Somebody needs a beating.

[SeaCat]

I got ready to paint the floor of the front room. We had moved the furniture and vacuumed the floor when I realized I had forgotten to remove the Baseboards. Not a big deal really, I'm going to have to replace them anyways so I just grabbed the Short Bar and went to tear them out.

Oops, the damn fools who had put the last floor had neglected to move he baseboards. Now they were pressed between the Plywood and the outer walls. It took me over three hours to remove roughly 44 feet of Baseboard. Talk about a pain in the ass.

I got it done and then painted the floor. I finished the floor at 1745 and pointed a large fan in to blow nice cool dry air into the room. By 1900 the floor was dry. (KillZ dries quick.)

What a difference that one coat of paint made. It really brightened the room up. Now I have to put in another coat.

On Tuesday I'll be starting the new floor. Wood Laminate, a nice light colored one. (Maple.)

Once I finish the front room we'll start on the Living room.

Cat

 

[mjl2010]

My company installs a lot of flooring. Tile, laminate and hardwood. Usually the customer won't pay to have it (old baseboards) removed and reinstalled. It's faster and cheaper to just install a shoe mold to hide the gap. If they butted the floor right up to the molding it wasn't done right. You need to leave a gap, 1/4 inch usually between the flooring and the wall.

To me it sounds like a DIYer job done almost wrong. Not unusual.

Just remember to let the new flooring sit, in the boxes in the rooms where you're going to install them, for 72 hours prior to installation. Save yourself some headaches. For sure don't bring them in and just install same day.

Now, before you install the new flooring, is a great time to fix those squeaky spots too.

MJL

 

[SeaCat]

My company installs a lot of flooring. Tile, laminate and hardwood. Usually the customer won't pay to have it (old baseboards) removed and reinstalled. It's faster and cheaper to just install a shoe mold to hide the gap. If they butted the floor right up to the molding it wasn't done right. You need to leave a gap, 1/4 inch usually between the flooring and the wall.

To me it sounds like a DIYer job done almost wrong. Not unusual.

Just remember to let the new flooring sit, in the boxes in the rooms where you're going to install them, for 72 hours prior to installation. Save yourself some headaches. For sure don't bring them in and just install same day.

Now, before you install the new flooring, is a great time to fix those squeaky spots too.

MJL

Oh I'm sure this was a DIY job, although they did a pretty good job of it. They had a nice gap on tow sides, just not on the other two sides. (Oops)

As for the Laminate sitting in the place for 72 hours? Not a problem with that. It's been sitting in the place for the past two weeks and will be sitting inside for at least another week.

Cat

 

[SeaCat]

This floor should look nice when I'm done. The Laminate is Rock Maple in coloration and grain. (Yes I know how they make it so I know it is fake.) It will certainly lighten up the place.

The Laminate is called True Grooved and is 8.2 mm thick. Much thicker than Pergo. (I got the Felt Padding for underneath as opposed to the Foam Padding for it's lasting.)

I think we'll be very happy with this flooring.

Cat

 

[Guest]

i feel your pain...well, lucky and i feel your pain.
wall paper installed with some odd glue, double stick tape and staples... flooring put in over warped wood, plumbing done with very odd tools. poor old house has been through the ringer.

 

[mjl2010]

Who's the manufacturer? This is a click together or a tongue and groove glue up?

 

[SeaCat]

Who's the manufacturer? This is a click together or a tongue and groove glue up?

This is V-Grooved Laminate marketed by I-Floor. Outstanding stuff. No glue involved.

Cat

 

[R. Richard]

Just remember to let the new flooring sit, in the boxes in the rooms where you're going to install them, for 72 hours prior to installation. Save yourself some headaches. For sure don't bring them in and just install same day.

What is the point of letting the new flooring sit in the room for 72 hours prior to installation? TIA.

 

[mjl2010]

What is the point of letting the new flooring sit in the room for 72 hours prior to installation? TIA.

All laminate flooring manufacturers require a minimum 24-72 material adjustment time. Since these materials do expand and contract with changes in humidity, it is best to allow the material to adjust to it's "New Home" before installing it. After 72 hours, the material will have expanded or contracted and then after installation, any expansion or contraction will occurr evenly across the entire floor. This prevents the floor from buckling or showing gaps.

I've seen this happen. A guy brought his flooring in from a cold garage, installed it. Two days later he had it buckling all over the place. literally pushing up humps in the middle of the rooms. To make it worse, he tried to "Stomp" it back down and broke many of the tongues off the planks.

It was sad. So sad. 900 + feet of flooring had to be ripped up and thrown out. Then another 900 purchased at 3.39/ft and my own charge of 2.40/ft to put it down. After the first disaster, his wife wouldn't let him touch it again.

It pays to read, and follow, the instructions sometimes.

MJL

 

[SeaCat]

All laminate flooring manufacturers require a minimum 24-72 material adjustment time. Since these materials do expand and contract with changes in humidity, it is best to allow the material to adjust to it's "New Home" before installing it. After 72 hours, the material will have expanded or contracted and then after installation, any expansion or contraction will occurr evenly across the entire floor. This prevents the floor from buckling or showing gaps.

I've seen this happen. A guy brought his flooring in from a cold garage, installed it. Two days later he had it buckling all over the place. literally pushing up humps in the middle of the rooms. To make it worse, he tried to "Stomp" it back down and broke many of the tongues off the planks.

It was sad. So sad. 900 + feet of flooring had to be ripped up and thrown out. Then another 900 purchased at 3.39/ft and my own charge of 2.40/ft to put it down. After the first disaster, his wife wouldn't let him touch it again.

It pays to read, and follow, the instructions sometimes.

MJL

LOLOL

Just like when it tells you to leave a 1/4 inch expansion gap on all sides of the floor, they mean it. A local Pizza place has Laminate Wood Flooring and the butted it against the walls. It's now buckling in several areas.

Hell the 1/4 inch gap is a good idea on all types of flooring made with wood. (Which is why my underflooring is buckled in several areas. Once I remove the rest of the Baseboards then the floor will relax again.

Cat

 

[kiten69]

Somebody needs a beating.

I do...I do!!

Sorry couldn't resist