DIY Network

Flooring: Laminates From "Blueprint for Home Building" episode DBHB-203

Figure A

Soft surface flooring choices was covered by host Jeff Wilson in the last segment, and he's wrapping up this episode on flooring options with the most versatile and easiest to install flooring option -- laminates.

A laminate floor (figure A) is a floating floor that typically will sit on a pad or underlayment of some type. The laminate expands and contracts and floats on top of the floor.

Note: This type of flooring system is "not" nailed or glued to the floor at all. It's interlocked row to row and piece to piece and is never attached to the floor.

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Figure B

Laminate flooring is extremely durable and is the most affordable hard surface option available. This is why it's the fastest growing product on the market.

You'll want to install a laminate floor in a kitchen or den, areas where you are going to have a lot of wear and tear (figure B). There are also areas you shouldn't consider placing laminate flooring -- mainly areas with excessive moisture, areas that could be dry for long periods of time. Since it is a wood product it does expand and contract and change with temperature.

	Figure C
	Figure D

How Does Laminate Compare to Hardwood?

• Hardwood is a product that takes a bit more attention to install. It will scratch as opposed to the majority of laminates, which are scratch resistant.

• A hardwood floor will change color if it's in an area that gets lots of sunlight, while most manufacturers guarantee against fading for laminates.

• Laminate flooring has become extremely popular with do-it-yourselfers due to the ease of installation. Also, you can save a lot of money on labor and the material itself. In fact, it's more reasonable than anything on the market today.

  Tip: When laying your laminate floor, you want to leave at least a 1/4" gap around the edges because the flooring expands and contracts with the weather -- temperature and humidity. Molding (figure C) is used to mask the expansion gap from the flooring to the wall.

• Laminate flooring is versatile and can be used in many different applications, for example, bowling alley lanes (figure D).

• Laminates are easy to maintain. Each manufacturer "may" have its own cleaner, but basically it will consist of an ammonia-based cleaner and water.

  Alert: You never want to use a soap-based cleaning product on laminate flooring. And you also don't want to use a sponge mop because it can leave spots. A terrycloth mop and the recommended cleaner are preferable when cleaning your laminate flooring. The floor can be swept and vacuumed, but make sure that your vacuum doesn't have a beater bar because it could damage the floor.

In the next episode of Blueprint for Home Building it's all about the walls. Find out about the components of the most common wall used in home construction, the wooden frame. We also take a look wall construction, interior walls and wall height, soundproofing and columns.

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