How To Install Laminate Flooring On Concrete [Quick & Easy]

Advantages Of Putting Laminate Over Concrete

Is your home’s flooring in need of a refresher course? That tells us you’re worried about the cost, the quality, and the variety of design options you have.

Flooring is important to your home’s overall aesthetic and value, but you also require something that can handle the messes you make regularly.

Low In Maintenance

You’ve had enough of scrubbing your kitchen floors for half of your workday. The answer to your problem is to install laminate flooring tile.

Stains don’t stick to it nearly as quickly as they do to carpet or hardwood. Laminate flooring is extremely long-lasting, so you won’t have to buy a specific cleaner to keep it clean.

Water, soap & laminate mop will usually do the trick in the vast majority of situations. However, remember that most laminate floorings are resistant to water but not waterproof, so it is essential to move quickly after a spill.

Lots Of Design Options

Laminate flooring comes in many styles, designs, and patterns, ranging from wood to multicolored tiles that mimic the appearance of the stone.

You can customize the thickness and finish to fit the room’s aesthetic. You don’t need to compromise on style as there are so many different plank styles to choose from.

Installation Is Easy

Installing new flooring in areas like the kitchen, foyer or even stairs shouldn’t take too long because people will be using the space immediately.

Laminate flooring is another fastest and easiest solution to install when compared to other flooring options. To begin with, it can be installed over a wide range of subfloors.

As a result, if you want to replace vinyl flooring with laminate, don’t worry about tearing it up. However, you should be aware that before installing any laminate flooring, you must first remove any existing hardwood flooring.

Laminate flooring’s interlocking design makes for a simple installation technique. They’ve been engineered to fit together easily, without the need for any cutting or slicing.

There’s no need to hire a professional to install laminate flooring because the technique is so simple.

Keep Reading: Guide To Install Laminate Flooring Over Tile

How To Install Laminate Flooring On Concrete – Complete Process

Determine The Quantity Of The Material and Flooring

Add the room’s length and width together to get the total length and width. This amount should be increased by around 10% to account for any errors or distorted boards that might occur.

Carpets and other floor coverings should be removed. You can lay your new flooring right on top of an existing vinyl floor.

If you need further assistance, consult the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Remove all baseboards to expand to the manufacturer’s suggested size so the floor edges can expand (know more).

Make sure the doorways are clear. Underlayment or adhesive will not be suitable to fit under the door casing if the floor planks and underlayment are not cut to the correct height with a backsaw.

Remove the door and use a circular saw to cut it 1/8 inch above the new flooring’s level if an underlayment, floor plank, or glue would not fit under it.

Prepare The Subfloor

It is imperative that your subfloor be clean, level, dry, and structurally sound before you begin to install.

Clean

The manual or instructions for the adhesive should be followed while preparing the subfloor or old flooring to install new flooring with adhesive.

Neither glossy nor burnished surfaces are allowed. Remove any coatings and make the concrete surface slightly coarse with a concrete grinder if necessary.

The subfloor must be clean if you’re installing a floating floor that isn’t attached. Take the time to learn how to grind your own food.

Level

Please ensure that the floor is level by using a long level and a tape measure. Every 10 feet, the floor should be uniform and level within 3/16 of an inch.

Using a concrete grinder, sand any high places on your wood floor to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Allow for adequate drying time after applying a cementitious compound for leveling to any low locations.

Dry

Use a test kit for moisture to verify the presence or absence of moisture. If the wood flooring manufacturer’s recommended moisture levels aren’t being met, you’ll need to lower the relative humidity in the room. It is necessary to test all floors if your subfloor is made of wood and concrete.

Structural Advantage

The concrete subfloor must be sturdy enough for the furniture, flooring, and inhabitants in the room to be safe. Make sure there are no cracks or crumbling.

Keep Reading: Learn To Eliminate Silicone Caulk Form Laminate

Acclimatation

In order to ensure that the wood planks are appropriately acclimatized to the room’s temperature and humidity before installation, bring in the flooring.

