Can laminate flooring be installed on wood floors? How to lay laminate flooring on uneven floors How to lay laminate flooring on uneven floors

Laminate is a popular flooring. With a relatively low price, it looks great, is quite durable and undemanding in care. Under the laminate, it is quite easy to equip a floor heating system, which significantly increases the level of comfort. A rich assortment of colors and textures allows you to choose the right coating for any interior.

That is why an increasing number of people, when choosing a floor covering, stop at using a laminate. However, despite the apparent ease of installation, the laminate is very demanding on the base on which it will be laid.

Separate laminate boards are fastened with special locks, and a dense monolithic structure is obtained. All types of locks can be divided into two groups: the click type and the lock type.

When connecting the type of lock, the edges of the laminate boards on one side are made in the form of a spike, and on the opposite side in the form of a groove. Such a laminate is mounted by driving a spike into the groove with a wooden mallet. The result is a fairly reliable connection, however, the laying process is very laborious. In addition, it is very difficult to disassemble such a connection.

A more modern type of connections are click-locks. In this case, the edges of the boards are made in the form of flat hooks and depressions. The board to be laid is inserted at an angle of 45 degrees into the previous board, after which it is lowered onto the substrate and securely fixed with a characteristic click. It is for this sound that the castle got its name. This type of connection is mounted much easier than a lock, and if necessary, the floor can be easily disassembled.

Both types of connection require a very even base for laying. If the base has height differences, bumps, paint runs or protruding nail heads, then the life of the laminate will be significantly reduced.

If you lay the laminate on an uneven surface, the panels will experience increased bending stress when walking on it. This will loosen the joints between the boards and cause gaps. Debris will clog in the cracks and moisture will get in. The floor will begin to creak, individual laminate boards may swell and the coating will have to be changed.

That is why it is important to think about leveling the base under the laminate in advance. This can be done in several ways.

If you have to lay the laminate on a concrete base, then it can be leveled with liquid or. In any case, a solid, even surface with a height difference of no more than 3 mm should be obtained. The slope of the surface is checked using a long building level.

These methods are suitable for leveling floors in houses with reinforced concrete floors. The base is cleaned, waterproofed with polyethylene, after which a liquid screed is poured. You can start laying the laminate only when the screed completely hardens.

When installing a dry screed, a layer of fine-grained expanded clay is poured over the waterproofing. Expanded clay is leveled with a level and GVL sheets are laid on top of the backfill, having locks that are securely fastened together with screws and glue. The result is a durable and even coating.

When you have to lay a laminate in a private house, the floors of which are made of wood, the floor is possible. This is a very quick and easy method, however, it is important to carefully control that all wooden parts are securely fastened. It would be useful to treat the tree with a composition that prevents decay.

Video - Leveling the floor with plywood

Between the floor lags, a rough flooring of boards is mounted, on which thermal insulation made of foam, foam or mineral wool is laid. After that, sheets of plywood or chipboard are laid according to the level, which are attached to the logs with screws or nails.

When there is a need to lay a laminate on top of a finished floor made of boards, then you need to first make sure that the boards are securely fastened, and there are no squeaks and other extraneous sounds when walking on the floor. If the condition of the floor is satisfactory, then it remains only to check its evenness with the help of a level. If there are protrusions on the floor at the junction of the boards, paint runs and protruding nail heads, then all these irregularities must be removed before laying the laminate.

Advantages and disadvantages of the main floor leveling methods

Method	Advantages	Flaws
Liquid self-leveling screed	Relatively low labor costs. It is enough to dilute the screed with water and evenly pour the entire floor in the room. High base strength. Fire resistance. Moisture resistance.	Large final weight of the screed, increased load on the floors of the house. Work can be continued only after the screed has completely dried, this process can take up to a week.
Dry screed using GVL-plates	Low weight of the screed, due to the use of expanded clay. Good thermal insulation characteristics. The incombustibility of the material.	Relatively high labor costs for leveling expanded clay and laying GVL. Fairly high price. The strength of the base is lower than when using a traditional screed.
Leveling with chipboard or plywood	The method is suitable for private houses with wooden floors. Low labor costs for installation. Low price.	combustibility of materials. Chipboard emits harmful substances when heated. The base is extremely sensitive to moisture and temperature changes.

