The thickness of the lag should be at least 40 mm, width - 80-100 mm. Logs are attached to a concrete or other base with special tongues with a pitch of 400-500 mm. In residential premises, the logs are laid across the light falling from the windows. They form the level of the subfloor, the height is selected depending on the level difference.

Under each lag in several places along the entire length, small wooden bars are laid - bosses, they, in turn, rely on pieces of roofing material or linoleum, this allows you to create a flat floor plane.

On the logs adjusted in height, sheets of plywood are laid out in two layers. Between the lags, you can lay heat and sound insulation - this is a significant plus of this method. Plywood is fixed on the logs with self-tapping screws in increments of 5-10 cm, additionally the joints are glued with PVA glue. The second layer is laid perpendicular to the first or offset. After installation is completed, small gaps between the sheets must be puttied.

Before laying, all wooden elements of the subfloor must be treated with an antiseptic composition.

Leveling with cement screed or level masses

These are two methods similar in principle, only self-leveling floors are many times more expensive than a conventional solution. But a monolithic cement mortar screed dries for a long time and collapses quickly enough, so it is used less and less. The pouring technology is extremely simple: beacons are installed, along them - guides, the prepared solution is poured between them, it is leveled by the rule (a board or a special rail that moves along the guides).

After 24 hours of waiting, while the screed dries, beacons and guides are removed, the holes are sealed with fresh mortar. The surface is rubbed, finally leveled, covered with a film that prevents cracking of the screed. After about 28 days, the floor covering can be laid.

Self-leveling floors are a more advanced and faster technology in obtaining the final result. With a large difference in heights, its use will cost you dearly, but it is better not to save on the quality of the floor.

Note that many level masses have an attractive “self-levelling”, but this quality is inherent only in expensive mixtures (Vaaterli Plus Vetonit, Finnish-made, about 600 rubles per 25 kg bag, or other mixtures of the same price level). Most inexpensive mixes need to be leveled by hand.

To level the floor with a level mass, you will also need a rule, a spatula and a roller with needles. Also, it will not be superfluous to take care of shoes: professionals use shoes with sharp spikes - they do not leave marks when walking on an uncured floor. The working fluidity of the mass is lost 15-20 minutes after pouring, so it must be leveled non-stop until the level marked by the beacons is reached. It is optimal when two people prepare the mixture, and one is engaged in leveling at this time.

In a private house, before leveling the floor, it is best to immediately make heat and vapor barrier, this will significantly increase the life of the laminate, protect it from temperature extremes and moisture.

It is better to start work in the morning, pouring is carried out without interruptions, so before starting you should have all the necessary mixture prepared with a margin. To knead the mixture, you will need a mixer with a long whisk, reaching to the bottom of the container, and a container of 30-40 liters. The proportions must be exactly as indicated in the instructions, otherwise the floor will be loose and brittle.

The floor is filled with the largest possible spots, next to each other, then stretched across the room with a large notched trowel and leveled with a notched roller. It is better to cut off the solution that has come out of the doorway in a frozen state with a spatula, you should not make any thresholds.

The next day after pouring, you can already walk on the floor. But you should not do this - let the mixture dry for 5 - 7 days. Only then will the surface be in perfect condition for installing the laminate.

Dry screed leveling

It is also not cheap (from 270 rubles per sheet and 180 for a 30 kg bag of backfill), but a fairly simple leveling method. Superfloor sheets are laid on a layer of expanded clay distributed over the floor. The technology is not complicated, the only subtle point is the laying of the first sheet, it is made from a temporary section of approximately 50 × 50, laid on expanded clay.

Before laying the expanded clay, a vapor barrier film is laid on the floor with an overlap of 10-15 cm on the walls. An edge tape is laid along the perimeter with a width not less than the height of the dry screed. The Knauf instructions indicate that expanded clay is completely covered over the entire room, but experienced builders recommend laying sheets in sections, falling asleep along the island between the guides at a time. So there will be less dirt, expanded clay will not get into the joints between the sheets, and it is much easier to level it.

The sheets are fastened together with special glue and self-tapping screws (in increments of 10-15 cm). On sheets that are adjacent to the walls, a fold must be cut so that the wall has a double layer of material. After fine leveling, you can lay the substrate under the laminate. A cork backing can be considered environmentally friendly, it is hygroscopic, does not emit harmful substances, does not shrink over time and has good sound insulation. And also the substrate can even out small irregularities in the floor.

