If you are going to have laminate flooring installed in your home, you are going to want to do everything you can in order to be properly prepared for it. This way, the job will get done easily, and you will not have to worry about issues arising. Here are some tips that you can make use of.
Have The Old Flooring Removed
Old carpets and padding will need to be removed. You will then have to go around to make sure that any and all staples or carpeting nails are removed from the sub-floor that was under the padding. You might need to lightly sand off any large chunks of padding that became stuck to the sub-floor over the years. The same things need to be done if you are removing linoleum or tiles.
Prepare The Sub-Floor
You will want to clean up the sub-floor and make sure that it is perfectly flat. If there are spots that are swollen from old water damage, you will need to have that section cut out and replaced. If there are tiny dips in the wood, you may be able to level it out with leveling products bought from your local hardware or construction supply store. Make sure that you are allowing enough time for that to dry before walking on it or attempting to install the new flooring.
Remove The Baseboards
If the existing baseboards sit very close to the sub-floor, you will want to go ahead and remove them. This way, the laminate flooring can be installed without having to try to shove the edges of it under the baseboards. Once the job is done, the baseboards can be put back in place and quarter round molding can be put along the edge if you need help to hide spaces that were left for the natural expansion of the laminate that can happen throughout the year.
If you find that you are not comfortable doing the installation on your own, you could always hire a company or a contractor that can offer laminate installation services. The more experienced they are, the quicker they will be able to get the work done and the better the end result will look. Since some of the best contractors can get a little busy, you will want to give them a call as soon as possible so they can get you in on their schedule for laminate installation.
