Important Points on Installing Laminate Flooring

1.      Laminate flooring floats and is installed without glue – a ‘floating floor’. You can walk on it immediately and after installation.

2.    With your laminate flooring planks you can choose where you want to begin. Think about the easiest way to install the floor.

3.     Make sure all the panels are sufficiently mixed when you install them, so that you do not end up with to many identical panels right next to each other or too many light and dark planks together.

4.    Make sure you thoroughly check all planks in a clear light. Defective planks should never be installed.

5.     The floor should be preferably installed parallel to how the light enters the room. The ideal conditions are 59-69F at a relative humidity of 50-60%.

6.    Let the planks acclimate to the room for 48 hours prior to installation.  Leave the packages unopened and place them in the middle of the room where you are going to install the flooring (do not take straight from your hot garage and then install in your air conditioned house immediately).

7.     Room humidity can vary according the season we are in so it is vital that there is enough room for the floor to expand and contract (even around cabinets).  For this reason please make sure you leave an expansion joint of a minimum 5/16” to 3/8” on all sides of the floor, around pipes, thresholds, cabinets, etc.

8.    Large rooms must have expansion joints every 40FT width-wise to the panels every 40FT length-wise.  Expansion joints can be finished with T-Moldings that match the flooring.

9.    Ensure that the end joints of the panels in two successive rows are never in line. Always ensure that the joints are staggered by at least 6” apart.