Looking for a quick DIY project that involves miminal elbow-grease but has maximum return? Change the look of any room by installing laminate flooring. It's easy!
Figuring Quantity:
1. One carton of laminate flooring covers approximately 18 ½ square feet of floor.
2. Calculate your total floor space (length x width) plus the area of any irregular shapes within the room.
3. Divide the total square footage by 18.5 and add 10% safety factor to determine the number of cartons.
Installing:
1. Remove any existing carpeting or wood flooring glued to a concrete floor. Wood flooring NOT glued to a concrete floor can remain.
2. Ensure floor is clean and dry.
3. Remove baseboards.
4. Measure width of the room and divide by 12” the width of one plank. If the remainder is 2 ½” or smaller cut down the first row of planks on the tongue side to have sufficient width for your last row.
5. If possible install planks with the length parallel to incoming sunlight.
6. Start in left corner of the room.
7. Install each sequential plank by inserting one short end into the other at an angle and pressing down.
8. When you reach the end of each row measure and trim the last plank to fit.
9. Lift the previously installed row slightly to enable you to snap the first adjacent plank into position. For subsequent planks, the short end is positioned at an angle to engage the planks.
10. To install last row, trace the wall contour and cut. Remember to leave room for expansion.
11. Trim excess plastic sheeting and remove spacers.
12. Reinstall baseboards without nailing to floor.
Floor Care:
1. Vacuum with a soft brush or wipe with a slightly damp mop.
2. Do not soak floor or use strong detergent cleaners.
3. To remove stains, use a mild non-abrasive cleaner.
4. Felt pads are recommended under furniture legs. Floor mats are recommended at all exterior doorways.
Products:
• DuPont Real Touch Elite Tuscan Stone Laminate $3.77 per sq ft. Allows you to easily create floors with virtually invisible seams and random tile designs
• DuPont Real Touch Elite Cambridge Oak Laminate $3.77 per sq ft. Can make four different designs (large scroll, herringbone, small scroll, diamonds).
• DuPont™ Real Touch™ Elite Laminate flooring can be installed over wood floors (that are not glued to concrete), vinyl and ceramic tile, as long as the final height of the floor won’t create a problem.
The Home Depot will be holding clinics on Thursday, September 7,14, and 28 at 7pm on the “Latest in Flooring Solutions.”
— Visit www.homedepot.com for details
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