Preparing for laying laminate flooring

A layer of the so-called substrate is laid between the laminate and the base. It is usually made of polyethylene foam or cork. The underlayment compensates for slight unevenness of the floor, and is also soundproofing. It is important to remember that the underlay is not a way to level the floor, the maximum height difference that a thick underlay can compensate for is 3 mm.

Polyethylene foam underlay is cheap and easy to install. The cork substrate has increased strength and better thermal insulation properties, but at the same time it is much more expensive.

The underlay is spread over the entire floor area. There should be no gaps between the sheets, nor should they overlap. Sheets are attached to the base with double-sided tape.

Choice of laminate

Today, there are thousands of types of laminate flooring of various textures and colors on the market. It is easy to get confused in this variety, so it is advisable to first determine the main characteristics of the laminate, and then proceed to the choice of appearance.

The strength class of the laminate shows how resistant the coating is to external influences, the higher the strength class, the longer the life of the laminate and the greater the load it can withstand.

Isolon properties	Description
reflective effect	One of the main advantages of isolon is a high reflective effect, which contributes to an additional and very tangible reduction in heat loss.
Compatibility with other materials	The properties of isolon make it possible to use it both in combination with wooden structures and for insulating concrete floors.
Thickness	Against the background of many other heat-insulating materials, isolon stands out favorably with its modest thickness, averaging 2-10 mm (sometimes up to 15 mm). Despite this, the material without any complaints copes with the tasks assigned to it.
moisture permeability	The insulation does not absorb moisture, which makes it possible to count on its longest operation without reducing the thermal insulation characteristics.
Environmental friendliness	Izolon does not harm either human health or the environment, which allows it to be used in premises for any purpose.
Other properties	Isolon is characterized by a long service life. The material is not subject to decay. If necessary, isolon can be used in combination with other heaters. In addition to excellent thermal insulation characteristics, isolon has good noise absorption performance, which is an additional advantage.

Of course, these recommendations are very conditional, in fact, it is better to completely abandon the use of class 21 and 22 laminate, their service life is very short. The best option would be to use class 31 coverage for bedrooms, and class 32 is enough for all other rooms.

The thickness of the laminate does not play such an important role as its class, and all other things being equal, it is better to choose a thinner laminate, but with a higher class. However, you should not use a coating thinner than 7 mm, as it does not have sufficient margin of safety when exposed to bending.

The type of laminate lock affects the ease of installation, the most convenient and reliable way is a click-lock, it allows you to quickly fasten the panels together and minimizes the risk of damage to the panel. The second most popular is the lock-lock, such panels are a little cheaper, but their installation is much more time-consuming.

Moisture resistance of laminate flooring is an important consideration when you are going to put it in a kitchen or hallway. In other rooms, it is not advisable to lay a moisture-resistant laminate due to the high price.

Diagram of one of the HDF-based laminate models

Laying laminate

Before starting work, it is necessary to decide on the scheme for laying the laminate. You can lay laminate flooring parallel or perpendicular to the long side of the room, depending on the texture of the board and your personal preference. Recently, laying laminate at an angle to the walls is gaining popularity. This method of laying allows you to visually increase the space of the room, but at the same time, 5-10% more waste is generated.

If you are laying laminate in the traditional way, then to calculate the required number of panels, you need to add 10% to the room area, this value will take into account losses when cutting panels in place. If the laying will be done diagonally, then 20% should be added to the area of \u200b\u200bthe room.

Try laying out several layers of laminate on the floor without hooking the locks, use different installation options and choose the one that best suits your room.

Remember that there should always be a gap of at least 10 mm between the laminate panels and the wall, it is necessary to compensate for the thermal expansion of the coating.

Before laying the first plank, measure the length of the room with a tape measure, subtract 20 mm from it (the gap) and divide by the width of the laminate panel. If you see that the planks in the last row should be narrower than 50mm, then you need to cut the boards of the first row lengthwise in order to reduce their width and thereby increase the width of the planks in the final row.

Most often, the laminate begins to be laid from the far left corner of the room. Install 10 mm wide expansion wedges between the first row of boards and the walls, and start laying.

