How to lay the laminate in relation to the window. How to lay laminate flooring along or across a room How to lay laminate flooring in a square room

Modern laminate- it is not easy to imitate wooden or ceramic floors with a flat surface. On sale are boards with a bumpy surface, like the texture of a sawn timber. There is also an embossing imitating a surface scratched with a metal brush ("brush").

The light focuses on the volume, play of the resulting pattern, created by seams, bevels of individual floorboards and the texture of the laminate. If the floor becomes an additional decoration of the room, you should carefully consider the direction of installation.

The option is suitable for beginners and economical ones. With any choice of the stacking pattern and the size of the row offset (for example, by a third of the board), only a few elements are trimmed. Some of the trimmed pieces will be used at the end or beginning of the row. You will also need small pieces to lay the laminate around the heating pipes.

Important... If the laminate boards are not chamfered, longitudinal installation, taking into account the direction of light along the rows, will create the effect of a solid canvas without joints.

Installing floorboards in this way is a more time-consuming task: there are more trimming elements. But if laminate boards with a bevel (edge ​​bevel) are chosen for the floor, this arrangement will additionally emphasize the beauty of the pattern.

Advice. Choose transverse styling if you want to add extra volume to the room. Rows of stripes will visually expand a narrow room

Important nuances of laying laminate along or across the window

Before starting work, determine what will serve as the basis for the new coating. You can leave linoleum, parquet, if:

• the surface is solid, even;
• no wet areas;
• there are no colonies of mold and mildew;
• the wooden floor is not damaged by a wood bug (grinder, bark beetle, shashel), rot.

Carpet, any kind of soft flooring is removed. Laminate laid on such a base will quickly fail.

Small irregularities in the floor are eliminated with self-leveling mixtures (for concrete and cement), sealant or grout.

Important. A vapor barrier is first placed on the concrete floor, then a sound-absorbing underlay.

In narrow and long corridors, even if there are windows, the direction of the light is usually not taken into account. It is more important to visually expand the space. In some cases, several colored laminate stains of different colors and widths turn a regular floor into a stylish element of the room.

Suitable for straight corridors:

• wide floorboards with a uniform pattern of the same tone (light ones will additionally expand, and dark ones visually narrow the space);
• Laminate with imitation of ceramic tiles, stone.

Attention. If individual elements have a "lock", and not an ordinary groove - when laying, transverse to the direction of regular movement of people, fasteners quickly come out, creaks and cracks appear.

Many manufacturers apply a small pattern along the length of the board with a regular larger image (saw cut from a tree, stone). When individual rows are combined, the joint is hidden, the seams become invisible. If the durability of the laminate is high (see packaging label), you can lay the floorboards on the floor both along and across.

Helpful hints: how to lay laminate flooring along or across a room

Traditionally, the boards are laid on the floor in the direction of the light from the window. This decision is followed by:

• when a separate element is three-layer (not five) with low wear resistance;
• instead of a "lock" a regular groove.

The reason is simple. It is difficult to achieve a beautiful even distance between the joints. And the light falling from the window will highlight the flaws. When the laminate is of high quality, there is no doubt about the skill of the workers, and the designer's idea is to visually expand the room, the boards are laid perpendicularly. However, such laying will be more expensive: more packages of laminate are bought with a margin for cutting.

When choosing a solution for the direction of the laminate board, consider:

1. If the new flooring is to be installed on wood floors, the correct choice is perpendicular to the planks. This prevents deflection of floor sections.
2. If there are no windows, and the room is narrow and long (corridor), laminate planks are laid across, achieving a visual expansion of the space.
3. If the room has two or more windows, consider the overall light intensity.
4. If the arrangement of the furniture is known, consider the load generated. The legs of an armchair or sofa should not press on one floorboard - otherwise, due to the load, the mount will quickly break. The degree of withstanding load is shown by the marking.
5. If the room is not high, longitudinal installation is preferable.

The psychological perception of the pattern on the floor is also important. It is more comfortable to walk along a long row than to “step over” the floorboards. In some cases, after the completion of the repair, because of this, the laminate is re-laid.

Do you still have doubts? Place some laminate planks on the floor. Turn on and off the chandelier, lamps, pull and pull the curtains. Rotate a piece of laminate flooring to select the optimal pattern on the floor.