Before leveling, read the instructions for the selected material and stock up on everything you need to get started. For some technologies, breaks in the laying process are unacceptable, so a minimum margin should be provided. Subject to all the rules for laying the coating, even on your own, you can make a perfectly flat floor, which will be a good base for the laminate.

Laminate is a floor covering based on a fibreboard. The material has a beautiful appearance at a relatively low price. However, its installation must be approached with attention - the functionality and durability of the coating depend on it.

The influence of surface defects on the quality of the floor covering

The durability of laminate flooring depends largely on the floor, and the quality of the surface is checked before laying it. There are a number of defects that can affect the operation of the floor covering:

• Humidity. The side part of the cover panels is not protected (fixing locks interfere), which means it is exposed to a humid atmosphere. Storage and operation of the material in such conditions will lead to swelling, loss of strength. In other words, laying panels on wet concrete is prohibited.
• Deformed uneven floor. The floor panels in the area of ​​the castle are not very durable, in this place the thickness of the fiberboard is only a few millimeters. That is, there is no need to talk about reliability. Especially if there is a void under the coating, and the board bends.
• Tubercles and projections. They deform and violate the integrity of the panel - the front side of the coating swells. As a result, the protective film wears off, a stain appears on the surface, and the damaged board itself can pick up moisture and swell.

As you can see, the base under the laminate must be dry and leveled. Unfortunately, such floors are a rarity in both new buildings and old houses. Therefore, preparing the floor for laminate flooring is a must. The prepared base implies the absence of drops (the permissible value is 3 mm per 2 meters of the floor), waves and inclusions of stone chips in concrete. Laying laminate flooring begins with preparatory work, and visual inspection is just one of them.

Preparing the concrete base for laying - 3 main points

Considering that 70% of the country's population lives in cities, floor preparation for laying laminate flooring in apartment buildings will be considered first. Preparation of the concrete base is reduced to the following steps:

1. 1. Dismantling of the old coating - old parquet boards, linoleum, etc. are removed. But there is a chance to run into an old concrete screed. It is not necessary to gouge it - evaluate the condition, repair may be enough.
2. 2. Room measurements. Our task is to identify the absence or presence of defects (differences) of the horizontal surface. For these purposes, they use the building level, but in its absence, you can get by with a long, even rail. We apply it to the floor in different places. If there are gaps (2 mm or more), then we level the surface.
3. 3. Preparing the rough base for work - remove the protrusions, prime and fill the excavation with a solution. Then we sweep the room.

As you can see, at the preliminary stage, the need to level the floors is revealed. With a positive decision, choose the best method and carry out preparatory work. There are several ways to prepare your floor for laminate flooring. Let's look at some of them below.

Self-leveling floor - why do you need a drill?

Self-leveling floors are used to prepare the floor for laminate, if the height of the differences does not exceed 3 cm. In this case, a special leveling mortar is used. Fortunately, it can be used without special skills. The process starts with a trip to the store. When buying a solution, do not forget about the primer mixture. When working with concrete, prime the floor before laying the laminate - the mortar lays several times better on the prepared surface.

Having finished working with the soil and waiting for it to be absorbed (see the time on the package), we proceed to waterproofing. We need to prevent the spread of moisture from the solution. For these purposes, a special damper tape is used - we seal the joints between the walls and the floor around the perimeter of the room with it. The tape is designed to prevent the spread of moisture, and it compensates for the expansion of the liquid solution.

To mix the solution, use an electric drill with a suitable nozzle. This will allow you to prepare the solution quickly and efficiently. Considering that the first poured layer should not harden, the presence of an appropriate tool is a mandatory requirement.

We begin to apply the prepared mixture from the farthest corner. This will ensure an effective uniform surface coverage. We level the solution layer with a spatula, and remove the bubbles that have appeared with a special roller with needles. The solution itself, due to its increased fluidity, spreads across the floor without assistance. The laminate is laid after the mortar hardens and gains strength (the period is indicated on the package).

A solution of sand and cement - to get a monolithic base

In fact, a cement-sand screed is used not only when required. It is suitable for all floor coverings. The process of filling the surface with a cement screed is similar to applying self-leveling floors. Although with some differences. We buy a cement-sand mortar in a store or prepare it ourselves. As a rule, the ratio of ingredients is 1 to 3 (1 part cement and 3 sand). On the packaging with the factory mixture, the process of preparing the solution is described in detail.