Step 1

Lay the first laminate panel in the far left corner of the room and install expansion wedges to keep the panel from pressing against the walls.

Step 2

Take the other panel and fit it to the first narrow side, making sure the panel locks are securely latched. Continue to fasten the panels with narrow sides to the end of the row.

Step 3

The last plank in the row will most likely need to be sawn in place. Place it next to the penultimate panel and mark the cut. Saw off the excess panel with a jigsaw and finish the row.

Step 4

The joints of the laminate boards in adjacent rows should be staggered with an offset of at least 40 cm. When you have laid a whole row, and you have a part of the panel of sufficient length, this residue can be used as the first plank in a new row.

If there is an integer number of panels in a row or a segment of the last plank is shorter than 40 cm, then the next row should be started with a panel sawn in half.

Repeat steps 1-3 and assemble the second row of panels.

But it is better not to use a bracket and a hammer, but to snap the last panel with your hands

Video - Laying laminate on an uneven floor

Laminate is a rather demanding coating that needs a flat and solid base. Level differences, pits, tubercles, cracks on the subfloor significantly reduce its service life. They become the cause of unplanned additional loads on the interlocks of the slats. Even one hole in the base will create a "failure", stepping on which you will bend the lamellas, testing the lock joints for strength. Sooner or later, this will lead to the appearance of visible cracks, loosening, and possibly breakage of the locks. Thus, the life of the flooring will be reduced, and the appearance from the very first day will leave much to be desired.

So what to do? There are two options: either use traditional methods of leveling the base, or use alternative methods that neutralize the negative effects of unevenness. Let's consider all these methods.

Applying a leveling underlay

Let's make a reservation right away: a surface is considered a suitable basis for a laminate, the height differences on which do not exceed 2 mm / r.m. These are permissible curvature rates at which the internal stresses of the coating are insignificant and do not lead to breakage of the locks. Exceeding these figures needs to be corrected.

The easiest way to eliminate the unevenness of the base is to use from:

polyethylene foam;
expanded polystyrene;
extruded polystyrene foam;
polyurethane;
natural cork (option - from a mixture of cork and bitumen or rubber);
wood fiber boards.

Any underlay available on the market can compensate for some of the unevenness of the base. The quality of the result depends on their density and thickness. For example, a conventional 2 mm thick polyethylene foam underlay levels the surface of the base up to 1 mm/m.p. Wood fiber underlays "ISOPLAAT" or "Quiet running" are more effective. Plates "ISOPLAAT" with a thickness of 4 mm are able to compensate for differences of up to 3 mm/r.m., and with a thickness of 12 mm - as much as 5 mm/r.m.! Approximately the same abilities and wood-fiber substrates "Quiet move".

Base Leveling

In the event that the drops exceed the capabilities of the substrates, then more efficient methods must be used. The most common substrates for laminate flooring are concrete slabs or wooden floors. Each of these options requires its own approach.

concrete surface

In most urban apartments, the “rough” floor is formed by concrete slabs. To align such a base, follow the step-by-step instructions:

Prepare the base. Remove the old coating, clean the concrete slab from debris and dust. If there are deep cracks, pits, chips, pre-seal them with cement mortar.
Prime the surface. Priming improves the adhesion of the finishing screed and the concrete base. In some cases, it is desirable to use not an ordinary primer, but a waterproofing one. This is true for repairs in kitchens or on the first floors, located above damp basements.
Perform alignment. If the base is problematic, with large elevation changes, then it is more practical to use the usual one. Prepare it yourself (the ratio of sand and cement is approximately 3: 1) or buy ready-made dry mix. There should be enough water so that the consistency of the screed resembles very thick sour cream.
Install (preferably special metal profiles that do not need to be removed after work is completed) in increments of 0.5-1 m. This step can be more if there is a long rule, and a physically strong man performs the screed. Spread the cement mortar between the guide rails, leveling the screed with the rule.
After the solution hardens a little (2-3 hours is enough), the cement screed is additionally leveled with a foam or wooden float. The cement screed dries and gains strength for a long time. Laying a laminate on its surface is recommended no earlier than after 2 weeks.

If you don’t want to mess around with a cement screed, there is a much more modern, albeit more expensive solution - use it.

