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So, you want to know how to stagger laminate flooring properly?

Let’s dive in.

Many people nowadays choose laminate flooring for their homes. It is aesthetically attractive and very easy to install. This is a type of floating floor with a so-called click-and-lock system. One of the good traits is their durability. Once having proper staggering in your home, you won’t have to worry for a long time about any stability issues or loosening planks. Besides that, it is very practical as it is very easy to maintain. It is so simple to use, you can even install it by yourself.

If the flooring is not properly staggered, it won’t look good or be stable enough. Laminate boards should be placed and staggered carefully.

There isn’t a list of strict rules on how to do this, but there are some steps to follow for the best results.

Advantages of laminate flooring

There is a good reason why laminate flooring is the choice of many people. There is a long list of features and traits of laminate flooring. It is practical and decorative at the same time. We believe you already know some of the good traits of laminate flooring. Here we will present you with some new information that might make you like it even more.

Durability

Durability How to stagger laminate flooring properly

When reconstructing anything around the house, we all want it to last as long as possible. The durability of the laminate floor is exactly what you look for. It has an aluminum oxide top coating. Thus it is resistant to impacts, scratches, dents, fading and strains. Laminate flooring exceeded any sort of hardwood, vinyl or carpet with its quality. For this reason, people choose laminate flooring for high-traffic places, homes with pets and children. It is good for your local gym and for your home too.

Price

Evergreen-Mesa-439-Donogal-Grand-Junction-by-Carpetime How to stagger laminate flooring properly
Image source: Carpetime

Laminate flooring is a perfect match of quality and price. It costs less than traditional hardwood, but it doesn’t fall back when it comes to aesthetics. It can actually give you the same effect as hardwood, and yet cost way less and demand less maintenance. Give less and get more – who wouldn’t like that?

Easy Installation

Laminate-by-Barnards-Carpet-One-Floor-_-Home How to stagger laminate flooring properlyImage source: Barnards Carpet One Floor & Home

The best solutions are the ones where we can save both money and time. That is exactly what you get if you choose laminate flooring. The laminate boards have an interlock mechanism, like a puzzle. The laminate floor can be set above the existing floor. You don’t need any special contractor license or knowledge to install this in your home.

Easy to Clean and Maintain

Easy-to-Clean-and-Maintain How to stagger laminate flooring properly

Laminate flooring is very resistant, so any mess you make can be easily handled. It is very useful for places with a great concentration of people, so it is a good choice for private homes or offices, a gym… It doesn’t even need any special chemicals to keep it clean and in the best shape. Regular vacuuming and mopping are enough.

Style/Appearance

Cherry-Laminate-Flooring-by-Paul-Anater How to stagger laminate flooring properlyImage source: Paul Anater

One of the best features of laminate flooring is the wide range in a choice of style. You can pick from many different colors and patterns and match them with the rest of the room. Whether you want it to be more traditional, warm, and cozy or something more simple, elegant, contemporary… Any design you imagine can be made with the use of special high-definition printers.

How to Stagger Laminate Flooring

tools1 How to stagger laminate flooring properly

If you decided to install laminate flooring all by yourself, we offer you some useful tips and advice. Follow them and you will end with amazing results.

To start, you will first need some tools:

  • Measuring tape
  • Carpenter’s square
  • Pencil/Marker
  • Hammer
  • Handsaw
  • Circular saw(or table saw, miter saw, jigsaw)
  • Thick spacers
  • Utility knife
  • Safety glasses
  • and dust mask

If you have all these, you are ready to start. We will introduce you to the procedure step by step

Procedure

Calculate flooring material

Calculate-flooring-material How to stagger laminate flooring properly

First, you need to write down the measures of a room using the tape measure. You need to know the surface size to know how much material, laminate boards, you need for each room. Laminate planks are usually 3 to 4 feet long. Divide the length of a room with the length of the flooring boards.

Define expansion gaps

Define-expansion-gaps How to stagger laminate flooring properly

Humidity can affect laminate floors to expand and contract to a certain length. This is why it is crucial to determine the expansion gap. You should mark a line or couple of dots at about 3/8 inch away from the walls. Don’t worry – the expansion space will be covered afterward with the wall base after all the boards have been set.

Trim the doorways

Trim-the-doorways How to stagger laminate flooring properly

Pay special attention to the doorways when installing the laminate flooring. It has to fit perfectly so it would look neat and clean.