We start pouring the surface with traditional preparatory work - cleaning the room and applying a damper tape to the joints. Then we determine the zero level - the height of the future screed, it depends on the height of the surface drops (we add 3 cm to the top point of the base). Appropriate marks must be applied to the walls. Zero level marks. In this capacity, we use metal profiles, which we fix on the walls with a solution prepared for the screed. It is important that the height of the beacons match, the second important criterion is the interval between them. The length of the rule used to level the mixture must be greater than this distance.

We lay the prepared mixture in strips between the beacons (we start from the far wall). Having finished with the strip, we take out the lighthouse. Keep in mind, there is no point in preparing large volumes of solution in advance. The best option is a serving consumed within 40 minutes. Otherwise, the mixture may freeze. The laid screed dries and gains strength within 30 days. But you can work with her after three days. In the first week, the solution applied to the floor is moistened daily with water - this will prevent the appearance of cracks.

Several ways to level a wooden floor

Older houses or cottages are often built of wood, so you will need to prepare a wooden floor for laminate flooring. This operation is performed in several ways. The expediency of each of them is determined on the basis of specific conditions. With small defects (differences), the wooden floor is leveled by sanding. This technology involves scraping the surface with a special tool - a manual scraper or scraper. In the latter case, it is necessary that the heads of nails or self-tapping screws are recessed into the surface of the floorboards. Otherwise, the knives of the apparatus will quickly fail.

To level wooden surfaces, various solutions and mixtures are often used. Moreover, the technology of their application is almost identical to working with a concrete base. The difference is the mandatory impregnation of wood with antiseptic compounds and the presence of a waterproofing layer. The most problematic is the alignment of old, sagging floors. But for this case, there are proven techniques. A good option is to use plywood. This method is recommended when the height differences do not exceed 6 mm per 1 meter of floor. It comes down to two steps:

1. 1. Arrangement of the crate - the frame is attached to the floor with self-tapping screws, and its height depends on how flat the floor is. We level the crate using the building level. When the crate fails, we lay a gasket of the required thickness under the problem area (plywood trimmings), and if the slats stick out, we cut off the excess.
2. 2. We fix plywood. We put the sheets "in a run", i.e. the formation of regular cruciform joints is unacceptable. The canvases must be offset relative to each other by at least a quarter. When connecting the crate and plywood sheets, do not forget to leave a technical gap of 2 centimeters between the wall and the floor.

We fasten plywood to the crate using self-tapping screws or nails. Their caps should not protrude from the surface of the material, sometimes the places where they were screwed in are even puttied. The last stage of the preparatory work is, which is sold in the form of rolls, sheets or accordion. This depends on how it is set up. But there is a rule - it is not attached to the subfloor. Initially, a plastic film is spread on it.

Because of the ease of use, rolled underlay is popular. We spread it perpendicular to the direction of the laminate panels. It is important that the butt joints do not coincide with the cover locks. The material should go 2 (maximum 3) cm onto the walls. The rolled strips are laid butt-to-butt, after which we connect the edges with aluminum tape or adhesive tape.

This article is a continuation of the article. I will tell you how the correct laying of the laminate with your own hands takes place in stages. We will look at how to prepare the base for the laminate. Let's take a look at how laminate flooring is laid on a wooden floor, concrete floor and linoleum.

Substrate preparation for laminate flooring

Properly prepared base is the key to a long life of the laminate. Any experienced builder will tell you this. The reason is that the laminate under the action of the load repeats the unevenness of the floor. And if these irregularities are more than permissible (which ones are allowed - will be discussed in this paragraph), then the laminate bends and the locks break. So, for example, if you lay even the most expensive laminate on an unprepared base, then its service life will be even less than that of the simplest and cheapest laminate laid on a good base. So save your money, prepare the base properly.

Next, I will give general requirements for all grounds. After that, I stand on the most common types of bases - these are concrete, old wooden floors, laminate and carpet. For each of these bases, I will list the requirements that the base must meet and describe how it can be repaired if it does not meet any of the requirements.