Leveling mixes - the easiest way to level a concrete floor

Dilute the dry mixture in water, according to the instructions, and then simply pour it onto the base, leveling the solution with a spatula. In order to remove air from the mixture, roll its surface with a roller with rubber spikes. This will make the surface smoother, without holes from small air bubbles on the surface. Mixtures harden much faster than a cement screed, so you can start finishing the floor covering in a few hours.

wooden floors

Work according to the following plan:

Tidy up existing wood flooring. Inspect the wood floorboards for cracks, crevices, and other imperfections. All this must be eliminated with putty. , then inspect the lags, if necessary, replace them. Fix the boards again on the logs, preferably with self-tapping screws, not nails - it’s more reliable. It is possible that during this operation some parts will have to be replaced with new ones.
If there are significant bumps and irregularities on the wooden floor, you can correct the situation (grinding). You can easily rent a cycler machine, it is not necessary to buy new equipment for one-time work.
Level the wood floor.
After puttying and sanding, it is quite possible that your wooden floors are already completely ready for. Check the base with a level, if everything is in order, then the alignment is complete. If the irregularities are significant and it was not possible to correct them, it is necessary to lay sheets of plywood or OSB boards on top of the floorboards. Use material with a thickness of 15-20 mm.

OSB or plywood sheets are screwed to the wooden floor with self-tapping screws, while making sure that the edges of adjacent boards are at the same level

There is another option - pour over a self-leveling mixture. This should be done in exactly the same way as when leveling concrete bases. In this case, you will get a flat and smooth screed, ideal for mounting the coating.

Replacing chipboard or fiberboard laminate with vinyl

If you do not want to carry out complex work, you can use the existing alternative to capricious material. This is a new type of flooring, called "". It, unlike the usual dies made of chipboard or fiberboard, can be laid on an existing, not sufficiently even base.

The flexible version is available in the form of strips, each of which consists of two layers: the upper part is made of a mixture of polyurethane with aluminum oxide, the lower part is made of vinyl. The lower part is shifted in relation to the upper one by a couple of centimeters, forming a free thin layer of vinyl around the perimeter. An adhesive smart tape is applied to it, thanks to which the planks are glued to each other at the ends. A "floating" floor structure is formed, without direct attachment to the base. Therefore, pits, bumps and cracks will not be “imprinted” on such a coating, unlike glue-based vinyl tiles.

Video: leveling the floor under the laminate

The connection using a smart tape is called a glue lock, by analogy with Click and Lock mechanical locks. However, the adhesive joint is more elastic, so it will not break on uneven floors. For example, Allure Floor vinyl laminate can withstand base drops of up to 5 mm. At the same time, the resulting coating in appearance is no different from a standard floor covering or wooden parquet. And in terms of performance - even wins. Vinyl, unlike wooden counterparts, is absolutely moisture resistant and much stronger, which is confirmed by strength class 42-43.

Many people dream of having laminate flooring in their house or apartment. And at the present time this is not a problem, since at the moment there is a large amount of diverse material. You just have to go to the store and choose the laminate that you like best.

But buying doesn't end the job. After all, the main task is laying the laminate. Of course, you can turn to special companies and pay off a round sum of money for this, or you can try to do it yourself.

If you still decide to lay the laminate yourself, and you have a wooden floor in your house, then most likely during installation there may be such a problem as an uneven floor. In this case, you will have to level the surface, and after that, lay the laminate. Since the problem with an uneven floor is quite common during installation, I would like to talk about this point in more detail.

The maximum difference should not exceed 2-3 mm. If the difference is greater than this level, then the surface irregularities should be eliminated. Otherwise, over time, the laminate will begin to bend and “play”. This will reduce the life of the laminate flooring.

Leveling a wooden floor under a laminate

There are two ways to level an uneven floor:

Grinding machine or electric planer;
Plywood flooring.

Before leveling, the floor should be well inspected and checked for strength. If you find rotten boards, it is best to replace them before laying the laminate. Otherwise, after a while, you will have to disassemble the entire laid laminate.

When leveling the floor in the first way, you need to take care that there are no obstacles for the grinder on it, namely nails or self-tapping screws. If necessary, hide all protruding hats. Then sand the surface of the floor until all irregularities disappear. You can measure the surface using the building level.

If you don't have a grinder handy, you can use the second option is moisture-resistant plywood flooring. Many people think that plywood can be replaced with a chipboard sheet, but this is an erroneous opinion. Chipboard is not recommended for a simple reason: formaldehyde compounds are used in its manufacture. And if moisture gets on the sheet, it will start to bubble and release formaldehyde. Such exposure can lead to serious consequences for human health.

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Before making plywood flooring, you need to install wooden rivers on which plywood sheets will be attached. A good plus would be lubricating plywood with oil-based paint based on drying oil, for greater moisture resistance. Then carefully lay out the plywood on the slats and fasten with self-tapping screws.

Also one of the frequently asked questions is: How to lay a laminate on an uneven concrete floor? There are no tricks with leveling the concrete polo. This is done elementarily with the help of a cement mixture. To work, you need a wide spatula.

We apply the cement mixture to the surface and smooth it with a spatula. We bring to the desired level and wait for complete drying. That's the whole job of leveling the concrete floor. In addition, a concrete base is best suited for laying laminate flooring.

After you have prepared and leveled the floor under the laminate, we begin to lay the substrate. Do not refuse the substrate, as the life of the laminate will be very short. In addition, the substrate serves as sound and moisture insulation.

There are several types of substrate:

Polyethylene. The most demanded and popular substrate. It has good sound insulation and high moisture resistance. Very easy to install.
Cork. Probably one of the more expensive ones. It also has excellent sound and moisture insulation properties. Perfect for uneven floors. Very high quality material that resists rotting and deformation.
bituminous cork . The substrate consists of kraft paper and bitumen, and its surface is covered with cork chips. This crumb absorbs sounds quite well, and the bitumen does not allow water to penetrate, thereby preventing decay.
Styrofoam. Good material for laying laminate flooring. It has good moisture resistance and high noise absorbing effect.
Combined. The substrate consists of two materials: polyethylene and expanded polystyrene. The substrate itself consists of two dense layers of polyethylene, between which there are polystyrene foam balls.
Special. Possesses high qualities, to a minimum reduces sounds of steps. Has natural ventilation. Easy to install and takes a lot of time. But there is one small minus - the price.

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To lay the substrate under the laminate, you will need some tools: adhesive tape, tape measure, ruler, knife and pencil. It is best to fix the substrate sheets with adhesive tape.

We lay the laminate with our own hands

Before starting work on installing laminate, you need to create a suitable environment for work. The temperature should not be more than 30, and humidity from 45 to 70%. It is important to follow the instructions when working in order to avoid errors during installation. Let's analyze all the work point by point:

First of all, we prepare the surface. It needs to be well cleaned of debris. For this case, a vacuum cleaner is best suited.
Then lay the first substrate. The film is corrugated, in which case the corrugated surface should look down. And if there is foil on the film, then it should be located up.
The second row of the substrate must be laid, shifted from the junction of the mat of the first row by 40 cm, then glue the seams of the mats with adhesive tape or adhesive tape.
The substrate must be applied to the walls, but not more than 5 cm.
Once the underlayment has been laid, the laying of the laminate can begin. The first panel should face the wall with a spike, the next one is inserted into the groove of the first panel at an angle of 45 degrees. So you need to continue until the end of the first row.
The second row is assembled in the same way as the first, and then inserted into the locks of the previous row. To avoid gaps between the panels, you can adjust the boards with a hammer, while protecting the laminate from impacts with a metal bracket. Each completed row ends with the insertion of a wedge.
You can also make panel connections stronger. To do this, you need to use a special adhesive for laminate. When working with glue, after each row, you need to wait a little until the glue dries completely, wait about 10 minutes. If during the connection, the glue leaked onto the gun, immediately wipe it off.
And the last step will be masking the gaps that have formed between the panels. In this case, we use a sealant. We apply it, let it dry and carefully remove the excess with the help of the skin.

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This completes the laying of the laminate. When installing laminate, there are no complicated details, so this work can be done on your own.

There are a few simple and important rules for the care of laminate flooring that must be followed. this will significantly increase the life of the laminate.

Basic rules for the care of laminate:

Do wet cleaning only with warm water;
Wipe dry the coating after cleaning;
Do not use detergents which contain abrasive elements;
Do not use household chemicals that contains acids and alkalis. These compounds corrode the varnish:
Do not use metal brushes or nets to clean stains.

Need to know! Laminate does not like water very much. With a large ingress of liquid during cleaning, the laminate will inflate, and its locks will disperse.

To keep the laminate in excellent condition, wet cleaning should be done no more than 2 times a week. For cleaning, use only a soft cloth that needs to be wrung out well. It is also recommended to add detergents specially designed for cleaning laminate to a bucket of water. They do not leave streaks and wash grease stains well.

Before laying laminate on an uneven wooden floor, you should study the recommendations of professionals Repair work is often very scary for people. Still, when you think that a lot of things need to be done, even if the repair is exclusively of a finishing nature, it immediately becomes uncomfortable. In fact, everything is not so scary and not very difficult if you know exactly what you are going to do and how to prepare for the repair work. First of all, it is worth thinking carefully about what problems you may encounter during the repair work.

Easy installation of laminate flooring on uneven floors

Many residents of apartments and houses prefer to have laminate flooring that is pleasant for the household. Often in houses and apartments with wooden floors, specialists are faced with the fact that it is completely impossible to lay a laminate directly on the floor until the problem is solved.

Before installing the laminate on an uneven floor, it is recommended to lay a substrate on it

The most common possible problems are uneven walls, floors or ceilings, as well as a number of other individual features that may be present in your apartment or house:

Relocated walls;
Non-standard window openings, etc.

Why can't you put laminate flooring directly on the floor? There are reasons for this. Laying on irregularities leads to the fact that the laminate can “go” with bumps, which subsequently leads to a violation of the integrity of the coating. Laying on such a floor is not only impractical, but also difficult in itself. In this case, it is almost impossible to fit small laminate tiles. How can you determine if the floor is even, if no flaws are visually noticeable, and the laying of the laminate does not work out in any way? A good helper in this matter will be the usual building level, which accurately determines whether the surface is flat or not.

If it was found that there is any unevenness on the floor surface, all work that has already begun to be done should be stopped and corrected.

Now the question arises, how to turn the unevenness of the floor into evenness? This question will always be answered by the relevant experts. They know better than anyone what threatens to repair a crooked floor, and how you can fix it all with your own hands. The most common way to level the floor is to use a material such as a leveling underlay, which should be laid on the floor surface. And yet, here, too, there are nuances. Let's take a closer look at this type of substrate.

Why do you need a leveling underlay for laminate flooring?

According to experts, most often similar problems are noted by repairmen of varying degrees of unevenness of walls, ceilings and floors. If the unevenness of the walls can somehow be circumvented, for example, using special tiles or panels installed on a metal frame for decoration, and ceiling irregularities are harmoniously hidden under stretch ceilings, then an uneven wooden floor is a more serious problem.

A leveling underlay for laminate flooring is an excellent solution for small floor irregularities, whether it is a wooden floor or a rough concrete floor.

Thanks to the leveling substrate, you can make the floor even and extend its life.

In this case, the underlay can be used when laying both laminate and parquet flooring without screed. The substrate can vary in thickness, which varies from 1 to 4 mm, to be enough for leveling, as well as by the manufacturer and the type of material itself.

So, the leveling substrate can be:

PE foam underlay. This is the most popular synthetic-based material. It is characterized by low prices, high thermal insulation, which makes it an excellent material for leveling and simultaneously insulating the floor, in addition, such material is not attacked by rodents and pathogenic microorganisms.
Cork backing type. It is a high-quality, environmentally friendly leveling material with a price corresponding to quality. At the same time, it is more expedient to lay a cork underlay for a long period under a high-quality expensive floor. Some manufacturers of cork substrates equip their material with an additional adhesive layer.
Bituminous substrates with the addition of cork shavings. Regarding the pricing policy, it is as expensive as the cork counterpart, while, due to the addition of bitumen, it has excellent hygroscopicity and sound insulation.
Styrofoam type leveling material. Laying such a substrate allows you to maintain the maximum level of the floor, helps to even out minor irregularities and flaws in the floor surface.
Combined substrates. Most often, companies use a combination of expanded polystyrene and polyethylene foam for their production.
Pine tile. Environmentally friendly material for leveling the floor surface. Laying such a substrate is not difficult, but it is worth remembering that coniferous tiles are laid diagonally.