As a result of the acclimatization process, moisture-related issues like warping, bubbling, and improper fit are reduced.

Allow the flooring to adapt to its new surroundings by stacking it in a flat position at the place of installation.

Installation Guidelines

If you’re working with a concrete subfloor, the plank should be installed with the floor’s sightlines in mind. The longest house wall usually provides the best view, but this is not always the case.

Take a tape measure to the floor and put a mark at the center of all four walls.
Using a piece of chalk, make a cross anticipating the middle of the room between the two marks on the opposite walls.
Decide where you want to begin. This wall will serve as a guide for the length of the flooring.
The straightest wall, usually outside, should always be used as the starting point for planning or installation work.
Subtract the manufacturer’s expansion gap from the measurement, then mark the moisture barrier near the starting wall.
On each end of the beginning wall, measure and mark the same distance from the center, creating a parallel way to the starting wall. It’s possible that your walls aren’t square, in which case you should remeasure this location and use that distance to record the starting wall’s center and corner measurements.
Create and follow a guideline throughout the starting wall by drawing a line between the markers on the starting wall. This is where you’ll lay the flooring in a straight line.

Now, you can say that you are all set for the next part, which is the installation of the laminates.

Things You Need

For this job, you’ll need to acquire 10% more laminate flooring planks than you’d planned for your room area to offset any waste.
In order to protect your flooring from moisture damage, you must use high-quality underlayment.
Examples of construction accessories include a pencil, a tape measure, a rubber mallet, and a saw.
Leveling compound can be applied using a trowel at this step.
You should always wear hand gloves, a safety helmet, and goggles when you’re working on a home improvement project.

Keep Reading: Ultimate Guide On Painting Laminate Flooring

Creating A Moisture Barrier

Moisture is the next consideration. To avoid damaging laminate planks, the subfloor must be dry.

Many homeowners believe that concrete, one of the more durable materials around, can withstand significant amounts of moisture. Laminate flooring’s warping and declamation can be caused by moisture vapor passing through a concrete slab.
Use a moisture measurer to evaluate the relative humidity to solve this issue. Floor installation is dangerous if the result exceeds or exceeds 4.5 percent.
For three days, lay laminate planks in the room where they will be placed, allowing them to acclimate to the space’s temperature and humidity.
A plastic sheet can be used as a vapor barrier against moisture. Plastic vapor barrier coverings can protect the laminate flooring from accumulating excessive moisture. Vinyl tape can be used to keep the barrier in place and prevent it from escaping.
Add a layer of laminate cushioning on top of the moisture barrier if you want to make comfy floors. Because concrete is so hard, walking on floors that don’t have padding can be uncomfortable.
Installing laminate flooring yourself can be tricky, so it’s best left to the pros.

Installation Of The Underlayment

Concrete subfloors are susceptible to moisture issues because of their porous composition. As a result, you’ll need to lay down an underlayment layer before putting laminate planks to keep moisture out.

Failure to do so will raise the likelihood of structural problems like future warping. Foam barriers, cork underlayment, and vinyl-based underlayment are some products we recommend for excellent moistureproofing.

Installation Of The Laminate Planks

It’s now time to put your laminate flooring on top of the concrete subfloor. Laminate flooring with a “click-lock” mechanism, in which the tongues and grooves on each plank are matched during installation, is widely available.

It’s best to begin installation in the room’s furthest corner. Allow a 14-inch gap at the room’s perimeter as you place floorboards.

Plank growth is made easier by the gap. You can also learn more about a quick fix on separating laminate floors.

Moving the planks unsteadily as you install them is also a good idea for improved structural support. In the end, cut and shape the final board in each row to fit the rest of the space.

Final Verdict

The DIY idea may seem lucrative, but performing the job yourself without any flaws is not easy. We have tried to cover all areas that may seem confusing to you.

Check out the detailed guidelines on how to install laminate flooring on concrete and adhere to them properly so that you can give your effort and time success.

Follow the safety measures so that you don’t add to the injury. All the best.