Square laminate flooring

Square laminate flooring is an excellent floor covering that can perform many functional tasks and add beauty and luxury to an interior. A self-laying square laminate under the force of even an inexperienced person.

Description

Like any other type of similar panels, a square laminate consists of 4 layers:

• protective;
• decorative;
• the main one is hardboard or HDF board;
• stabilizing - the bottom layer, almost entirely composed of water-repellent components.

The main difference between square laminate and ordinary laminate is form. Over the past years, the material has become very popular, as it is very similar to natural wood. Any material has its own advantages and disadvantages, and a square laminate is no exception.

Benefits

So, a little about the advantages of square laminate:

• ease of cleaning;
• resistance to various pollutants;
• antistatic surface;
• abrasion resistance;
• high fire and heat resistance;
• a wide range of colors - suitable for any interior;

disadvantages

The most significant disadvantages are the synthetic origin of materials and exposure to water. Vulnerabilities are only the joints of the plates, the upper surface is protected reliably. In the event of flooding, it will quickly begin to deform and become unsuitable for further operation.

How to choose a good laminate

Before proceeding to the purchase, you need to examine information about the types of square laminate. They are not so much: locking and glue. The latter is cheaper, but less reliable and durable than the first. The next important point that should be given special attention: the top layer, or rather its thickness. The main objective of the first layer is protection, therefore acrylic and melamine resin is mainly used for its manufacture. The thicker its layer, the better the performance characteristics of the material.

Preparatory stage

Before buying, you need to calculate how much material is required. This is easy to do: on the packaging of a laminate it is usually written what surface area the material will cover. It remains only to calculate the area of ​​the room and divide it by the area indicated on the packaging of the laminate. Of course, you should not buy laminate back to back, according to the most conservative estimates, you need a stock of 5-7%.

Before starting the main works using square laminate, you need to leave the material in the room for at least one day. This is a very important point - it depends on the duration of the floor.

Types of styling

Laying laminate can be a variety of ways, but often used direct and diagonal installation.

1. The most economical way - direct installation. Adjustment occurs only at the risers and in the doorway.
2. Diagonal installation looks more attractive, but the consumption of laminate increases significantly - there will be a lot of trimming.

Stacking procedure

How to lay a square laminate? Yes, as well as the standard. The only difference is the lack of need to lay the substrate. In this lies the main advantage of square laminate - it does not require a special base, for it is sufficient screed, wood floor or an existing moisture-resistant coating.

Lay laminate in the direction of "themselves." You can purchase laminate with click or lock locks. If the cover with the “Click” lock can be removed and reassembled, then with the “Lock” lock, such a focus will not succeed. After assembling the first row, the next rows are assembled.

Note! During installation, it is necessary to leave gaps around pipes, thresholds and other projections. For example, a gap of 7 to 10 mm is left between the laminate and the wall for thermal expansion. This gap will be closed in the future by the plinth.

The simplicity of laying a square laminate, as compared with its rectangular counterpart, lies in the equality of the sides of the first. The only thing that the installation of their own hands, should be carried out in accordance with the following recommendations:

1. The base must be smooth. The length of the floor, whose length is 2 meters, should not have horizontal differences of more than 4 mm. Failure to comply with this requirement weakens the locks, so that they can even be disconnected.
2. If there are any irregularities, then you need to do one of the following:
   • If there is a concrete floor, cement screed is required. Important! Concrete surface is best leveled with the bulk mixture. She not only easily cope with the task, but also slightly affect the height of the floor level.
   • The surface of the wooden floor is best treated with an electric planer. If not just unevenness occurs, but also bending floorboards, then their repair or replacement is recommended.
   • Cement base requires additional moisture protection. To do this, lay a plastic film, the thickness of which is at least 3 mm. The overlap on the wall should be at least 20 cm, and each joint cannot do without mounting tape.
   • It is possible to provide noise insulation and reduce the thermal conductivity by laying a layer of foam rubber or a hemaphone. It also requires overlapping and bonding of the joints with mounting tape. If the manufacturer has provided a square laminate with a warming layer, then polyethylene foam cannot be used for installation.

Now you can proceed directly to the installation:

1. Install the square laminate from left to right. The beginning is the opposite left corner.
2. Special wedges should be placed between the wall and the first row of lamellas.
3. The order of the following action depends entirely on the type of lock:
   • “Click” - the panel should be brought at an angle of 30 degrees, and then inserted and lowered until click.
   • “Lock” - the position of the panel during installation must be strictly horizontal. The connection is made with a hammer and a special bar that prevents damage to the lock itself. It is best to use a rubber hammer for work - it is more convenient and safer.
4. The assembly of the second row should be carried out separately and only then be connected to the first row.
5. If it is not possible to place the whole product or you need to put a laminate near the heating pipes, then an electric jigsaw or “Bulgarian” will be required.

Thus you need to make laying laminate throughout the room. Square laminate allows not only to imitate tile and parquet, but also to perform all installation work without the involvement of qualified professionals.

Video

This is how the art square laminate fits: