Install laminate on a large floor

[jemhunter]

Hello all,

My experience with flooring has been mostly about tiling. I have done a floating laminate floor in a 10x12ft room.

Now, I’d like install floating laminate on the entire second floor (except the bathrooms). I think it looks nicer to have a continuous floor without using dividers at the doorway but I know my walls are not straight thus it could look off (i.e. not parallel or orthogonal to walls) in some rooms.

Any other tips or gotchas would be very appreciated. I’d like to know what I am getting into. I have time, tools and patience but not much of experience.

Thanks a bunch

 

[Nick]

Photo would help..

 

[Floorist]

Hello all,

My experience with flooring has been mostly about tiling. I have done a floating laminate floor in a 10x12ft room.

Now, I’d like install floating laminate on the entire second floor (except the bathrooms). I think it looks nicer to have a continuous floor without using dividers at the doorway but I know my walls are not straight thus it could look off (i.e. not parallel or orthogonal to walls) in some rooms.

Any other tips or gotchas would be very appreciated. I’d like to know what I am getting into. I have time, tools and patience but not much of experience.

Thanks a bunch

I think every laminate needs transitions or it will buckle if it cannot expand and contract.

 

[Ernesto]

The typical industry standard for running length without a T-mold is 40ft. I've gone much much further but I undercut deep and will occasionally cut out the sheetrock too.

 

[rugaddict]

Large areas with floating products of any kind is flirting with disaster----nail down or glue down would be my advice

 

[jemhunter]

if i glue or nail down the planks, then they cannot move. how would the floor contracts and expands?

 

[rugaddict]

I meant don't put in a floating floor---the expansion needed for a 12x15 is a quarter of an inch---- the bigger the room the more of a gap is needed---are you ready for a three quarter inch gap at every wall?---how about the doorway transitions?

 

[jemhunter]

it looks like i have to put transition T-strips where the doors are.

i have a long hallway though. would installing the laminate planks along the short axis of the hallway helps with the expansion and contraction problem?

 

[rugaddict]

If the doors have tees u can do anything u want in the hall