Laminate flooring

[akram]

Who has installed it successfully? Looking to pull some carpet and probably the flooring in the kitchen and replace it all with Laminate wood flooring. It'd be nice to have a little advice and help during this. I've read some books, searched on the internet and even watched a yout tube video of it. But someone who has experience to help would be nice. I'm not sure when it's going to happen if at all yet.

Got to figure out costs and costs to replace windows and do some foam insulation this summer first.

[akcowboy76]

I can give you a hand with this. Just let me know when.

[Bulldog]

Laminate flooring is easy. I've done about 900 sq. ft. in my house and have about 900 sq. ft. more to do. There are a few tools that make it easier. You can buy the laminate flooring tools fairly inexpensively, but I find they only last about a job or two. I've used my miter saw to cut the flooring, but the blades don't last very long because of the wear resistant coating of the flooring. I heard that if you use a table saw that the blades hold up better because less teeth are engaging the flooring at a time.

Let me know when you're planning on doing this and I'll come over if I'm in town. Here are the tools I was talking about:
http://us.quick-step.com/installatio...products?tab=3

[88XJ]

You want to go to laminate flooring, I want to go to Carpet.

[akram]

Well with radiant floor eating the carpet is soaking up and trapping some heat. Now some have said it doesn't matter. But I've noticed a difference. Easier with kids as well. Still not 100% on doing it but gonna try.

[boshos]

I've done at least 200 boxes of it, easy after you get it down, I use scraps instead of the tools I find it's harder to screw up a piece that way. Last stuff I put in was the stick together vynl stuff from hope depot, loved it, went down in 1/4 of the time and you just score it with a razor knife and snap it. Only been down about 6 months, we'll see what it looks like when the tenants move out.

-Make sure you leave room at the edges for expansion, I got one too tight, will buckle.

[78calico]

They make special blades for laminate that won't dull as quickly. The best advice I can give you is choose your starting point wisely to minimize the amount you have to lay "backwards" while still beginning on the longest straight run possible. X2 on using scraps instead of the special tools. If they go bad just grab another. Also, if using it in the kitchen, remember that from brand to brand the water resistance of laminate will vary from good to not really.