Deffo not a DIY expert but thought I'd give it a go. Was told to take all the 'planks' (but not me) out of the packing and stack them to acclimatise, even though the packing told me not to. Its a floating (?) floor, which I am putting down on a sheet of silver foil attached to Polystyrene corking. I was told to lay with the poly up, but the packet said put the foil up, so I went with the packing and am foil up! The floor isn't totally flat and the laminates I have laid so far don't sit flat to the floor. Additionally they fly across the foil backing like a bobsleigh. My wife isn't talking to me (I told her it wouldn't be a problem, so she paid). I have so far managed to refrain from throwing it all out the window, but its getting close. Haven't laid much yet, too busy watching the GP and Golf, but am supposed to be finished by the weekend. Anybody done this be4. Help me please.

I've yet to do this myself, but the old man has done it, and I've got all the bits to do my place.

I've not heard of using foil underneath, although I guess that could be used as a damp proof membrane, on top of a concrete base.

I'd guess that the foil goes on top of the concrete, then your underlay, then the laminate.

I've got rolls of underlay material, that looks like a polystyrene meterial, which as far as I know, the laminate lays onto.

Den

[Edited by Dirty_Den - 7/22/2002 12:03:23 AM]

Den

Hope you have more luck than I have, so far....

Anyone out there done this b4, does the flooring warp to match the floor as you go, or should I be doing something about it from the outset. Will the weight of the flooring stop it moving once its all laid, cos after half a dozen or so planks I am not convinced.

mancamefirst -

I'd suggest that if your concrete base is not that flat, you might like to smooth it out by adding some concrete to the base, and checking how flat it is with a spirit level. I don't think the laminate adjusts that much, although I'm obviously ready to be told otherwise! ;)

Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but you'll need to leave any additional concrete you add to dry for a while (depending obviously upon how much extra you put down) for the moisture in the concrete to dry out.

If you need to add a lot, you could do what you do when laying a new concrete base all together - add concrete, then with a bit of wood as wide as your room, pat it out/smooth it out with that, rather than doing little bits at a time.

Good luck,

Den

here goes my experience,

step 1 Wimpy house concrete floor reasonably flat

step 2 ripped all the skirting off & emptied room

step 3 put down rolls of aluminium/polystrene stuff for thermal insulation type idea, put down new skirting (pre - painted)silver side up

step 4 don't glue it as it melts (Doh !)tape it instead

step 5 bought the click stuff £30 a pack but "carpet****" managers special thursday night 50% off

step 6 started at window end of living room , top left put it down click next bit etc etc tried to fill in neatly alternating the small bits that check in to fill the gap as a full section not needed.

step 7 take ages and loads of sore knees especially working out how to cut round the open staircase.

step 8 put on tack edging that wife bought and door trim joiners between 2 rooms

i know the above seems easy , maybe i was lucky but that's what i done,

went on to do the kitchen , removed the kickboards ran lengths uneven under the kickboards , made a good job for washing machine so i could slide it in and out without scoring the wood.

PS bought loads of the sticky pads for all furniture units , sofa etc so you can move stuff around.

jase

hope it helps

ps borrowed dads electric mitre saw



[Edited by jase555 - 7/22/2002 11:41:57 AM]

Thanks for the advice so far guys. I feel a surge of mindless optimism coming on, wife still isn't talking to me tho' so its not all bad.

When I get to the door way what then. The packs tell me to leave a 10mm gap between all fixed surfaces, so how would I go about butting up to the hall carpet. Is this the door trim joiners you mention Jase and if so where do I get them, and how do they work. I am also interested in what you did around radiator pipes, again the instructions say 10mm gap, so the hole I'll have will be 20mm bigger than the pipe!!
As you can tell I'm a true pro' so all advice greatly received

When my old man did his, he had a load of ice cream lolly sticks that he placed between the wall edges and the edge of the laminate, to leave a gap.

You can get special spacers for it though, I'd suggest that, unless you eat lots of lollies. ;)

Den

Den Theres no stix in Mars Ice creams, I just had one to make sure

How did your dad deal with the doorway I am trying to picture in my mind what I'm going to do when I get there. I have a carpet rod holding the hall carpet in place, but if i leave a 10mm gap between it and the edge of the flooring its gonna look naff, is there no alternative

I'll check with him. I think he has just got one of those normaly carpet rods fixed to the floor, with the carpet attached to that and the edge of the laminate right up against that.

Let me ask him mate.

Den

Surely it's ok to have one edge tight against a wall as long as the other three or whatever sides have room for expansion along them?

radiator pipes

i was lucky , mine is microbore which is raised and trunked so no need to cut.

as for spacing, i cut bits of wood, when bulk of floor down its too big and heavy to move, I have found that only one section moves , ie where there is a join but i just kind of nudge it back,

when wife is not looking use my trainers and slide it if you know what i mean,

trunking and guards and door joins were all together sold as seperates when i bought the flooring

jase

I laid one of these over a wooden floor, but there may be something to help:

1. Cleared out room, left skirting boards in place.
2. Ripped up old carpet and cleaned the floorboards.
3. Laid insulation/sound proofing/underlay stuff running with the floor boards. Used the tape provided to attach, the foil side was facing up.
3. Started from the window, and worked my way back. The boards were laid across the run of the floor boards. I put in a spacer about 5mm thick. The reason i went a bit smaller than suggested was because:
a) The wood will never expand THAT much (10mm!! :eek: )
b) They always tell you to go over the top with stuff like this
c) The beading I was to use was only 15mm think, I needed something to glue it too, right?
4. Got to a radiator. Cut a U shape to the right depth in the side of the board, about 1mm thicker than the diameter of the pipe.
5. Got to a door. Sawed about 15mm of the bottom of the door frame, and slotted the boards into that space, looks very neat.
6. Got to a walk in cupboard, ARSE. Took me ages to get small enough bits to fill it!
7. Glued beading all around the room with No More Nails.

The floor has been there a year now, and looks good still. The boards did bend to fit the uneven floor when the furnature was replaced, but is still a little "bouncy" where there is none.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Gonna crack on with it tomorrow and see what happens (Can't take the deathly silence any longer). Someone at work told me B&Q have loads of stuff, so gonna mooch down there tomorrow and see what they've got.