If you have ever wanted to install a floating floor in your house, you are in luck; because it is not nearly as difficult as it seems.
Just follow these tips, and you will have your floating floor installed in not time at all.
Preparation is Key Preparation is very important in this project.
You will have to measure the room carefully to get its measurements.
Include closet and foyer floors in your measurements.
Then you need to choose a floor color that will work with the overall scheme of your home.
When you buy your flooring, add and extra 20% to make sure that you do not run out of product at the end of your project.
Sometimes the way the boards are cut will yield waste where you were not expecting it.
If you are laying the floor in a completed room, then you will need a dovetail saw to trim the door casings.
It is also important to make sure that the room is spotless before beginning the project.
You do not want to have any debris trapped under your floor when it is completed.
Begin with the Underlayment The first layer in your installation is called underlayment.
Al you do for this step is roll it out and trim it with a utility knife.
As you roll out the underlayment, you can fasten separate strips of it together with duct tape, which may make handling it easier.
Now for the Floor Pick a wall to use as a starting point and lay down your spacers.
The spacers leave enough room for the floor to expand and contract as temperatures vary.
As you lay the first planks make sure that the tongue portion faces out.
Lay the entire first row and end it with a spacer.
Now insert the last piece of flooring into the row.
You will probably need to trim it to fit.
If the piece that you have left over is longer than eight inches, you can use it to start the next row.
If it is not, then start with a new piece of flooring.
Begin the new row with a spacer.
Stagger section lengths as you lay the rest of the pieces, and always begin and end the rows with spacers.
To Glue or Not to Glue? Some floating floor products require gluing, so if yours requires glue, make sure that you put glue into the groove of each flooring board as you install it.
As you are installing a section, you will want to protect the flooring by using a wooden block as you tap the board into place with a hammer.
Wipe up any excess glue as you go along, and be prepared to make the flooring fit into the doorway by putting a notch in it.
The Last Row Follow this pattern for each row until you reach the last one.
Then measure the space that you have left and cut your final board to fit.
You may need to use a pry bar and block and hammer to wedge in the last row.
After installing the floor let it dry for at least twelve hours.
After it is dry, simply replace your door thresholds and floor moldings, and give yourself a big pat on the back.