Before placing the boards, you have to trim door casings and side jambs. Boards should go underneath it. Use T-moldings if you’re installing laminate floors through the doorways. This should be used to separate the rooms.

Cutting planks

Cutting-planks How to stagger laminate flooring properly

Sometimes you’ll have to cut laminate boards to a certain length to fit them properly. Use lumber or damaged flooring peace to get a spacer plank. You can do the cutting with different tools: circular saw, table saw, power saw, miter saw, jigsaw… To avoid planks chipping too much, use sharp saw blades. You need the planking pieces as spacers to frame the perimeter.

Make sure not to cut the planks near the installation area. This will keep the excessive dust as far as possible from the site. Use protective gloves and glasses to keep safe from any possible injuries.

Subfloor preparation

sub How to stagger laminate flooring properly

With good preparation, laminated floors can be laid over many sorts of subfloors. Before the installation, clean the subfloor from any kind of dirt. Dirt might affect the process, subfloor should be neat and clean.

Test the subfloor for any squeaks. Walk around and listen. You can get rid of unpleasant sounds with the use of a cordless drill or a cordless impact driver. Mark the spots where you heard the noise and drive 2-inch drywall screws into those spots.

When it comes to the subfloor flatness, it should be about 1/16 inches per 3 ft. Level the floors before you start the installation. There are special leveling compounds you can use to fill those depressed areas.

If you find any cracks or openings in the subfloor, use wood putty or self-leveling compound to stuff and close them.

If you’re dealing with the concrete floor, the procedure is a bit different and takes more time. You have to leave the concrete to dry entirely before starting the installation. It takes around 60 days.

Installation of planks

Installation-of-planks How to stagger laminate flooring properly

First, you need to count how many planks you need to position around the floor, like a frame. Look for any potential damage on each board before installing it.

Start with the longest board you have. Don’t forget about the expansion space and use spacers when installing the first row.

Make sure you calculate the width of the flooring planks for the first and the last row. This will ensure the floor looks well-balanced. More important is to know not a single row should be less than half the width of a single full board.

Position the first plank with the long edge facing the wall. Lift the right side of the next plank to about 30 degrees and put its short end tongue into the grove of the previous plank. To lock them together, lower the plank. Repeat this in a similar manner to install the first plank of the second row.

rubb How to stagger laminate flooring properly

To make sure two planks connected, use pressure. You can use a rubber hammer. You should hear a specific sound when two planks click together. You continue doing this for the next rows as well.

The last row is a bit different and you’ll need a tape measure for this one. If you want it to fit perfectly, cut down the plank tongue lengthwise for the last row. After that, you should be able to place and fit the last piece of the puzzle.

Tips for Staggering Laminate Flooring

Subfloor-preparation How to stagger laminate flooring properly

Here are some useful extra tips if you decide to do staggering all by yourself.

  • Before you start, make a staggering pattern between any two adjacent rows. Many laminate floor manufacturers expect the floors to be staggered in the range of 6 to 12 inches.
  • Read the manufacturer’s guidelines before you start working.
  • It is good to avoid shorter flooring stagger. This is neither aesthetically attractive nor good. It can lead to some issues later (as if you didn’t do the staggering at all).
  • Try to avoid the H-joints. These are usually found on the floors laid in a regular pattern. They are not useful aesthetically or structurally. You may spot an H-joint when the aligned end joints are divided by a sole row of laminate planks.
  • To decrease the expansion and contraction, lay the laminate floor in a regular pattern.

Laminate has many great features, but it still has certain limitations. They are resistant to humidity and moisture, but they’re not waterproof.

They might look like real wood, but they are not real wood. You can see the difference by walking across the real wood and laminate floor.

Remember, it is crucial to have a staggering pattern before you start installing. You can lay laminate boards before actually clicking them together to have a preview.

If you enjoyed reading this article on how to stagger laminate flooring, we also wrote on how to remove glued down laminate flooring, how to end laminate flooring at doorways, how to install laminate flooring on a concrete basement floor, how to dry laminate flooring with water under it, how to seal laminate flooring seams, how to install laminate flooring on walls, how to repair swollen laminate flooring, how to repair laminate flooring, how to install laminate flooring on stairs, and how to install laminate flooring without transitions.

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