Step-by-step instructions: how to lay laminate flooring on a concrete floor with your own hands?

Are you considering replacing your floors? One inexpensive way to give your space a modern, fresh look is to install laminate flooring on a concrete base. Whether you’re remodeling a living room, bedroom, or even a basement, laminate provides aesthetic appeal, durability, and ease of maintenance. See how you can accomplish professional-looking results with your own two hands by following our step-by-step guide below.

First things first: being prepared is essential. Be certain that your concrete floor is level, clean, and dry before beginning installation. Get rid of any adhesive residue, carpet, or tile that may be there. Using an appropriate filler, seal any gaps or cracks and give it time to completely dry. In addition to making installation simpler, a smooth and level surface will guarantee your laminate flooring is installed securely for many years to come.

After preparing your concrete floor, it’s time to install a moisture barrier. It is imperative that you take this step to prevent moisture from leaking into your laminate from the concrete. Extend a high-quality moisture barrier and allow the seams to overlap by a few inches. Using tape, firmly fix the barrier in place so that the floor is covered in a single layer.

It’s time to install the underlayment now that your moisture barrier is in place. In addition to decreasing noise and offering cushioning underfoot, the underlayment also helps to even out small concrete imperfections. In the direction that you intend to lay your laminate planks, roll out the underlayment. Cut extra material off and make cuts to fit around obstructions like door jambs.

The exciting part is about to begin: actually laying the laminate planks! Work your way across the room starting in the corner on the left. To allow for natural expansion, leave a small expansion gap (usually about ¼ inch) between the planks and the wall. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, click each plank into place to ensure a snug fit without straining the joints.

Stagger the joints between adjacent rows of planks as you move across the room to improve the stability of the floor and give it a more natural appearance. Make sure the planks lock firmly into place by lightly tapping them into place with a rubber mallet and tapping block. Row by row, carry on in this manner until you come to the other wall.

Install baseboards or quarter-round molding around the room’s perimeter after all the planks are in place to cover the expansion gap and give your floors a polished appearance. Look for any loose planks and, if needed, retape. And voilà! Your home has gained value and style thanks to the gorgeous laminate flooring you installed.

Many do-it-yourselfers can finish laminate flooring installation on concrete floors in a weekend with these easy-to-follow instructions. Savor the satisfaction of a job well done and your new floors!

Do I need to prepare a screed??

Given that this coating is categorized as "floating," the final product—perfectly fitted and securely fastened laminate strips—depends on the caliber of the subfloor.

This material only requires a perfectly flat surface to be laid upon as its only "requirement." This is because the lamellas’ rigidity prevents them from adjusting to the subfloor’s imperfections.

The base will need to be repaired if cracks, depressions, and height variations greater than 2 mm / 1 m are found; if significant damage is sustained, it will need to be refilled.

How to Determine If Preparation Is Required?

Examining the base’s quality is essential before applying any finishing coats. It is best to leave the screed inspection to experts with the necessary equipment and experience. The measurements listed below can be performed by them:

• Surface strength by Ritz-scratch device. With its help, scratches are made in the floor, by which the quality of the screed is determined: if the edges are smooth and do not crumble, then the screed is in good condition.
• Compression test. It will help you understand what loads the floor, and therefore the floor covering, can withstand. Installation of equipment or furniture, traffic in the room – everything has an impact on it. Compression can be checked using the method of elastic rebound, shock impulse or plastic deformation. To perform the analysis, you will need to use a Schmidt hammer.
• Tensile strength. To do this you will need a dynamometer and a sheet of metal.

You can perform your own checks, but in this scenario, the indications will be imprecise. To accomplish this, you’ll need:

• Conduct a visual inspection of the concrete screed: if it is the same color, without stains, chips or cracks, then the floor is externally ready for laying laminate.
• You can check if there are any voids in the floor by tapping it carefully with a wooden block. If the sound is the same everywhere, then everything is in order, but if not, then there are voids in the screed.
• You can determine the slope using the rule.

It is best to have experts inspect the screed if you must install laminate flooring over it.

Methods

You can: to produce a flawlessly level surface beneath laminate

1. Make a screed. For this you can use ready-made mixtures. Sequence of work:
2. the surface is being prepared for pouring;
3. the floor pie is assembled – insulating layer, reinforcement, thermal insulation;
4. beacons are placed;
5. a solution is prepared;
6. pouring is in progress.
7. If the laminate is to be laid in an apartment, then it is more economical and easier to use a self-leveling floor system. To do this, a dry mixture with special modifiers is distributed over the floor slabs, it becomes fluid and spreads in an even layer over the surface.
8. Dry prefabricated screed. It uses two types of materials – loose materials are laid on the bottom, and tiled ones on top.

Any of the above techniques, provided production technology is followed, ensures a flawlessly even and high-quality coating. It is sufficient to smooth out the current coating by filling in cracks or removing chips if there is no need to create a new screed.

If the surface is of poor quality

If the screed is cracked and no longer usable, nothing needs to be fixed severely. Sufficient:

• “Draw” a mesh on it, making compression holes. The step between them should be 5 m, and the depth should be 1/3 of the thickness of the entire coating.
• Seal the holes with polyurethane sealant. The strength of the sealant must correspond to the strength of the coating, otherwise a composition that is too soft will not withstand the operating load, and if it makes the seams hard, the latter will crumble.
• Existing cracks should be slightly widened and cleaned.
• Seal them with primer.
• Grout the surface to the same level.

Treatment before laying

If the screed is suitable for laminate flooring installation, the following preparatory steps need to be completed:

• The floor needs to be thoroughly cleaned. If you don’t have a special vacuum cleaner, you need to sweep it thoroughly and then wash it.
• Make sure the screed is completely dry.
• Check the floor for slope: it should not exceed 2 mm/m2 .
• Treat the rough coating with a primer. The mixture must be applied with a spatula and then spread with a roller to prevent bubbles from appearing.
• Lay a vapor barrier film.
• Cover the floor with underlay.

You can then start installing the laminate.

Errors and their consequences

The following outcomes may occur if you depend solely on the underlay’s installation without inspecting the subfloor’s quality:

• the finishing coating will begin to “sag” in places where there are pits;
• will rise on the tubercles;
• the base under the laminate will begin to crumble under the influence of loads if the cracks have not been repaired;
• if the screed is not completely dry, moisture will damage the finish;
• if there are differences in height, the lamellas will not fit exactly and will diverge over time.

Preliminary actions

Not only must the base be ready, but you also need to choose a substrate, measure the area, and determine how much material is needed.

Material quantity calculation process

Prior to making a laminate purchase, decide how it will be installed. Depending on whether the laminate is positioned parallel or diagonal to the walls, up to 7% of the material will be used for trimming. The layout of the room is also crucial to consider, as niches, columns, and other protruding or recessed areas will require more material for the cladding because cutting them will remove up to 10% of the board. Think about the space between the laminate and the wall.

To determine how much material is needed, you need:

• determine the floor area by multiplying its length by its width;
• add percentage for stock;
• divide the floor area indicator by the package size indicated in m2;
• round the result up.

You can figure out how many packages a room needs in this way.

Normal laminate flooring installation requires a minimum margin of 5% and a diagonal margin of 10%.

Measuring and marking

You must measure the length and width of the floor and compare the results with the laminate board’s width to ensure that all of the boards fit correctly. It’s crucial to think about whether the material should be placed straight or diagonally. Because of this, it’s crucial to plan out the laminate rows ahead of time, keeping in mind that the final board in a row should be at least 5 cm wide.

Required tools for installation

The following equipment must be ready if you want to lay laminated boards on a screed yourself:

• tape measure up to 5 m in length;
• pencil or marker;
• square up to 35 cm in length;
• a jigsaw to saw off extra centimeters of the board;
• a percussion instrument, for example, a rubber hammer or a simple one, but with an extension;
• metal clamp and bracket;
• wedges for gaps;
• drill if you need to make holes for pipes;
• tamping block.