Laminate flooring was appreciated by the owners of apartments, private houses, offices and institutions. This coating has an excellent appearance, is unpretentious in maintenance, is durable, it will not be difficult to lay it on your own. Having completed the necessary leveling of the floor, you will be faced with a choice - how to lay the laminate: along or across. Both options are used when installing the flooring, and the correct choice is made taking into account the lighting, the geometric dimensions of the room, the design of the lamellas.

Preparation for laying the coating

Laminated panels are laid only on a flat surface, the presence of grooves and other irregularities will lead to the divergence of the joint locks. High loads during operation of the flooring will cause a gap to appear, which will open access to moisture, and the laminate will deteriorate. An updated concrete screed, a wooden floor with strong boards, and linoleum will become a good basis.

The next step is to lay the underlay. It will provide additional heat and sound insulation, smooth out minor irregularities, serve as a shock absorber, eliminating the creak of the slats when walking on them. The thickness and material of the backing are selected depending on the class of the laminate: for inexpensive 22-23 classes, polyethylene foam is used, the prestigious 32-33 class coating needs a stronger base, for which expanded polystyrene or a composite backing is suitable.

Note! The substrate is spread over the entire floor area, the canvases are overlapped. Sheets of polystyrene or cork are laid end-to-end, all joints are glued with tape.

You can lay the laminate yourself with very few tools at hand:

• jigsaw or fine-toothed saw;
• rubber hammer;
• wooden block for tamping lamellas;
• tape measure and pencil.

What to focus on

The quality of the flooring does not depend on how the laminate is laid - along or across. This question arises from the aesthetic perception of the room.

Note! When positioned along the stream of natural or artificial light, it gives the impression of a neat one-piece canvas. In the case when the light falls perpendicularly, the joints of the lamellas become noticeable and the overall impression of the laminate deteriorates.

If the light source in the room is a window that is located on a short wall, then the panels are placed parallel to the long side. This method is popular with professionals and is called straight styling. It is practical in terms of material consumption and provides an attractive finish. Even inexpensive, low-grade laminate flooring looks good with this layout.

Note! In a long room, you can lay the panels across to make the room look wider. This process will require a lot of trimming and careful joining of the boards.

Adhesion options for laminated panels

Manufacturers equip laminate flooring with two types of locking systems - Click and Lock. They provide for closing by entering the ridge into the groove. Panels with locks of the Lock type are assembled in one plane, so the degree of surface alignment is important for them. After inserting the tenon into the groove, hammering is required for a good fit. The reliable and efficient Click joints dock at a 45-degree angle and snap into place when lowered to the floor. No hammer correction required. The joints are invisible.

A less common method is adhesive bonding. It creates a monolithic waterproof coating and is used in large areas. The need to purchase expensive glue leads to an increase in the cost of the material. The process of laying the laminate is more laborious, and the final structure cannot be disassembled if repair is necessary. Considering all the qualities, it is safer to purchase panels with a floating system that do not need additional fasteners.

Laminate laying patterns

The scheme according to which laminated panels are laid affects not only the appearance of the coating, but also its further operation. To ensure the strength of the new floor and to distribute the load evenly, it is necessary to lay each row with an offset joint. An economical option would be to use scraps of the board that completes the row. In places that are planned to be covered with furniture, pieces of less than 30 cm are used. This reduces material consumption, but the aesthetics of the coating deteriorates.

The method that provides the highest strength is to lay the laminate in a staggered manner, when the offset in the next row occurs by half of the board. The result is an attractive floor pattern, especially when using beveled laminate flooring.

Offsetting the board by one third is another way to create a beautiful finish and ensure the end seams do not match.

Correct installation

Installation of panels starts from the far corner. The floor covering should not adhere to the wall, leaving a gap of 8‒10 mm. You can control the size of the gap along the entire perimeter with laminate scraps or special wedges. A gap is left to allow the panels to expand as the humidity changes. At the boards of the first row, a ridge is cut off so that the edge facing the wall is even. Depending on the type of lock, the second one is joined to the first panel at the end - either in the same plane or at an angle. The Lock connection is hammered through a wooden block with a hammer. The first row is assembled completely, the last part is sawed off with a jigsaw to the desired length.

The second row does not start with a whole lamella, but with half or a third. This is necessary so that the seams in adjacent rows do not match. It also gathers completely, joining the first row. After joining, the laminate is sealed by lining through a wooden block. The laying technology is the same in all rows. The boards of the last row are sawn along the length, not forgetting to leave an additional 1 cm for the thermal gap.