General requirements for all bases

1. The base surface must be clean. If there are some grains or sand under the laminate, then an unpleasant creak and crunch will be heard when walking. Therefore, before laying the laminate, it is imperative to vacuum it.
2. Proper laying of laminate flooring on an uneven floor is not possible, so the subfloor must be level. For a coating such as laminate, it is considered safe if the height difference is not more than 2 mm per 2 m of the length of the room (SNiP 3.04.01-87).

1. The uniform slope of the base surface should be no more than 4 mm per 2 m of the length / width of the room (SNiP 3.04.01-87).

1. The base must be dry, otherwise the laminate will swell.

Laying laminate on concrete floor

Concrete floor (base) I will generically call all coatings that contain cement: self-leveling screed, cement-sand screed (cement + sand), concrete itself (cement + sand + crushed stone) and reinforced concrete floor slabs. The requirements for the surface of all these bases are the same. Further, I will write these requirements in turn and what to do with each type of concrete base if it does not meet a specific requirement.

1. Differences in height on the surface of the base should be no more than 2 mm per 2 m of the length of the room.

• Concrete;

If your base is concrete, then such differences will be in any case and it must be leveled. How to level depends on the condition of the surface. If the surface of the concrete is almost even (when pouring, the concrete was well leveled and small crushed stone with a fraction of 5-10 mm was used in the concrete), then a self-leveling mixture can also be used. If the concrete was poured, as it happens most often, hastily, especially if in the summer (it cools quickly, they don’t have time to level it properly), then the concrete surface is obtained with sagging and large differences in height. This happens most often, and leveling such a surface with a self-leveling mixture is expensive. Therefore, for such cases, it will be more economical to use a cement-sand screed.

Note: If the walls of the room are already lined with you, then it is advisable to protect the walls of the room, for example, with stretch tape, for the duration of wet work (filling the screed, self-leveling mixture, etc.).

• Reinforced concrete floor slabs;

They are always uneven, there are always joints, differences in height. On them you need to make a leveling cement-sand screed. It is expensive to use self-leveling here, since the height of the screed sometimes reaches 10 cm.

• Cement-sand screed:
  • If on its surface there are differences of more than 2 mm per 2 m of the length of the room and there are many such differences, then the entire surface of the screed is primed 1 time, after which a self-leveling mixture is poured over it.
  • If there are only a few drops, they can be repaired locally using the same self-levelling compound. Be sure to level the rule in line with the rest of the floor. The next day, this place must be finally sanded so that the repaired area is perfectly flat and does not protrude above the surface of the entire screed. For such grinding, you can use a grinding stone or a large sandpaper, or any even, durable material at hand (a simple brick with smooth edges, a spatula, etc.). Then prime the entire surface of the floor 1 time.
  • If the surface of your cement-sand screed is flat, then all you need to do is prime it before laying the underlay.

• Self-leveling compound;

If the screed is new, then, as a rule, there are no such large differences in height along it. But if the coating is old, has been used for a long time, then maybe.

• If there are many differences of more than 2 mm per 2 m of the length of the room, then the surface of the entire floor is primed and a new layer of self-leveling mixture is poured.
• If there are only a few drops, then you can only repair them, in the right places, using a self-leveling compound. It is good to level the mixture with the rule, the next day, grind this place and prime the entire surface of the floor 1 time.
• If the surface of your self-levelling screed is flat and does not require repair, then it is not necessary to prime it before laying the substrate.

Note: To ensure that the floors are as even as possible, when laying the self-levelling compound, use a special spiked roller that expels air bubbles.

Photo. Needle roller

Then, when the mixture dries, if air bubbles still remain somewhere, sand them with sandpaper, vacuum and walk over the entire surface of the floor with the cheapest primer. As a result, you will have clean and even floors.

1. A uniform floor slope of no more than 4 mm per 2 m of the length / width of the room is allowed. If the slope is greater, then the floor surface must be leveled, regardless of what it is made of: concrete, cement-sand screed or self-leveling screed. You just need to decide how to align. From our experience, even if the room is small, it takes a lot of self-leveling compound to level a uniform slope across the entire surface of the room. This mixture is not cheap. If the opportunity allows, then of course you can spend money. If the budget is limited, then we recommend making a regular cement-sand screed.

Note. It takes about 7-10 days for the cement-sand screed to dry completely. Self-levelling screed dries from a few hours (quick-drying) to 1-5 days (normal, the number of days depends on the thickness of the screed poured). If the room in which the filling is planned is a walk-through, for example, a corridor or just running out of time, then waiting 7 days for the cement-sand screed to dry will most likely be inconvenient for you and you should stop at a quick-drying self-leveling mixture. If there is time and the room is not a walk-through, then a cement-sand screed is quite suitable.

