FEATURE: FLOORING & FLOOR CARE
headaches to designers and DIYers aiming to achieve the freshest and neatest look. Therefore, many people turn to the Internet for tips and assistance. The research revealed the fifth most Googled flooring question was: ‘Most common mistakes when laying laminate flooring?’, with the term racking up 900 monthly searches. When it comes to installing flooring of any kind, a lack of preparation and rushing the process can lead to errors and an untidy finish. In particular, implementing laminate flooring requires a lot of patience - but what are the top three most common mistakes by DIYers or designers throughout the laying process?
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Poor preparation Firstly, where many people go wrong is during the preparation stage. Laminate requires a surface both as clean and flat as possible to avoid bubbles or damage and achieve the tidiest look. To prepare for installation, the subfloor must be sufficiently levelled, this can be done through
hile selecting new flooring can prove difficult, navigating the installation process can cause
THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES WHEN LAYING LAMINATE FLOORING
The flooring experts at Flooring King have analysed Google search data to reveal the top ten most Googled questions on flooring. Liam Cleverdon, the flooring expert at Flooring King provides expert advice and knowledge to answer each question.
sanding floorboards or using cement compounds. Additionally, hardwood sheets may also be fitted onto the subfloor to provide a flat surface. Many people go wrong by skipping this stage entirely - leading to a messy final look.
Forgetting expansion gaps Moving on, another common mistake designers make during the installation process is forgetting to leave adequate gaps for potential expansion. I recommend leaving between 8 and 10mm of room between the laminate and closest wall, this is because the material can expand or contract if it detects
FIVE UNDERFLOOR HEATING MYTHS BUSTED
Underfloor heating is no longer reserved for the lucky elite. Growing at a rapid rate of 13% YoY, it’s becoming more desirable and affordable than ever before. But with so many systems to choose from it can be hard to cut through the noise. Wunda Group, a British heating company with more than 18 years of experience, debunks the myths rife when it comes to underfloor heating.
1. It’s disruptive
Sam Jump, Head of Business Development, Wunda Group shares how Wunda’s Rapid Response system combats this issue: “We have reinvented underfloor heating and our quick to install Rapid Response system can actually be laid directly on top of your existing flooring rather than digging up your floors which is required for screed systems that need to be buried beneath six inches of screed and cement.” Tom Edmunds, General Manager for Wunda
Group, even fitted his own system over a long weekend: “Essentially, you just clear the room, stick our boards to the existing floor, run the pipe back and forth and put a new floor on top. If you can lay laminate flooring, you can lay our heating system. You then need a professional to come in and connect the pipework to your existing heating supply, be that a boiler, heat pump or solar system.” “If you’re confident building flatpack furniture,
it’s just as easy – if not easier,” explains Sam. “You’re just cutting high-density polystyrene panels
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to sizes that we specify according to the plans you’ve provided, sticking them onto the floor with a specialist glue that we provide, then walking the pipe back and forth into the precut grooves.
2. It’s expensive
“People tend to think underfloor heating is reserved for the rich but it’s really not. Our system currently retails at £42pm2 + VAT. That means that installing underfloor heating across the ground floor of a three- to four-bedroom house, with a floor area of 55m2, would cost in the region £1,800 to £2,500,” Comments Sam. “Add to that the fact it can be easily DIY’d and you’re also cutting down on installation costs.”
3. It’s hard to control
“Instead of the 24-72 hours a screed system can take to heat up, Rapid Response can be turned on or off, or adjusted, to reach desired temperatures in as little as 20- 40 minutes,” says Sam. “We also have our own smart control system so that zones can be set to come on at different times and different temperatures – and this can all be done from your phone,” adds Tom Edmunds.
4. It limits your floor choices Sam explains that Wunda’s product allows for a wide range of flooring options: “Our Rapid Response solution is compatible with virtually all types of floor finishes from carpet and parquet, to laminate and flagstone. It works with most types
of carpet as long as the carpet and underlay combined don’t exceed two togs. Low resistance underlays should be used so as not to prevent the system from providing sufficient heat output. If you’re opting for a wood floor, be sure to install a floor probe to limit the floor surface temperature. There are just two types of wood – maple and beech – that are unsuitable for use with underfloor heating due to their high water content.”
5. It’s hard to maintain and might leak Tom explains how this isn’t the problem many consumers believe it to be: “The biggest question we get asked is ‘what if the underfloor system leaks?’ But there are no joins under the floor for water to leak from. It’s one continuous pipe.” “A water-based system is super-reliable,” continues Sam Jump. “And there’s nowhere near as much maintenance as there would be for radiators, which need bleeding. The only maintenance that needs to be done – if you turn your heating off for summer and want to turn it back on in winter – is to purge the system of any potential air blocks.”
SEPTEMBER 2024 DIY WEEK 21
changes in the room’s heat or humidity.
Failing to give substantial time for acclimatisation Lastly, a common error that is hugely avoidable is not giving the material enough time to acclimatise to the room’s conditions before installation begins. Leaving the laminate in the room of choice for 24-48 hours gives the material ample time to get used to the temperature and humidity levels. This can avoid cracks appearing once the flooring has been laid - but is a commonly forgotten part of the process for many DIYers and designers.
Overall, while these mistakes are
extremely common, by increasing the focus on preparation and following each step to completion, installing laminate flooring can become a simple process. It’s great to see so many people turn to the Internet to avoid falling for these typical mistakes.
Liam Cleverdon goes on to answer the top ten most Googled flooring queries in more detail, which are available to view at https://flooringking.
co.uk/blog/top-10-most- googled-questions-on-flooring- and-the-answers
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