Features of laying lamellas near pipes

A riser or heating pipes may pass in the room, you will have to cut holes in the laminate for them. It is necessary to measure the distance from the wall to the pipes and mark it on the panel. At a certain point, a hole is drilled 2 mm larger than the pipe diameter. The panel is cut in the middle of the hole. Most of it is joined to the adjacent strip, the smaller one is wound up behind the pipe and glued to the main part. The hole is closed with special plugs.

After finishing laying the laminate along or across the room, it is necessary to remove the spacer wedges and attach the skirting board. The decorative element is always attached to the wall. For this, self-tapping screws are used, expensive skirting boards are supplied with special fasteners.

Approaching the choice of the direction of laying the laminate is worth weighing the positive and negative aspects of each method. Placing the panels along the rays of light will avoid shadows at the joints and turn the floor into a smooth one-piece canvas. If your room looks too long, and the effect of the integrity of the coating is not fundamental, feel free to lay the laminate across the room to visually expand it. The method of placing the lamellas will not affect the operation of the coating: high-quality and neatly laid boards will last for many years.

Video

As a supplement to the topic, we suggest watching videos that discuss the rules for laying laminate flooring and mistakes that can be made during installation:

Laminate is a rather spectacular coating, when using which you can make the interior of a room more solid and attractive. Floors tiled with such material will look attractive, but, of course, only if the planks are correctly installed. Further in the article, we will consider how to lay the laminate along or across the room, what technology to use to assemble such a coating and how to make preparatory work.

What factors determine the way of styling

You can install laminate flooring in rooms both along and across. The choice of the direction of laying such boards will depend on the following factors:

• the size and configuration of the room;
• the number and location of light sources;
• type of sub-floor.

The reader can see how the laminate laid along or across the room looks like in the photo presented on the page. As you can see, depending on various factors, the most attractive appearance of such a coating can be achieved using both installation methods.

How are the lamellas placed most often?

In most cases, the direction of the laminate boards is chosen based on the light source. In living quarters, this is, of course, usually a window. When the lamellas are laid perpendicular to the light source, all the joints between them become visible. Accordingly, the coating itself does not look too neat and effective. Laying the laminate is supposed to be parallel to the rays of sunlight falling into the room.

In every room in modern apartments, only one window is most often provided. Accordingly, it will not be too difficult to choose the location of the lamellas. But in corner apartments, windows can be located on adjacent walls. Very often there are two or more of them in rooms equipped and in private houses. In such rooms, when laying, one should be guided by the window from which the most sunlight comes out (the largest, facing the south side, etc.).

Of course, both in apartments and in private houses, there are also rooms without windows. In this case, you need to focus on the brightest source of artificial lighting. Mounting laminate boards in such rooms should be parallel to the rays emitted by them.

What is worth knowing

A little differently, the material can fit in narrow corridors with ceiling shades. For obvious reasons, it will not be possible to focus on the light source in this case. In such rooms, lamellas are usually laid simply in the direction of the busiest movement of apartment residents. Using this method of installation in this case allows you to extend the service life of the coating. When laying along the main movement, the joints of the boards will subsequently wear out much more slowly.

The choice of the direction of installation depending on the size and configuration of the room

How is the laminate laid - along or across the room? The answer to this question depends, among other things, on the layout of this particular room. Lamellas of this material are mounted, in fact, usually parallel to the rays of light from the main source. However, sometimes designers and builders break this rule. For example, in very narrow rooms with one window on a short wall, the lamellas can also be mounted at an angle of 90 degrees to the incident sun rays. Of course, the coating itself in this case will not look so neat, however, noticeable joints will visually expand the room and make it more voluminous.

Sometimes rooms in apartments can also have a complex configuration, that is, in the plan they represent, for example, the letter "G" or "P". In such rooms, it is recommended to lay the laminate in a diagonal manner. With such an installation, the service life of the coating may be slightly reduced. However, the use of such technology will make the interior of a non-standard room layout more solid and attractive.

How to lay laminate flooring - along or across the room, depending on the type of subfloor

Planks of such material are placed on the concrete screed according to the standard technology, focusing most often on the light source. Wood floors are another matter. It is still recommended to lay the laminate on such a covering perpendicular to the lower plank floorboards. When using this technology, the service life of the coating is extended. If the subfloor floorboards are parallel to the light rays from the main source, apartment owners will most likely have to sacrifice the opportunity to mount the flooring more efficiently in order to make it more durable.

The choice of material according to technical characteristics

How to lay a laminate - along or across the room correctly, we'll talk about this below. First, let's figure out how to choose such a flooring.

When buying lamellas, among other things, of course, you should pay attention to their variety. In terms of technical characteristics, such coverage may vary:

• by the degree of wear resistance;
• by the degree of resistance to moisture;
• by the type of lamella fastening to each other.

There are only four classes of laminate for wear resistance:

• 21, 22, 23 - can be used in residential premises with not too high traffic (in bedrooms, offices, living rooms);
• 31-33 - intended for installation in rooms with heavy traffic in terms of traffic (corridors, kitchens, halls);
• 34 - Extra strong laminate used for flooring in hospitals, conference rooms, etc .;
• 42, 43 is a super strong custom made material.

According to the degree of moisture resistance, lamellas can be classified into ordinary and intended for laying in damp rooms. In locker rooms and rooms of saunas and baths, for example, class 34 laminate is usually installed. In addition to increased strength, such boards are also moisture resistant.

Special types of coverage

Among other things, a special waterproof laminate can be used for installation in damp rooms. Such boards are equipped with a lock of a special design, which ensures the tightness of the joints. Also, the laminate of this variety is able to withstand even direct contact with water for a long time.

Along or across a room, laminate flooring can be laid regardless of its type. The principles discussed above for choosing an installation scheme in specific rooms are valid for all types of this material.

Ways to connect boards

Regular, non-waterproof laminate planks can be equipped with two types of locks: Lock and Click. The first type of connection is extremely simple in design. In fact, this is a normal spike / groove lock. It is recommended to purchase such a laminate only if a specialist is supposed to be hired to install it. Installation of boards with a Lock is a rather complicated and time-consuming business.

If the installation is supposed to be done independently, it is still better to purchase lamellas with a Click-type connection. In the presence of such a lock, one of the boards during installation is simply brought under the other at an angle of 45 degrees. Further, the master presses on this bar, trying to give it a horizontal position.

Preparatory work

How to lay the laminate - along or across the room, we thus figured out. But how to properly prepare the premises for such coverage?

Store-bought laminate flooring must be kept in the apartment for at least 48 hours before installation. This will allow the material to "adapt" to the microclimate of this particular room and change its geometry accordingly.

Before installing the laminate, the subfloor should:

• thoroughly clean from dirt and dust;
• align in such a way as to get rid of grooves and bumps and ensure that the height difference around the perimeter of the room does not exceed 5 mm.

The answer to the question of how to lay laminate flooring along or across a room correctly when using planks with a Click is, in principle, not too difficult. However, before installing such a coating, the floor itself must be covered with a substrate with a thickness of at least 5 mm.

Bumps and holes should first be removed in order to avoid that the laid laminate does not begin to "creep away" soon. In the presence of such defects in the subfloor, the joints between the lamellas of the coating will subsequently greatly expand. As a result, the floor will look unaesthetic and, moreover, it will begin to creak a lot.

Coating assembly technique

When installing such a finish, the same technology is used, regardless of how it is decided to lay the laminate - along or across the room. So what is the correct way to assemble such a coating?

They begin to lay the slats in the rooms, usually from the corner farthest from the door. The first board is mounted at a distance of about 1-1.5 cm from the planes of adjacent walls. In the future, such a temperature gap is observed around the entire perimeter of the room. If no such gap is left between the walls and the coating, it may subsequently deform with fluctuations in air temperature and humidity. To make the gap even, it is advisable to install special wedges between the wall and the boards during installation.

In exactly the same way as the first lamella, all other boards are laid along the wall. The second row of planks is mounted with a shift in relation to the joints of the first. Accordingly, the first board in it is cut to the required length. You can saw the planks with a regular wood hacksaw.

When laying the laminate along or across the room, as already mentioned, the boards are connected to each other at an angle of 45 degrees. Press on the slats of the second row until it clicks. It is not recommended to make too much effort in this case. Otherwise, you can just break the lock or even the board itself.

According to the technology described above, the planks are mounted until they fill the entire area of ​​the room. After finishing the assembly of the coating, the wedges are removed from the temperature gaps and these slots are closed with plinths.

How the laminate should be laid (along or across the room) in the photo above can be seen in full detail. This procedure, as you can see, is actually not complicated. To make the finished coating look neat, the main thing is to carefully prepare the subfloor. The lamellas themselves with the Click lock are installed in an elementary way and, most likely, even a beginner will be able to cope with their installation.

According to the manufacturer's statement, the laminate is assembled quickly and easily due to the locking system of joints. But there is a problem that arises when starting work: how to properly lay the laminate along or across the room? This issue can be solved using certain technologies.

How to properly lay laminate flooring

Having chosen the color and texture of the material for laying on the floor in an apartment or house, the owner usually does not think about the direction of laying the laminate. According to the experts, the durability and wear resistance of the laminate depends on the direction in which the laminate is laid. Correct laying of the laminate will create a certain decorative accent. Such a laminate belongs to the class of long finishing floor materials, because its length 4.5 times as long as wide. There is a limitation on the options for laying laminate flooring.

By light (from the window)

On the recommendation of flooring manufacturers and craftsmen, this installation method is optimal. If in apartments with a standard layout the laminate is laid using this method, you get a smooth monolithic surface with barely noticeable joints.

A similar assembly is used for materials with a double-sided bevel. The surface resembles a plank floor in country or old Russian style. If the laminate has a textured embossing, it will further accentuate the texture or give an aged look to the floor surface.

Laminate class 32-34 is suitable for light installation. Laminate class 31 must be used with caution because of the low wear resistance at the joints, and this leads to rapid erasure and loss of appearance.

Across the light

This assembly method is carried out perpendicular to the window and parallel to the long wall. Used laminate class 32-34. Such installation allows you to visually enlarge the room. Laminate flooring across the room highlights:

• the texture of the laminate "in register" (uneven embossed, bumpy surface imitating wood), "chrome" (alternating laying of glossy and matte stripes), "brush" (imitation of wood, after processing with a wire brush), etc .;
• U- or V-shaped chamfer on 2 or 4 sides;
• 3D drawing.

With perpendicular laying, the incident light highlights the joints between the lamellas, their texture, and adds volume to the surface. Rooms with this laminate arrangement have a special charm, as deep embossing and reflections give it a vivid play of light and shadow.

Popular manufacturers have collections that combine different decor and laminated board sizes. Experienced professional craftsmen assemble textured lamellas of various sizes into a harmonious and effective floor.

Along the movement

In walk-through rooms (corridor, hallway, hall) or in rooms with a certain direction of load (office, kitchen), laminate flooring should be laid along intensive movement. This option is necessary so that the lamellas at the joints are less erased. In this case, class 31-34 laminate will serve for a long time.

Advice! It is impossible to lay the laminated flooring across the movement, since the main lamella wears off more slowly than the edges, which halves the service life of the parquet.

Diagonal decking

Craftsmen are against such laminate laying, but the client's desire is the law. In this case, the laminated board is laid at an angle of 40-60 degrees to the walls. Such installation is used as a special design technique to change the geometry of the room or to make the interior more interesting. This method is often used in rooms where window openings are located on adjacent walls.

This fee has certain disadvantages:

For this option, you need to choose class 33-34 lamellas with a chamfer or a pronounced texture

Non-standard laminated flooring

Before choosing an assembly option, you need to pay attention to some features.

1. Unusual size of lamellas

In the collections of manufacturers, you can see not only long boards of 30x200 cm.Lamels are produced for the original flooring:

• rectangular type 40x80, 40x120 cm, etc .;
• square view 40x40, 60x60 cm.

This size is necessary to simulate a typesetting array or palace (artistic) floor. The design of such a parquet is great, and the assembly looks gorgeous. Due to non-standard sizes and decors when laying the flooring, you can not adhere to the rules.

1. Base base

A leveled and dried concrete screed will be the best base under the laminate flooring. When assembling on a wood base, the lamellas are mounted perpendicular to the base boards. If the work is done correctly, the floor deflection is reduced to a minimum.

1. Laminate design

Radial cut is an implicit textured surface that imitates wood. The resulting coverage has almost no halftones. Lamellas are mounted in the direction of travel or along the light.

Lamellas of tangential cut are characterized by the presence of dark stripes, knots, in some collections there is an embossing. Such strips can be mounted in any way.

Rustic lamellas combine tangential and radial sawing with the addition of imitation of a small defect: cracks, blackening, abrasion, abrupt color changes. This laminate looks aged. For a variety of coverage and maximum resemblance to a natural wooden board, the decor in the pack changes at intervals of 1: 4 or 1: 6. In this case, the pattern is repeated every 4-6 lamellas.

