Laying laminate on uneven floors

Flooring is an important and demanding process, especially if a laminate is chosen as the material for this coating. This coating will be durable, aesthetic and can be put on their own. However, it must be borne in mind that there are many subtleties and nuances in this matter. For example, special attention should be paid to the quality of the base that will be used under the coating. No coating defects such as deep holes in the case of a concrete base or height differences above 3 cm per m ² are not allowed. Moreover, manufacturers directly state that laying laminate on uneven floors is inadmissible in principle. This question requires careful consideration, which will be discussed further.

Work steps

Mounting onto a backing

Like most other installation work Laying laminate should be carried out in several stages. And in the context of this article should say the following.

Preparation

Preparation of a wooden floor

First of all, you should evaluate the condition of the foundation under cover. As mentioned above, there should not be significant irregularities, height differences or concrete flows. This is done because the consequences of laying laminate on an insufficiently level base can be quite deplorable. The thing is that the laminate dies are interconnected by means of a locking connection. If there are any bulges on the basis, then the lock in these places will diverge during operation. If there are potholes or chipped base, then the individual elements of the coating will sag, which will also affect the integrity of the castle connection.

As an exit from the current situation, we can mention the use of special substrates for laminate. Manufacturers of these materials usually indicate a range of irregularities, which can be leveled using this very substrate. It is worth making a reservation that in this way only minor defects of the base can be smoothed out. For example, a height difference of up to 1-2 cm per m ² or irregularities of a few millimeters. In other cases, it is necessary to level the base.

Surface alignment

Floor leveling with plywood

So, if the roughness of the base of the intended To laying laminate considerable, it is necessary to align it. This can be done in several ways.

• When the laminate will be laid on a wooden base, the most simple version of its alignment will be the installation of a plywood layer. It is important to note that you should use a thick plywood about 2-3 cm. Sheets just fit on the base and are attracted by screws. As a result, it is possible to level enough decent height differences, and to do this without significant financial and labor costs. The described methods are not the only possible, but they are most appropriate and can be combined.

Preparation of the concrete base

• If you plan to put the laminate t on a concrete base, it is easiest to level such a floor with a self-leveling compound. It is simply prepared in accordance with the instructions and poured on a waterproof base. Under the influence of gravity, the liquid mass is evenly distributed over the entire area of ​​the base, and will have a flat surface. To achieve the best effect, a special needle roller is used to distribute the mixture, which will remove all excess air from the mixture. As a result, after solidification, an ideally smooth base is obtained, on which the laminate can already be laid.

Laying the substrate

As mentioned above, before laying the laminate, the base must be leveled as much as possible. Along with the above-mentioned means, it is necessary to mention that, for example, on top of plywood flooring, which will smooth most of the irregularities, you can always lay a special substrate under the laminate. Moreover, its use in carrying out work on laying the floor covering is recommended by many manufacturers. As a result of such work, you will get a flat base for laying any floor covering, including laminate.

Substrates are either completely natural, made from cork, or completely artificial, from foamed polyurethane. Combinations of materials are also possible.

General rules for work

Fixing boards

For the most complete understanding the essence of the topic, it would be quite appropriate to say a few words and what rules should be observed if the base of the floor is uneven.

• First of all, it must be borne in mind that the alignment of the base in some way must be carried out in compliance with all instructions. This is especially true for the preparation of various self-leveling compounds.
• If the floor is wooden, then before you begin to level it, you need to check the condition of the log. If the boards creak, this indicates their insufficient fixation or distortions, which must be eliminated.
• If the base is cracked or chipped, they need to be puttied.
• The wooden base, among other things, can be leveled and subjected to cycling. For best results, it is best to use a cycler machine. You can, of course, do the work manually, but without proper skill you can only exacerbate the situation.
• Well, regardless of whether the base is leveled concrete or wood, one of the most effective ways would be to install a concrete screed. Its production requires separate consideration, but in general terms it comes down to the fact that a cement-sand mixture is laid out on a hydroinsulated base, which is leveled out along the established beacons. This method is used when base defects are significant. In this sense, the method is universal and effective.

Complementing the above, it can be said that laying laminate on an uneven floor is extremely undesirable, if not more, it is unacceptable. Therefore, if the base has any defects, it must be leveled. There are many ways to do this work, so there should be no problems. It is better to work hard once, than to redo several times. In order for a new coating to serve as long as possible, it requires proper care.

Video

This video shows how to level the old floor with plywood, making it suitable for laying laminate: