Laying the laminate diagonally

Laminate flooring, and simply laminate, very quickly won the position as one of the most comfortable, beautiful, fashionable, aesthetic, inexpensive and durable (you can still continue) materials for finishing the floors in a dwelling. Indeed, he has many advantages, but there are fewer shortcomings. Perhaps the main thing is the synthetic basis, the non-naturalness of the material, in spite of the fact that it looks very presentable, well, and still has a low moisture resistance (although at present they are already producing types of moisture-resistant laminate).

There are different ways of laying the laminate. The most standard - decked, when the boards are laid along the wall of the room from the window to the door with an offset, i.e. Each of the rows is shifted relative to the other by approximately 25 cm so that the end joints do not coincide with the adjacent rows. There is another - laying the laminate on the diagonal - more "bold" and interesting, and in small rooms also visually expanding space. Designers are advised to use such a styling in relatively empty, open spaces not covered with furniture. So the original drawing on the floor will be visible in all its glory. Laying a laminate on a diagonal is traditionally considered more labor-intensive, complex and less economical, since there is a lot of waste. However, it does not differ much from the traditional, and if you show some ingenuity, then the material will not go much more. But let's start in order.

Preparation of the base for laminate

Before the beginning of finishing works, you need to make sure that the floor is flat, without protruding bumps and dents. Unevenness in a concrete screed is allowed no more than 3 mm per meter of surface. It is not necessary to lay laminated boards on the screed. As a basis can be a dry and durable floor, covered with linoleum, carpet or old parquet. In this case, you can ignore the use of a special substrate for the laminate, which, however, must necessarily be used on a concrete screed. In addition to the substrate, a dense polyethylene film is spread on the concrete screed , which will protect the coating from excessive moisture. The film and the substrate are joined together by a scotch tape, making a small admission to the wall under the plinth.

Selection and preparation of the finishing material

The diagonal lamination of the laminate does require more material consumption. The reserve is approximately 7-10% of the total. For those skilled in the construction business of the owners, this percentage can be reduced to 5%, if you take into account some of the nuances during the work. But about this below. Builders have a standard formula for the number of boards required, which is calculated as follows: 7% of waste is added to the total area of the room, and this amount is divided by the area of the boards indicated on one package.

When choosing a laminate, it is necessary to take into account the class of its wear resistance (the most common is 32), as well as the width and length of the boards and the type of their connection. The easiest way to work with a lock joint without the use of glue. Even a beginner can cope with such work. Than the boards are wider and longer, the less will be the seams. Wide boards stack faster, and long boards are preferable in a large room.

While the rough floor is being prepared , the laminate boards should be freed from the packaging and left at room temperature for two days to lie around. Then you can start laying.

Laying the laminate diagonally

You need to start from the far corner of the room near the window and move to the door, taking into account the direction of the light flux and the sun's rays. The angle of the board can vary from 30 to 45 degrees. From the wall necessarily retreat by 1 cm to avoid possible deformation of the coating as it expands from temperature changes.

Before you start, it's better to draw a drawing of the future laying, where you take into account the slope of the boards, all the ledges and possible obstacles. This will create a more vivid picture and help to save material. In order to save material, finishers are advised to start work from the middle of the room, stretching from one to the other corner of the rope, which will serve as a boundary. Laying the laminate diagonally is first performed on the left side of the room, and then on the right. In this case, the cut will go to the course, which remained when working on the left side.

First, the boards are joined by end sections, and then the entire prepared row snaps to the previous one. Be sure to ensure that the end sections of each row do not coincide, but are 25-30 cm apart from each other, i.e. Each time to shift them.

Laminate is a modern, beautiful and versatile material, and its laying, even diagonally, is a quite affordable and easy kind of work.