Can I lay laminate on laminate

Repair is a difficult and long stage in the life of every family. The design update includes wall and floor finishes. However, often a good laminate or linoleum remains on the floor, which is a pity to remove. In this regard, the question arises whether it is necessary to remove the old flooring in order to lay a new one. If the question arose whether it is possible to lay the laminate on the old flooring, first of all you need to look at the condition of the old flooring. Further repair actions will depend on this.

Laminate is one of the most popular flooring, which is famous for its elasticity, ergonomics and quality. A variety of appearance allows you to choose the material for any interior design. It is perfect for any room or office space. Therefore, it is so popular in the construction market compared to other floor coverings.

Laying of laminate boards is done by a certain technology. Therefore, not every person can correctly lay the flooring without the help of a specialist. Only it will be necessary to approach work with special responsibility, and prepare in advance. If you already had experience in decorating, then it will not be difficult to make repairs. The main thing is to observe the styling technology and know the features of the finishing work.

This installation option has several advantages:

  • No complete dismantling of the floor covering is required. This will help to avoid a lot of dirt and dust in the house. In addition, the need to remove garbage and boards disappears.
  • The minimum expenditure of time. Most owners are interested in the repair time, the sooner it is finished, the better. If there is no need to remove the old laminate or linoleum, the time for flooring is reduced. There is no need to pre-level the floor and prepare it for the installation of boards.
  • The volume of construction work is decreasing. When using the old flooring, the amount of construction work will be significantly reduced. It will not be necessary to remove the old material and pre-prepare the floor for installation.
  • Profitability. The total cost of repairing the floor will be significantly less if the old laminate is not removed. No need to spend money on leveling the surface.

Double coating on the floor improves sound and heat insulation. Therefore, this repair option is perfect for apartments with thin walls and floors. Also, laminate boards are often used in office premises, as they have high wear resistance. That everything went well, and there was no need to resort to the help of specialists. It is recommended to pre-measure how much the floor will rise so that the doors can be installed.

To understand whether it is possible to lay a new flooring on the old one, you need to figure out whether it is suitable for further operation. This installation method has its advantages and disadvantages. They make this method not the best, since if you do the wrong styling. Re-installation of laminate boards will be required. And this can greatly affect the budget.

The main disadvantage of this technology is the appearance of defects after some time. This is possible due to poor installation of the material. After installation, after 2-3 months, a creak of boards may appear or the slats in some places will bend. Such defects arise due to poorly repaired floors. Under the construction there are cracks that lead to the deformation of individual sections.

To avoid such problems, before installation, you should thoroughly study the old linoleum or parquet. It should be quality fixed on the floor. If there is any flaws or damage. They should be fixed so that the floor is perfectly flat. If there are such disadvantages as curvature of floorboards or the absence of individual elements. Then it is better not to risk the quality of work, and remove the old finishing material. Then prepare the room for finishing.

It is far from always necessary to remove the old laminate to make the installation of a new one. To save time, many specialists carry out repairs without removing the old material. However, in this case, it will be necessary to spend some time checking the floor for defects. If linoleum is also laid on the floor, it can also be used as the basis for a new finish.

Remember! The old coating must be even, without any defects, otherwise it will need to be dismantled.

If there are cracks or cracks in the flooring. They must be disposed of with sealant or grout. Subsequent repairs can only be carried out after the material has completely dried. It is best to do the styling after sealing after a day.

Before finishing work, we first remove the skirting board so that the coating can be tightly connected. They are installed subsequently at the end of the finishing work at the final stage.

Also pay attention to the future floor level. It should not interfere with the doors opening. If everything is in order. Then it is necessary to put insulation on the old laminate. A new finishing material is mounted on it. It should be borne in mind that after laying the insulation and boards, the floor will rise at least 1.5-2 cm.

On a note: a new laminate fits well on the old floor with decoration, it is rather difficult to install another coating.

You can put a new laminate on the old linoleum, however, on the contrary, it is almost impossible to do this. This is due to the fact that linoleum is fixed to glue using docking strips. On laminate flooring, this is quite difficult. In addition, the material may not be tightly fixed on the surface. All work will have to be redone.

The laminated board should be laid on top of the floor, only in some cases:

  • If the parquet is very worn out and has lost its attractive appearance, but there is no way to completely replace the floor due to the high cost of work.
  • If the wooden surface is in a room where there are adverse conditions for use. For example, if the room has frequent temperature changes or high humidity. Timber wears out quickly and loses its aesthetic appearance.

All work can only be done after consultation with a specialist. He will tell you whether it is possible to make repairs without first removing the parquet. There is no need to remove a good quality flooring without defects, it will perfectly suit the basis for a new coating. If there is already a lot of parquet, and it cracked, swollen or split, that there are cracks. Best of all, get rid of it. Otherwise, a new repair will soon need to be redone. Only a good master stacker can correctly assess the condition of the old parquet. Therefore, it is better to seek help beforehand.

Before starting the finishing work, you should familiarize yourself with the basic rules of installation:

  • Laying boards is done perpendicular to the window opening (if any). So it will be possible to make the seams as invisible as possible. Sun rays falling on the floor will hide the joints.
  • Deformation clearance. Do not forget that between the extreme elements and the walls there should be a distance of 1.5 cm, no more so that there are no large gaps between the boards. This is necessary so that after work the coating can expand or contract slightly due to moisture, temperature changes.

After consulting a specialist and purchasing material, you can start decorating. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

  1. We prepare the surface for styling. To do this, thoroughly clean it from pollution. Then we put the shock-absorbing substrate.
  2. Laying starts along one wall where the window is located. It’s best to start from the corner. Along the wall we put homemade distance wedges. One by one we put laminate boards connecting them together with special locks on the ends.
  3. Each row is placed with a shift of half the board. You can also do a shift of 20-22 cm. After the second row is snapped in, we connect the first second row with each other. All parts must be tightly fixed to each other, without cracks and gaps.
  4. We put all the rows one after the other with a shift of the end connection. The last row is latched with a special clamp.
  5. After the end of the main stage we remove the distance wedges.
  6. We install plinths along the wall, which will help to hide the gaps between the wall and the material. Finishing work is finished!

Remember! The surface on which the material is laid must be perfectly flat and strong so that the boards do not bend or deform.

If during the repair of the premises you need to change the floor. And the question arises: "Is it possible to leave the old coating and install a new one on top?" The answer to it cannot be unambiguous, since it depends on the type and quality of the old floor. Some experts do not recommend laying new materials on old ones. Others believe that this method can speed up the process and reduce repair time.

That the repair went quickly and without problems. And on the floor there was a new beautiful laminate. You should approach the installation with special responsibility. You need to soberly assess the quality of the flooring and prepare well for the finishing work. All stages of installation must be carried out carefully and efficiently. Then everything will pass quickly, and for a long time the floor covering will delight you with its beauty, quality.

Watch the video: DIY Laminate or Vinyl Flooring A to Z (March 2024).

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