Ensuring laminate floors strips balance out.

[Northbeach]

^ Still can't get to grip with one line title descriptions...oh well...

This weekend, I am finally laying my laminate floors (have been acclimatising for a good month!...getting round to other stuff first).
Fairly confident I should do a decent job, but have a couple of worries:

Firstly I need a to know the best method of making sure that the first strip you lay is the same width as the final strip (so to ensure the final strip is not a really thin line). There is probably a really simple maths sum you could punch into your calculator and hey presto - unfortunately I'm not too sure what this i Case of measuing the room width x the width of a single laminate and add a dash of division?
There is an exposed brick chimney breast in the centre of the room (parallel to the sides of the wall I'm making my way across) - I'd also need to make sure a thin strip of laminate is not going to fit oddly across this as well.

I'm also wondering if it's best to add skirting across the brick chimney breast (2nd query), beading or leave blank and add cork strip beading (which I cannot seem to find anywhere that sells the stuff!!).

Might sound a bit chaotic above but I'm starting to add the two in one insulation so ever so slightly anxious!!

Many thanks...

 

[danlightbulb]

Measure the width of the room and subtract 20mm (10mm expansion gap each side).

Then divide by the width of the plank.

So for example (3000mm wide - 20mm) = 2980mm working width

Divide by plank width (eg 250mm) = 11.92 planks.

So if you start with a whole plank you'll need 0.92 of a plank (250 x 0.92 = 230mm) as a final plank.

If it works out you need less than about 0.3 for the last plank it is worth while chopping some off the first plank.

For your fireplace problem, simply do the same but the distance is the width to the fireplace.

If less than 0.3 again then you'll have to optimise both measurements with a bit of trial and error. Usually, it will work out so you lay either a whole plank or half a plank. I can't see a situation where you'll have to go somewhere between these.

Hope this helps.

 

[Northbeach]

That's massively helpful Dan - just need that bit of expert confirmation!

Sometimes the instructions are marginally vague - they also state staggering the flooring i.e. full plank for the first, the remainder of the end plank for the second row and the third is an arbitrary measurement.
I'm going into the hall through a door opening - should this be a seperate section or should it be a continuation of the rows from the living room (remembering the 10m bridging the rooms)?

Is it feasible to glue skirting/beading to the brickwork on the exposed fireplace?

 

[WoodYouLike]

I'm going into the hall through a door opening - should this be a seperate section or should it be a continuation of the rows from the living room (remembering the 10m bridging the rooms)?

Definite a separate section (treat hallway as unique room and install threshold between rooms: temperature and humidity difference in rooms)

 

[Northbeach]

Good call WYL - I was going to carry the pattern through.
However, not sure what you mean by installing 'threshold'?

The hall is a lot draftier than the living room (the draft there is actually emanating from the original floor boards which I'm unfortunately having to cover with laminates...but that is a different story).

 

[WoodYouLike]

Good call WYL - I was going to carry the pattern through.
However, not sure what you mean by installing 'threshold'?

Must be something typical English
Where we come from every room has a thick enough wooden threshold underneath every door, so fitting a thick wooden floor is not a problem, hardy ever needed to cut a door (or doorposts for that matter, but that's a different story) to new height.
Here there is almost never an existing threshold: i.e. you have to install one yourself and we need to stock various types (T-bars, R-bars or reducers or ramps, L-bars and/or ends)

 

[Northbeach]

Ahh, one of those ramp type things eh? You should've said .

Yeah, I have a couple of those - I will also need to cut away at the frame at the bottom of the door frames (some tight angles mind - ok to use a sharp chisel???).
The door will need shortening too...the missus and kids are away for the weekend - hope I manage to lay it in time!!

WYL - you may have mentioned the cork beading to me in another thread (for the flooring around the curved staid in the hall and quite possibly around the brick fireplace). Can't locate this anywhere - rang floors to go - I could sense the blank look there were giving me via telecommunications!! Any idea?

many thanks.

 

[WoodYouLike]

You should've said .

Must be my English

WYL - you may have mentioned the cork beading to me in another thread (for the flooring around the curved staid in the hall and quite possibly around the brick fireplace). Can't locate this anywhere - rang floors to go - I could sense the blank look there were giving me via telecommunications!!

Hmm What do floor-sheds know, he?
We have them

We're not a shed, we're a proper retailer who train employees (hmm, just me and hubby) in everything conserning wooden flooring, not just how to 'stack-em-high-sell-them-low-and-b**g*er-the-customer'
(Sorry, my pet-hate)

 

[Northbeach]

Ah - whats the price and p & p up to the republic of Mancunia?
The beading will be my last decorative element on this job so no rush.
Do you have a site (is it politically incorrect to post it here...you've obviously been around, ahem - in the posting sense, for a while here

We're not a shed, we're a proper retailer who train employees (hmm, just me and hubby) in everything conserning wooden flooring, not just how to 'stack-em-high-sell-them-low-and-b**g*er-the-customer'
(Sorry, my pet-hate).

Yeah - totally understand. Wished I'd found a small local supplier but didn't have the time...at the time, if you catch my drift WoodYL.
Next time I will mind - doing the house up to rent/sell so less personal touches were required.
Next gaff we will definitely go for real hard wood flooring.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Check my profile for web.
Can send to Manchester (Royal mail, cork isn't that heavy), but will need to know how much you need. strips come in 60cm lengths

 

[Northbeach]

Sounds good WYL.
If strips of 60cm then I guess I'd probably only need 3 strips (the other room will be skirted and the hall is quite small - i have solid beading for the hall already).
I'll take a good look at your website mind.
Might be off line for a while (cable modem is on the floor I'm about to start on!).
Catch you soon.
Thanks again.

 

[Northbeach]

*back on the cable modem for a short while....*

Must say - the instructions from 'sheds-to-go' are pretty dire.
Underlay should be foil down right? Doesn't entirely make this clear on the packaging

It also states you should cut the 'lip' off the first row so it's flush (though surely it will hidden under the skirting anyhow? Does this apply to the last row also?

wyl - I may need 4 of those strips (for the time being at least) but will definitely know by early next week. If you can let me know a price then we'll take it from there if ok?

Many thanks.

 

[WoodYouLike]

from 'sheds-to-go'

Great name, I'll keep it in my vocabulary ! !

It also states you should cut the 'lip' off the first row so it's flush (though surely it will hidden under the skirting anyhow? Does this apply to the last row also?

Depends on what system you got. with normal T&G you should start the first board with the groove towards the wall. with the click it's the otherway around, but if the 'lip' is hiding underneath the skirting you can leave it there.

wyl - I may need 4 of those strips (for the time being at least) but will definitely know by early next week. If you can let me know a price then we'll take it from there if ok?

Can't find your email address to send you the details, could you send me one via my profile?

p.s. don't work to hard

 

[Northbeach]

Well, everything is prepared and I'm ready to roll (literally the underlay is going down in the next 10 mins...to confirm - foil side down yes?).
Partner and kids are away till tomorrow - promised it would be done by then
Little anxious now - I'm sure I'll be ok but anticipating a couple of spanners in the works. To check - the boards are 1930 mm - what would the minimum width be for say the last row/row against the fireplace - 50mm?
Aye, just read the tipsy instructions again - advises to cut off the lip - what a pain (and the spacers are 14mm not the usual 10mm - for the guarantee I suppose).

I'll drop my mail add off to your profile today.

...right, I'm going in...wish me luck...

 

[WoodYouLike]

Foil down

Good luck