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Anyone with lot of experience laying laminate flooring ?

ManitouDan

ManitouDan

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Dec 7, 2006
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Would like advice . wanting to do laminate to avoid linoleum ( ugly) in a cabin up north at a camp in Canada . Biggest issue is the existing floor is prob not level , might not have hills and valley's per se but maybe the cabin has sagged along the outside perimeter of the cabin - it was actually sawed into 2 sections and transported across the ice the 60s to its current location and put back together . So will laminate actually work ? I know it wont be perfect but I'm looking more for function and appearance than being " perfect" . Place is at a fly in / boat in location .. no access to buy anything once we start .
 
Are you looking for a snap-together/LVT type floor? That's a do-it-yourself type job, I just laid about 900 SF in my house. I would look for something that has a bit of give, maybe random width planks. The more rigid the flooring, the more likely you'll run into issues with the uneven flooring. Vinyl plank will have more give than actual laminated wood. Plus it will be more waterproof. It's a floating floor system so you won't be nailing or gluing it down. if there are dips in the flooring, the planks will bridge it and you will feel the give when you walk over it. There is floor leveling compound you could get as well depending on how bad it is. if it's just a gradual sag the flooring may just kinda roll with it if your laying perpendicular to the sag.
 
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I put down some peel and stick in a bathroom and guess the rules of wood apply to vinyl, let it sit in the space for awhile to acclimate to the climate. Got little 1/8" gaps at some of the seams now.
 
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trueblujr2 said:
Are you looking for a snap-together/LVT type floor? That's a do-it-yourself type job, I just laid about 900 SF in my house. I would look for something that has a bit of give, maybe random width planks. The more rigid the flooring, the more likely you'll run into issues with the uneven flooring. Vinyl plank will have more give than actual laminated wood. Plus it will be more waterproof. It's a floating floor system so you won't be nailing or gluing it down. if there are dips in the flooring, the planks will bridge it and you will feel the give when you walk over it. There is floor leveling compound you could get as well depending on how bad it is. if it's just a gradual sag the flooring may just kinda roll with it if your laying perpendicular to the sag.
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Yes , click system . I think they are vinyl . I bought long wide sections . Its the no glue/ nail approach . Hope it isnt to big a PITA
 
And I think I'm going to take a bag or two of that floor leveling mix/powder . But we are hauling things up a lake 23 miles by boat . Limited space in the boat .. got a sectional couch and a bed to take up too , we have 2 boats , lol
 
Laminate isn't hard to lay at all. I laid it in my house as well as my sisters. I have also put hardwood in part of my house. I would prefer laminate all day. It is tougher and doesn't scratch so easy. Just make sure to get a good installation kit and you will have no problems.


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Creed Bratton said:
Laminate isn't hard to lay at all. I laid it in my house as well as my sisters. I have also put hardwood in part of my house. I would prefer laminate all day. It is tougher and doesn't scratch so easy. Just make sure to get a good installation kit and you will have no problems.


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even if I have an uneven floor I'm laying over ? I mean I know it will go down , but may it cause the click system to break ? How tough is the interlocking system ?
 
ManitouDan said:
And I think I'm going to take a bag or two of that floor leveling mix/powder . But we are hauling things up a lake 23 miles by boat . Limited space in the boat .. got a sectional couch and a bed to take up too , we have 2 boats , lol
Click to expand...

Is it a subfloor or a slab?

My buddy is a flooring contractor and did our wood floors. Has a 6' 2x4 that they dragged all over the floor and used leveling compound on the low areas. That was on a slab. Not sure how that's done on subfloors.
 
catlanta33 said:
Is it a subfloor or a slab?

My buddy is a flooring contractor and did our wood floors. Has a 6' 2x4 that they dragged all over the floor and used leveling compound on the low areas. That was on a slab. Not sure how that's done on subfloors.
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There is old linoleum laid over thin wood slabs currently TIA BTW , maybe he can advise me some
 
ManitouDan said:
There is old linoleum laid over thin wood slabs currently TIA BTW , maybe he can advise me some
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I pulled up a linoleum floor to lay vinyl at an old house and it was a f'ing disaster. Should have just laid it right on top.

 
catlanta33 said:
Is it a subfloor or a slab?

