Tips for laying laminate over concrete
Laminate is an increasingly popular choice of floor covering. The latest products look good not just in kitchens and hallways, but in any room of the house. Laying laminate is generally straightforward, but it needs special attention on some types of floor.
Many houses have concrete ground floors. These are tough but they can also be cold, and they can allow moisture penetration -. Laying Laminate Wood Flooring over concrete therefore, needs some special preparation to ensure a successful installation. So you will be best off contacting a specialist such as irwintiles.ie/index.php/wooden-flooring.html.
Guarding against moisture
Although concrete may appear to be impenetrable, moisture can actually pass through it. You need to check this before laying a laminate floor. New concrete floors should be allowed at least 30 days to cure and after this, you can check with a moisture meter. If you get a reading of 4.5 percent or higher the floor may not be suitable for laminate. If you have a lower moisture reading it’s still a good idea to install a vapour barrier in the form of a thick plastic sheet, to prevent moisture penetrating through the concrete into your flooring.
Preparing the surface
Laminate flooring needs to be laid on a flat surface otherwise it will creak and the joints may separate. Low spots, cracks and chips, therefore, need to be filled before commencing to ensure that the floor surface is level. Once levelled and any filler has dried, make sure the floor is clean and free from dust by sweeping and vacuuming it before proceeding.
If you want to make your flooring more comfortable underfoot, it’s possible to add padding between the concrete, or vapour barrier, and the laminate, in order to get a floor that’s more comfortable to walk on.
Should you need to lay laminate on any concrete steps, it needs to be glued down. Again, make sure the surface is clean and dry before starting. Don’t use a vapour barrier or padding on steps, and stick down the laminate using a high-quality adhesive.
Once the floor is prepared, you can lay the laminate in the same way as you would on any other surface. Most modern systems simply click together, so laying them is quick and easy. Do the job well and you’ll end up with a smart, durable floor that will impress your guests and last for many years.