1. The surface of the screed must be strong enough. It is checked quite simply: if when walking on the screed, its surface remains clean, then everything is fine. If sand is pulled behind your feet when walking, then the strength of the screed surface is insufficient.

If you lay a laminate on such a floor, especially without a lining layer, then the laminate will sherude and creak, and if with a substrate, then the substrate will be wiped. What to do. If the screed is sufficiently even (see points 1 and 2 above), then it is enough to prime its surface. You need to primer 2 times in a row with a break of about half a day, so that the primer dries. After priming, it is necessary to achieve such a result that the sand does not stretch behind the legs. To do this, the surface of the screed must be well saturated with a primer. If you manage to achieve this result with a single priming, then the second time you can not prime. From experience, we just immediately say that we often have to walk 2 times.

1. There should be no cracks in the screed.

• If there are cracks and at the same time the floor and all its elements are static (there are no large pieces, parts of the floor that are movable), then the sequence of work is as follows.

1. Clear cracks up to 1 cm thick so that they are 1 cm thick or a little more. This is necessary in order to fill them with a solution.
2. Prime all cracks with a deep penetration primer, for example, ceresite ST 17 or equivalent. If the floor surface is not strong, and, as they say, sand stretches behind your feet, then the floor surface should also be primed. Wait until the primer dries. Repeat again if necessary (until the sand stops dragging).
3. Fill all cracks with ready-made repair mortar (sold) or with the following mortar: 1 part of cement + 4 parts of sand + 1 part of tile adhesive (for example, Ceresit SM 11 or similar).
4. If the floor surface allows (i.e. if it is sufficiently even), then after 1-2 days the underlayment can be laid. If in some places the floor is not even and there are dips, then they need to be leveled with a self-leveling mixture, or with this solution: 1 part tile adhesive + 1 part cement + 2 parts sand.

• In the event that there are non-static floor elements (moving large pieces, parts of the floor), then in addition to the actions described above, you need to make another screed about 3 cm thick on top. Reinforced. Make a screed along the beacons from such a solution of cement: sand - 1: 3, with the addition of an inexpensive plasticizer. Plasticizer add the minimum dose indicated on the package. Reinforce the screed with a wire mesh with a diameter of 2-3 mm with a cell of 100x100 mm. The next day, with a truncated rule, remove (cut off) all the influxes and irregularities from the surface of the screed. Then wait 3-4 days. In hot weather, the screed must be periodically moistened so that it does not dry out (if it dries out, it will turn into something similar to a carving).

After 3-4 days, prime the screed (Ceresite ST 17 or equivalent) and you can lay the substrate under the laminate.

1. The base must be dry. If a new screed was poured, then it should also be dry. To do this, a cement-sand screed needs to stand for at least 7 days, and a self-leveling screed - from several hours (quick-drying) to 5 days (normal). There are special devices that check the moisture content of the screed - moisture meters. But they cost a lot of money, and it makes no sense to buy them at once. In practice, we check whether the screed has dried up like this. 2 sheets of a substrate are taken from a vapor-proof material - foamed polyethylene or EPS (glue the joint of two sheets with adhesive tape) or just a piece of good whole polyethylene. It is laid overnight, on the screed, and if in the morning there is condensation on the substrate/polyethylene on the side of the screed, then the screed has not yet dried sufficiently. We are waiting for another day. Again at night we put a piece of substrate / polyethylene. And so on, until it is completely dry from the side of the screed in the morning.
2. The surface must be clean (vacuum).

Note: To make the floor warmer, it is sometimes advised to put plywood on a concrete base, and only then lay the substrate and laminate. We do not recommend doing this, plywood will not make the floor warmer (this can only be achieved with a warm floor), but will only eat an extra 10-12 mm of the height of the room and add squeaks in the future.