My buddy is a flooring contractor and did our wood floors. Has a 6' 2x4 that they dragged all over the floor and used leveling compound on the low areas. That was on a slab. Not sure how that's done on subfloors.
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Be careful with floor fillers.......if not mixed exactly right they will crumble over time and then you will have a mess.....
 
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ManitouDan said:
even if I have an uneven floor I'm laying over ? I mean I know it will go down , but may it cause the click system to break ? How tough is the interlocking system ?
Click to expand...

If you are going this route, the thinner the laminate the more garbage it is and the harder it is to get the joints to click in and look good. Don't go with the thin stuff to save money you will regret it.
 
If the floors aren't level, laminate will crack/ break and the joints will pop loose. You might be able to pull off a glue down lvt though.
 
Two questions:

- If you put a 1/2" thick foam pad under the laminate vinyl, won't that level it?

- How warm/cold is it vs. wood or carpet?

Thanks.
 
I once laid the 30 something divorced mother of one of my tee-ball players(coaching), on her laminate kitchen floor, when I was around 20. Sorry, I got lost in the memory.
 
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Creed Bratton said:
Laminate isn't hard to lay at all. I laid it in my house as well as my sisters. I have also put hardwood in part of my house. I would prefer laminate all day. It is tougher and doesn't scratch so easy. Just make sure to get a good installation kit and you will have no problems.


71VKAUEvMbL.jpg
Click to expand...

This^ kit is a must.

I've put both laminate and vinyl down.
I like laminate better, however, vinyl makes life easier with a less than level floor. Also, be sure to let the boards acclimate to the temp in the house for a day or two before you install. Good luck to you.
 
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How many SF?

Get the floppiest click together vinyl plank you can find. That might do the trick.

If the place is supposed to be rustic then just go with some cheap ass peel and stick
 
80 Proof said:
If the floors aren't level, laminate will crack/ break and the joints will pop loose. You might be able to pull off a glue down lvt though.
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80 - I'm going to ceramic tile a spare bathroom. I've pulled up most of the linoleum that was previously installed, but there some spots where it just wont come up. If I put down some 1/4 inch luan over all of it, do you thing that would be a sufficient surface to lay the tile on? And if so, what is good to use, re: filling the joint lines between the sections of luan?
 
What is the linoleum attached to? It was directly installed on the subfloor or is there a chance there is already a thin underlayment under the vinyl? Get it down to the subfloor if at all possible. Check that there isn’t a bit of underlayment.

You should be fine, maybe find some 3/8

How big is the spare bathroom?
 
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The linoleum was on sublooring that was already there. I have enough room (depth) to lay another layer of subfloor, and the tile, and it will bring it almost flush with the hardwood just outside of the bathroom.

The room is about 6 by 5 (vanity, commode, small shower)
 
I was actually considering that Armstrong linoleum tile (the old school stuff, that you have to strip and wax occasionally) as well.
 
-if you do ceramic you need to put permabase/durock cement bd down.

-op, use vinyl plank in lieu of laminate. Quieter, easier to install...subfloor can be un-level within reason.
 
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HymanKaplan said:
80 - I'm going to ceramic tile a spare bathroom. I've pulled up most of the linoleum that was previously installed, but there some spots where it just wont come up. If I put down some 1/4 inch luan over all of it, do you thing that would be a sufficient surface to lay the tile on? And if so, what is good to use, re: filling the joint lines between the sections of luan?
Click to expand...
I'd put down cement backer board before doing tile on a wood subfloor,not luan.
 
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What about Armstrong vinyl square (you put down with thinset and then wax)? Same thing? cement backer board?
 
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions/recs

There is a luxury vinyl plank that looks like grouted tile. That might be a good option for you.
 
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