Thus, it can be noted that before buying a leveling underlay, determine what type of floor it will be laid on, what price line of underlays and what properties and disadvantages the selected underlay model has.

Do I need to carefully level the floor under the laminate

It was considered where to start work on finishing the floor, how to choose a substrate, and what to pay attention to, but you need to decide, maybe you don’t need to deal with alignments? Finishing work itself implies the presence of an already flat surface on which the finishing will take place, but with some materials this rule can be neglected, with the exception of laminate. Laminate tiles should always be laid out on a perfectly flat floor surface. Otherwise, you will only get a headache.

If the room is residential, then for ease of use, the floor should be leveled before laying the laminate

The following flaws are also possible:

The difference in the level of the floor surface will cause deformation of the laminate panels.
The level difference between 2 adjacent floor areas will also cause poor adhesion between the panels, which will lead to cracks.
The seams between laminate tiles will be subject to divergence, and hence deformation of the laminate material itself. Opened seams will have to be puttied more than once.
On an uneven floor surface, especially at the transition between rooms, the laminate creaks.
Due to the divergence of the panels, moisture will get under the coatings, which will cause irreversible sad consequences, and the floor will have to be completely replaced.
If the floor is uneven, you may notice that some of the laminate panels, and maybe several parts, are pressed through.

As can be understood from the above, it is always necessary to level the floor surface as much as possible before laying the laminate, otherwise you risk prolonging the repair work for one day or even a month, and, accordingly, the material costs of repairs will increase.

Can laminate flooring be laid directly on fiberboard?

Very often, people moving into apartments of the so-called old stock are faced with the fact that the floors are covered with fiberboard material, in other words, plywood or chipboard. The question arises, is it necessary to remove everything to the rough surface of the floor, or can you install the laminate directly on top of the plates?

If you are laying laminate on fiberboard, then it must be carefully sanded, cleaned of debris and dust.

Experts say it's possible.

In addition, fiberboard and chipboard boards can be used to level the floors in the apartment, especially if there is not a strong allowable floor slope. A floor with a slope is the case when the height of one part of the floor is 0.1-0.2ᵒ or more higher than the other.

In defense of the use of fiberboard and chipboard, the advantages of this material work:

Such plates can easily level the floor surface;
Possessing good rigidity, the plates are an additional guarantor of the longevity of the laminate;
Pleasant cost of leveling material, compared with others;
Does not require special conditions - chipboard and fiberboard boards cover different types of floors in different rooms.

Although such plates are not a full-fledged high-quality board, they are able to cover and mask the unevenness of the floor, but also due to their great endurance, they can be used even in rooms with high traffic or the presence of massive heavy furniture. Such plates allow you to correct floor irregularities and level the floor surface. For these reasons alone, you can give the green light to the installation of stoves in the room.

If initially there were no fiberboard or chipboard boards on the floor, but you want to cover the floor with them, then first of all it is necessary to install the boards with all responsibility. Next comes the laying of the laminate itself, which in turn follows certain classic laying points, regardless of type.

When laying laminate, it should be borne in mind that a plinth will be installed around the perimeter of the room.

Consider what types of styling can be used:

Laying the laminate perpendicular to the light source. This method is good if you are worried that the seams between the tiles will be visible.
Laying light, diagonally and classic herringbone laying is possible. This can often be found in the apartments of the old fund.

Each way of laying allows you to achieve a special pattern on the surface of the floor, which makes the room more interesting and comfortable.

Ways to put laminate on an uneven wooden floor (video)

So, there are enough options for doing the job. It is important to understand for yourself what you want to get as a result. And then it remains only to follow the chosen technology.

Very often during repairs after removing the old flooring, you find a not quite flat surface under it. What to do next? Is it possible laying laminate flooring on uneven floors Or does it need to be leveled? Let's figure it out.