Laminate flooring on wood floor

1. The requirements for the surface are still the same - the differences are not more than 2 mm per 2 m of the length of the room and the uniform slope of the floor is not more than 4 mm per 2 m of the length / width of the room. If there are minor irregularities, is it possible to cycle them. If there are a lot of large differences on the floor, then you need to lay OSB or chipboard, fasten it to the wooden floor with self-tapping screws (the head of the screw is recessed by a couple of mm).
2. If you want a silent floor with laminate flooring, then the old wooden floor on which the laminate will be laid should also not creak. If it creaks, then the creaks must first be eliminated. How to eliminate - you need to decide in each individual case, in place. Of the possible options - add glue, foam, fix the boards in places of creaking with self-tapping screws, etc. If the floor boards are rotten or the parquet boards fall off or the differences between the elements of the wooden floor are very large, then such a wooden floor needs to be dismantled.
3. The floor boards must not sag. If they bend, then this means that the step of the lag does not correspond to the thickness of the floor board, i.e. either the logs should lie more often, or the floor board should be thicker. Dismantling the floor boards, adding lags with the desired pitch and reattaching the boards in place is long, difficult and expensive. And not every old board will stand it. Therefore, it is easier to leave the lag step the same, but increase the thickness of the floor board. You can add another layer of boards across to those that are currently laid, or you can fix plywood on existing boards.

Important! Laminate planks should be laid perpendicular to the planks of the old wood floor.

Laying laminate on linoleum

Photo. Base - linoleum

In terms of evenness, the same requirements as for other bases - differences of no more than 2 mm per 2 m of the length of the room and a uniform floor slope of no more than 4 mm per 2 m of the length / width of the room.

1. Linoleum should be all glued, not dangling, not puckering. If in some place it is torn off, then you need to glue it. If in some place there is no piece of linoleum, then put an additional piece of the substrate of the desired shape in this place.
2. Before laying the substrate, linoleum does not need to be primed or prepared in any special way. The surface just needs to be clean and dry.

Installing laminate on carpet

Laminate cannot be installed on carpet. This is too soft a base for a coating such as laminate. As a result, the locks break very quickly. Therefore, the carpet must be removed and the laminate laid on the base, which is hidden under the carpet. In addition, carpet is a store of age-old dust and dirt, which is simply not possible to clean and wash. Therefore, from the point of view of hygiene, it is again better to remove it before installing the laminate.

Underlayment for laminate flooring

If the substrate is planned to be cork, then in the case of a concrete base, you must first spread a vapor barrier over concrete, glue the joints with adhesive tape, then lay a cork substrate. The vapor barrier will protect the cork from possible moisture. Any other substrate can be laid on a concrete base without a vapor barrier.

The substrate is laid on the floor freely, it is not attached to the floor in any way. The sheets of the substrate are placed in a joint. Only a special combined substrate is laid with an overlap, in which thinned film sections for overlapping are provided. The joints of the substrate are glued with adhesive tape.

Laminate laying technology

Laminate panels are cut during installation. It is better to cut with a jigsaw or a miter saw, a hacksaw will not work, as the teeth can lift the film on the surface of the laminate. Holes for pipes can be made with a jigsaw. If there is a frieze, then it is possible with it, but if it is not there, then buying for a single installation is quite expensive, you can get by with a jigsaw.

Before laying the first row along the wall, you need to place spacers with a thickness of at least 1 cm in increments of about 25 cm. This indent forms a expansion joint for the thermal expansion of the laminate.

The first row is laid with a groove towards the wall.

Some write that it is generally easier to always collect rows first, and then attach the entire row to the previous one. Then supposedly you do not need to constantly tap, mount faster, easier .. In fact, this is real only if the room is not large. Otherwise, it is difficult to immediately set the row, assemble it perfectly and insert it all at once into the previous row. Especially if the installation is done by one person. Plus, for this, the panels must have an ideal geometry. It is much easier to do the installation of 1 panel. But always read the instructions on the laminate packaging. Sometimes the manufacturer himself advises to assemble in order, sometimes by the piece.

It’s good if, before laying the laminate, you made a layout plan for the layout of the panels (how to do it is described in the article Laying the laminate with your own hands. Preparatory work (moderation). Then laying will be faster and easier. If there is no such scheme, then you need to at least estimate on the leaf, what width will you get the last row in. And if it turns out to be already 5 cm, then you need to cut the first row of the laminate so that both the first and last row are no thinner than 5 cm.

And also keep in mind that the length of the first and last panel in each row should be at least 30 cm. And if, for example, the length of the last panel in a row is less than 30 cm (estimate in the process for each row if there is no plan), then you need to cut the first panel of the row.