Not only its appearance, but also the durability of the coating itself, will depend on how to lay the laminate, along or across the room, therefore, when choosing the direction of laying, you first need to think about the possibilities of the coating, and not the aesthetic appearance.

Laminate is a functional and practical floor covering with a variety of textures and colors. Those who want to change the flooring are often faced with an urgent question: how to lay the laminate along or across the room?

The choice of installation method depends on several room factors. The following methods of laying are now used:

• Longitudinal;
• Transverse;
• Diagonal.

The longitudinal and lateral versions are straight lay. Diagonal represents the most difficult installation method. If the choice is made in favor of the latter option, it should be borne in mind that the rooms should not be crowded with furniture (both soft and cabinet). Diagonal styling is appropriate in rooms such as a corridor or hallway.

The direct styling method is the most common. With it, the elements are attached parallel to the walls. The work begins in the direction "from the door".

Longitudinal laying

Longitudinal installation is recommended by craftsmen for any type of premises. The amount of waste during direct assembly is minimal, the work does not require a lot of time and special skills. The appearance of the finished flooring always looks nice and tidy.

When the window is located on a short wall, the question of how to lay the laminate - along or across the room - is not worth it. Installation of lamellas is carried out relative to the long wall of the room. When the floor cloth is illuminated with the light coming from the window, the seams at the joints will not be visible due to the lack of shadow casting. The canvas will create the effect of a perfectly flat panel.

When the windows are located on two opposite or adjacent walls, this effect cannot be achieved. Longitudinal installation is justified when installing inexpensive laminate flooring, as you can create a chic, stylish interior.

Transverse laying

The location of the slats across the room or perpendicular to the long wall is not as perfect as the first option. The advantage is the ability to visually expand the room. Can be used, for example, in narrow corridors or elongated rooms. The process will require a lot of time and money, since the lamellas will take more and they will have to be cut more often.

Choosing a styling method

Having chosen the texture of the laminate, the color scheme and the manufacturer, but doubting the choice of the direction of the location of the lamellas, the following factors should be taken into account:

• The presence of one window in the room. Laying should start from a far corner of the room perpendicular to the light opening. In this case, the sun's rays will be able to visually hide the seams and the coating will become flawlessly even.
• The presence of two windows in the room on different walls. You need to focus on the window, which gives more light.

Before starting finishing with lamellas, you can stand with your back to the entrance door to the room and imagine the arrangement of furniture. If you plan to install the floor in the entire apartment (house), you need to imagine how the overall finished picture will look like. All the design features of the room should be taken into account. Then it will become more clear how to properly lay the laminate.

The source of light is sometimes not windows, but chandeliers, spotlights, wall sconces, floor lamps. Their light also needs to be taken into account when choosing the direction of laying the laminate. You need to be guided only by your preferences or the desired effect.

Shapes and size of the room

Given these parameters, it is possible to facilitate the choice of the method of laying the laminate. The proportions of the room change as follows:

Correctly proportioned rooms allow lamellas to be laid along a long wall away from the window.

• In long and narrow rooms, it is more advisable to use the transverse direction, it will "move" the space.
• Complicated proportions and irregular shapes will delight designers, but make it difficult for installers. In such cases, the diagonal direction is chosen. It is not easy to do this work on your own, without special training. If you have doubts about your abilities, it is better to entrust the styling to professionals.
• All other things being equal, in low rooms, it is preferable to carry out longitudinal installation, and high ceilings like transverse installation.

Important! The direction of installation will not affect the quality of the coating in any way. It should be borne in mind that sometimes a special bevel is made on the laminate to give visibility to individual boards. If this particular view is acquired, then the joints will need to be emphasized and the installation is carried out on the contrary, perpendicular to the window.

Design features

The presence of furniture in the room also needs to be considered. If rooms are cluttered with furniture and carpeted floors, installation may be more economical. Minimalism in the interior and a relatively open large floor space with the direction of laying the lamellae must be emphasized and approached the issue more carefully.

When a new floor is installed on wooden planks not covered with plywood, the lamellas are directed perpendicular to the position of the planks to reduce deflection. Plywood on top of the boards allows you to choose any direction of installation.

