i want to replace the old carpet to laminate flooring. can anyone provide me with a step by step guide on how to do this? i have also purchased some underlayment for laminate flooring to go along with the flooring.
Installing laminate is pretty easy in most cases. Remove all base boards. Make sure the floor is clean. Role out your sound bearrier. Tape the seams using a wide masking tape. You'll need a laminate wood block to connect you laminate together. Your peices that end up next to the wall will have to be a little short to fit in place. In door ways lay a scrap piece upside down and take a saw and cut out door jams to your laminate fits under door jams. Hope this helps some. I've installed for years.
remove baseboard and nails if any.Cut ur carpet in manageable rolls, rip it out.Do same with foam but scrape off any glued pieces that stuck. Then remove carpet tack from perimeter. Be careful. Some laminate floors are easier than others but follow manufacturers instructions, too much variation will only cause problems later. One thing to consider is the shape of the room, alot of angles increase the difficulty. Some cuts maybe difficult and some laminates are almost like a very thin layer of glass. (very Hard) Eats up saw blades if you're not careful. But best of luck to you!
Here is what I have noticed with my friends who have laminate or hardwood floors versus those of us that have carpeting. 1 - Wood floors are very unforgiving with crumbs and such on them, you have to constantly sweep them to keep them looking nice and crumb free. When they go unswept they will actually look worse than most carpetings. 2 - Carpets with pets will need to be vacuumed at least every other day. While carpeting is forgiving and doesn't show all the crumbs that might be on the floor, you do have to worry about spills and the whole allergens being trapped in it and all. 3 - With laminate flooring, if you drop something on it there is always the chance that the laminate will crack and the wood underneath will show through..while something like Bamboo, which is a renewable resource is the same color all the way through. So, for me it is a matter of wether you want to vacuum constantly or sweep constantly. I grew up in a household where we had carpeting and dogs inside. None of us had a problem with allergies or anything like that...but, my Mom does vacuum every other day and would also sweep the tile every other day as well. I think it is sixes as far as work and upkeep goes...wood is just more popluar right now.
Rip up the carpet in small sections and roll them up...carpet is heavy. Get out the knee-pads, a claw-hammer and a pair of plyers. You will need to spend several hours pulling out all the staples and tacks, the 'tackstrips' around the edges and any nails. Use floor leveling compound to level any holes or gaps. Cut and fit the underlayment carefully untill it all lays flat. Take the underlayment out completely and roll glue on the floor with a painters roller and tray. The nail or screw it down thoroughly. Mark the layout carefully on the floor with a pencil. You want to shift it around so that no row ends in less than half a tile. It is like a puzzle. Get the layout right before you start. You may want to measure the room and work it out on paper. Spread the glue with a notched trowel. Do the whole room at once, back-to-front. Lay in all the whole tiles after the glue sets up. Linoleum tiles will cut leasily with a utility knife if you warm them up with a plumbers torch first. When you are done, wipe up any glue squeeze-out with a wet rag before it dries. Start the floor off with a good coat of floor polish for a long life.