How to lay it correctly – step by step guide

On a concrete floor, laminate is laid out as follows:

• preparing the rough coating – removing debris, sealing cracks if necessary;
• applying a primer that will maintain the integrity of the concrete base;
• laying polyethylene film for vapor barrier: to do this, its sections need to be overlapped from wall to wall, with the latter being 3 cm in height;
• laying the substrate;
• laying laminate.

The latter is always laid beginning at the far corner.

It is possible to lay laminate without glue. In other words, each lamella is installed separately; the first row is mounted first, and the subsequent row is docked to it. Because the laminate is secured with locks, it’s critical to arrange the panels so that the side lock faces the laid row at all times. You need to use a block and hammer to make a strong connection.

Notably, laminate can also be adhered to with glue. In other words, the glue in the locks will hold the pieces together if you pour the adhesive solution into them, join the slats, and snap the locks. The simple snap method is the best option. In this instance, a board can be simply removed from the row and replaced if it becomes loose or unusable. In areas with high humidity, glue use is justified.

The following video will teach a beginner how to lay laminate flooring on a screed:

Possible difficulties

When working independently, you run the risk of making the following errors:

• do not check the quality of the screed;
• failure to eliminate subfloor defects;
• do not level the base horizontally;
• do not use a substrate;
• start laying the lamellas from the wrong place;
• Do not calculate the amount of material.

How to put on an uneven base?

This coating cannot be applied to a floor that has pits or tubercles. Every flaw must be fixed. Chipboard can occasionally be used to level uneven floors, but this is not the most dependable solution because loads can cause the base’s defective areas to become more brittle.

We will take you step-by-step through the process of installing laminate flooring on a concrete surface using this guide. We’ll cover every aspect of this do-it-yourself project, from prepping the concrete and selecting the appropriate supplies to putting in the underlayment and laying the laminate planks. No matter your level of experience with home renovation, our step-by-step instructions and helpful hints will help you install a laminate floor that looks great and improves any room in your house.

The price of the services of professionals

The cost of this service varies by city or area, but in Moscow, laminate installation typically costs between 200 and 420 rubles per square meter.

A concrete floor can be made to seem and feel completely different by installing laminate flooring, which also adds durability and ease of upkeep. You can use your hands to create a professional-looking result by following a few simple steps.

First, make sure the surface of your concrete is level, clean, and dry. The stability and appearance of the laminate can be impacted by any debris or unevenness. To completely remove dust and dirt, use a vacuum and mop. To achieve a smooth surface, think about applying a leveling compound if there are any noticeable dips or bumps.

Place a vapor barrier over the concrete after that. This aids in preventing moisture from penetrating the laminate, which over time may result in warping or damage. To make a continuous barrier, overlap the seams and securely tape them together.

After installing your vapor barrier, it’s time to install the underlayment. Select an underlayment made especially for laminate floors to offer support, cushioning, and sound absorption. Lay the underlayment out completely on the floor, cutting it to fit around corners and edges.

The exciting part is about to begin: installing the laminate planks. Following the manufacturer’s instructions for your particular type of laminate, start in one corner of the room and work your way across. To ensure a tight fit, you should usually interlock the tongue and groove edges of each plank. To allow for expansion, leave a small space between the walls and the flooring by using spacers along the edges.

Keep an eye out for any barriers along the way, such as heating vents or doorways. Using a saw meant for laminate flooring, measure and cut the laminate planks as necessary. Always remember to allow for seasonal variations in humidity by leaving a small expansion gap around all obstacles.

After installing all of the laminate planks, cover the expansion gap and give the room a polished appearance by removing the spacers and installing matching molding or transition strips around the perimeter. Make one last inspection of the floor, looking for any gaps or loose planks that require adjusting.

You can have a gorgeous laminate floor that improves the look and feel of your house by following these step-by-step instructions and taking your time at each step. Take pride in your do-it-yourself laminate flooring installation on your concrete floor and enjoy your new area!

Video on the topic

DIY laminate laying | How to lay a laminate one without experience

The easiest and fastest way to lay a laminate with your own hands.In great detail.

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