Installation nuances

Apartments in the new fund and modern houses are built correctly, have beautiful, proportional, comfortable shapes. Older living quarters were often erected with too high or too low ceilings. At the same time, the rooms could be so narrow that two single beds at the same time could not fit in width. The windows were sometimes located under the ceiling, and the apartment itself was half in the basement. The general rules of repair are not always suitable for the owners of such a "legacy". With the decision to carry out repairs, the problems of choosing the correct and suitable arrangement options begin.

Such "uncomfortable" rooms require a special approach:

• Too narrow and elongated rooms with a small window on a short wall can be visually expanded using the direction of the slats. But the basic principles of orientation will not work here. Laying the laminate is mounted parallel to the window, the direction of the light will help to correct the imperfections of the room a little.
• Another case is a low square room with a large area. The light source in this room will not play a special role. Longitudinal installation in relation to the exit, according to experts, will lengthen the room to a more aesthetic appearance.

The final decision on how to properly lay the laminate - along or across the room, the owner of the room makes based on the priority of his own expectations from the effect of the new floor.

Some features of the corridors

To determine how to properly lay the laminate - along or across, in cramped and elongated corridor aisles, you need to thoroughly study the properties of the floor covering.

Straight corridor

Laminate helps to perceive the surrounding space differently. A corridor, in this sense, is a complex architectural space.

• The coating is strong enough and resistant to abrasion, which allows the use of lamellas for arranging floors in the corridor or hallway. The variety of colors solves the most difficult tasks of designers.
• Subject to certain conditions, the choice of the direction of installation will be a good move in changing the perception of the room:
• You should not buy flooring in too bright and flashy colors with a narrow pattern along the elements. It is advisable to choose wide boards with a pattern of the same tone. Imitation of ceramics is also quite appropriate.

• It will be correct to take into account the intensity of the equipped lighting and the characteristics of the lighting sources. Not all of them contribute to the appearance of the joints between the boards. Laminate delivered from the store should be applied to each other on the floor and watched as the light falls on them.
• The choice of color scheme needs to be well thought out. A dark floor will visually narrow the room, a light floor will expand it.
• Short lengths are not used at the edges during transverse laying in order to save material. Such a move will greatly reduce the strength of the floor.

The transverse laying of lamellas in confined corridors is justified in the presence of large boards of the same tone with an evenly distributed texture. Planks imitating ceramic tiles will work even better. A narrow and elongated pattern, located across the room, unbalances its perception, without adding beauty. A single-color not large pattern can be laid along in the case when the room ends with a window. And how to lay the laminate relative to the window was described above.

L-shaped corridor

In L-shaped rooms, lamellas should be laid diagonally or with a herringbone. This will create a beautiful, unusual pattern and will not allow space to be narrowed. The diagonal is tolerant of coating textures, you can choose such a laminate as you like. And the boards of a lightened shade, mounted diagonally, will create the most harmonious perception of a narrow corridor.

The only negative is the large amount of waste.

Laying depending on the type of lock

Connecting laminate tiles has four adhesion options:

• Glue;
• Castle.

Zamkovy, in turn, is subdivided into:

• Click;
• Lock.

Click-system (collapsible lock) is easy to assemble and lasts a long time. Clutch provides minimal clearance. The lamellas are assembled like a chess set, with a constant offset of the end connections.

The lock-system (a more economical option) is mounted with the parallel arrangement of the boards relative to each other, their adhesion occurs through special end grooves.

Important! The glue method will reliably protect the joints from moisture penetration inside, which prolongs the service life. Adhesive systems are not understandable, unlike locking systems. Dismantling subsequently cannot be carried out.

For direct laying, any type of locks and planks (including deck planks) are suitable. It is more expedient to carry out the diagonal arrangement of the lamellas with locks that can be connected at an angle of 450. Also, a special board is needed here, the deck does not fit like that. You can also use standard laminate flooring. The diagonal can be laid out with a herringbone or English dressing.

Appointment of the premises

Some rooms in the apartment are closed to outsiders. These are residents' bedrooms and children's rooms. It is not advisable to choose complex installation solutions in them; here the direct arrangement of the lamellas may well be used.

Walk-through areas, storage rooms, balconies can also be equipped with a longitudinal or transverse arrangement of boards.

Laying the laminate diagonally from the window has an aesthetically pleasing appearance and is used in such premises as:

• Study;
• Front;
• Living room;
• Hall.

It is not advisable to lay laminate in bathrooms and toilets, unless they occupy a large area.

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