In addition to the expansion joint along all walls (1 cm indent), sometimes it is necessary to arrange additional expansion joints:

1. If the laminate is covered in several adjacent rooms and there is no door or threshold between them, then a deformation seam must be made between these rooms;
2. If the room has a complex shape or with narrow transitions, then it is advisable to make an expansion joint in the places of such transitions;
3. There are rarely such large rooms, but just in case I will say - if the room is more than 100 m2, then approximately every 100 m2 a deformation seam is also made.

Such expansion joints are closed with special transitional profiles, they are also called - thresholds, joint-overlapping thresholds, floor thresholds. These thresholds are made of plastic and aluminum.

Plastic can be matched to match any color of the laminate.

In terms of shape, there are thresholds of different levels (stepped, l-shaped, z-shaped) and single-level (smooth). If the laminate and the “neighboring” floor covering fit perfectly in height, then we choose a single-level even threshold.

If there are differences in height (the laminate is higher or lower than the “neighboring” coating), then we select a stepped threshold with the desired slope angle.

The joint is first filled with silicone or water-based liquid nails (acrylic sealant is not suitable). We lay the threshold on top. Wipe off excess silicone/liquid nails. Then we fasten the threshold with dowels to the floor (there are thresholds that are fixed invisibly, there are with through visible fasteners). Silicone or liquid nails prevent future creaking from small debris falling under the threshold.

The distance from the heating pipes, according to the recommendations of the laminate manufacturers, should usually be 8-10 mm. But in practice we make it smaller, for aesthetic reasons (only 2-3 mm), it works fine. The resulting gap of 2-3 mm is filled with sealant for wood (matched to the color of the laminate). The sealant is water-based, so the excess is easily wiped off with a damp sponge.

Installing the skirting board on the laminate

The plinth repeats the contour of the wall, so the material of the plinth must be selected based on the "evenness" of the walls. If the walls are even, then you can use a wooden plinth. If the walls are not even, then only a plastic plinth will do, it will repeat the irregularities of the wall without forming gaps between the plinth and the wall. After all, such gaps do not look very aesthetically pleasing and focus on the unevenness of the walls.

In addition, a wooden skirting board needs to be painted or varnished, it is more difficult and longer to fix than a plastic one, and with uneven walls, installing a wooden skirting board will be even more difficult than installing the laminate itself. There are also plinths made of MDF. Under them are quite expensive fasteners, plus such a plinth can swell if you pour water on it or wash the floors often and abundantly.

In general, we recommend using only plastic skirting boards for laminate flooring. Since the laminate is a coating, it is resistant, not fastidious, hardy, easy to install and relatively inexpensive coating. The plinth must also meet these requirements, and this is just plastic plastic. A plastic plinth is fastened after 35-40 cm to a wooden wall - with a wood screw, to a concrete and brick wall - with a self-tapping screw with a dowel, to a wall made of porous material (gas block, shell rock, etc.) - with a wood self-tapping screw without a dowel. There are special plastic plinths with a box that hides the mounting dowel. Such a skirting board costs about 2 times more than a simple plastic one.

Photo. Plastic plinth with box

In the corners, the plinth is cut at 45 degrees, the joint in the corner, as well as all the plinth joints along the length, are hidden by special connecting elements. You can cut the plinth with a hacksaw or a grinder.

Laminate Care

Remember that you can’t pour water on the laminate, after all, it contains elements of wood.

On the legs of the furniture that will often move, you need to stick soft felt stickers so as not to scratch the laminate.

Photo. Soft pads for furniture legs

If during operation a chip, scratch, stripe appeared somewhere, then this damage must be repaired with a special wax pencil. These are sold in the departments for the sale of laminate and parquet. Or the damage can be hidden with a colored wood preservative, matched to the color of the laminate.

Photo. Wax pencil for restoring laminate flooring

Remember that you cannot replace one or two planks of laminate. Often manufacturers say that it is real, more than that it is easy and simple. This is a lie. The laminate can really be disassembled and reassembled, but only for this you will have to remove the baseboards and disassemble from the first (or last - whichever is closer to the damaged) plank to the one that needs to be replaced. At the same time, each bar that you remove must be numbered for convenience in order to quickly fold them back. But you can’t just remove 1-2 strips. We tried it ourselves, we had to lift all the furniture (an office with assembled office furniture and connected appliances) for the sake of 4 swollen laminate planks.