Engineered hardwood debate right there.
Is laminate or hardwood is easy to install.
Laminate floors have the same great look as hardwood floors and are easy to install.
To make the job go smoothly and quickly here s what else you need to know to gear up for installing laminate flooring.
Makes sure the floor is clean and level installing over an non level floor can lead to soft spongy areas and may contribute to seams opening up.
Planks can be cut with a hand saw circular saw or flooring cutter and most laminate flooring comes in planks that simply snap together with a tongue.
We ll walk you through the steps to install pergo laminate flooring in your own home.
And solid hardwood isn t particularly easy to install because it usually needs to be nailed stapled or glued to a subfloor.
Laminate runs 1 to 7 per square foot depending on the quality.
Laminate flooring generally is less expensive than engineered hardwood.
It can be installed over any other tightly bonded flooring making it ideal for retrofits.
However the national average for laminate installation is reasonable at about 3 000.
Laminate flooring is very easy to install making it a favorite for diyers.
While laminate flooring can be installed below grade it is still not the best flooring for basements.
Installing laminate flooring is a snap literally.
Cheaper versions have 1 4 inch cores and the photo reproductions may not be as realistic as more expensive versions.
In fact laminate flooring can be installed in almost every room in your home including kitchens since it doesn t have to be glued down and doesn t involve grout or mortar.
Most diyers can complete laminate floor installation in one day.
Low end laminate installation can cost an easy 550 while high end laminate floors can climb up to 7 000.
How to install laminate flooring.
Get the room ready by removing the base shoe and baseboards.
Engineered wood on the other hand often comes in click together setups that are just as easy to install as laminate or lvt.
A laminate floor is a floating floor meaning it is not fastened directly to the subfloor.
Install plank at an angle when installing the next plank in the row lift the plank at an angle to allow it to set lock in place and tap the plank against the previous plank in the row with a mallet.
The more you spend the better quality floors you ll install.
You ll want to be mindful of repeating wood grain patterns on the planks if you go this route.