All manufacturers recommend laying laminated panels on a perfectly flat floor. Only then can they guarantee a long service life of the floor covering. We claim that laminate flooring can still be mounted on an uneven surface, but it all depends on the type and size of the unevenness. Under certain conditions, there is its own way of solving the problem.

What types of unevenness on the floor can be

Depending on the type of unevenness, we will decide what to do next for laying the laminate. The following types of floor defects can be distinguished:

Cracks in the surface and cracks;
Elevation differences along the perimeter of the surface and influxes.

In the first case, such irregularities will not cause problems with the laminate on the floor, so you can safely start laying. In the second case, things are a little more complicated. It is necessary to determine the height difference of the surface and the height of the sags. You can do this in the following way:

With the help of a water level. We fill the level cavity with water and draw a mark on the wall at an arbitrary height (about 1 meter from the surface). Next, apply the second end of the level every 2-3 around the entire perimeter of the room. Align the water level at the first end to the previously drawn mark and draw the mark of the second end. As a result, on the walls we get a lot of marks at the horizon level, but not a rough surface. We measure all the distances from the marks to the floor. Subtracting the smallest value from the resulting largest value, we get the height difference in the room.
The laser level is used to get more accurate results. Otherwise, the essence of the measurement process is the same as with the water level.
You can also use the building level, the length of which is equal to or greater than 2 meters.

What are the consequences of laying on uneven ground?

There are a number of reasons why you should not install laminate flooring with defects. You must know them in order to understand the seriousness of the problem.

Laminated panels will “play” on bumps due to the gravity of the furniture or when walking. Part of the board will hover over the void and at the same time pull the adjacent boards along with it. Over time, laminated panels will warp and break.
With sagging on the floor, after a certain time after laying, the laminate will move apart at the seams and break connections at the same time, trying to find a place for itself without unnecessary stress.
The differences in the plane of the base, exceeding 3 cm, cause deformation of the interlocks and the destruction of the entire laid structure.
Cracks right in the middle of the board will not be uncommon with significant sagging on the floor.

Everyone understands that laying on such an uneven floor is impossible. It should be done once, but with high quality, in order to avoid unnecessary financial costs and nerves in the future. It is necessary to initially find the optimal solution to this problem.

Alignment with an underlay

With small differences in the heights of the base, it will be most rational to use a special leveling substrate. The maximum leveling distance for each substrate is different and it is indicated on the label by the manufacturer, but on average it is 3-5 mm. In addition to leveling properties, it will also provide the laminate with hydro and sound insulation. It is attached to an uneven floor with glue or a self-adhesive base, and only then a laminate is laid on it without connecting to the substrate.

The following pads are available for sale:

Made of polyethylene foam or isolon polymer.
Polystyrene, consisting of two layers. The bottom layer is directly from polystyrene, and the top layer is from aluminum foil.
Cork substrates that require additional moisture insulation.
New types of substrates: polymer solution, expanded polystyrene, wood boards.

Leveling a floor with significant unevenness

With more serious irregularities, more serious work will have to be done for laying the laminate. The first of these ways to eliminate floor irregularities using a concrete screed. It is used for very large elevation changes. For this, a sand-cement mortar is prepared, leveled on an uneven surface, and equal to the level of the horizon. The concrete hardens and is ready for the robot to start installing the laminated panels.

With smaller differences, building mixtures can be used according to the “self-leveling floor” technology. It is so named due to its ease of use. You prepare the solution, according to the manufacturer's recommendations, and pour it onto the prepared surface. To accelerate the hardening, a spiked roller is passed over the solution layer.

Another way is to install sheets of OSB plywood. Logs are installed on the prepared logs and sheets of plywood are attached to them using self-tapping screws. OSB boards can be glued directly to the floor with minor irregularities.

Laminate installation process

Whatever way you choose to level the uneven field for laying the laminate, then you should proceed directly to the installation. The process itself does not differ in anything special and does not depend on the initial unevenness of the base. If you are gluing laminated panels, take breaks for the glue to dry up to after 3-4 rows. If you have laminate flooring with a click system, then gradually assemble the boards between failures by gently tapping to prevent damage.

We hope that we have helped you and helped you sort out such a serious issue. We hope that you have realized all the possible consequences of uneven ground and made the right decisions. Good luck!

Video: floor leveling

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