How to lay laminate flooring correctly - along or across: tips for choosing the direction, where to start laying the right way, and the step-by-step installation process. How to lay laminate flooring along or across - choosing a laying method How to lay laminate flooring in a narrow room

Laminate is a very popular floor covering with good performance characteristics such as durability, practicality, strength. The material is quite simple to lay, which, with care and accuracy, can be handled even by a professionally unprepared person. With a huge selection of colors, patterns and surface textures, laminate flooring is affordable.

However, in order to beautifully lay the laminate in the room, you need to know some of the nuances, which include the direction of laying the material.

Choice of laminate

The choice of texture, pattern and color of the laminate is a matter of taste, but there is no dispute about tastes. Moreover, designers have long ceased to consider the assertion that the floor covering should be darker than the walls as an unshakable truth.

When renovating a room, you should pay attention to the option in which a laminate of the same color scheme, but of a different shade, is used in the decoration of the walls and floor. This solution visually enlarges the room.

Important! One of the main criteria when choosing a laminate is the belonging of the material to a certain class. The class determines, first of all, the wear resistance of the coating. In our stores, laminate flooring of 31, 32 and 33 class is offered, material of class 34 has also appeared on sale. All of these classes correspond to the "commercial laminate" category. At the same time, sellers declare that laminate with a lower class (22 and 23 classes, this is a “household” laminate) is not in demand and therefore it is not on sale. It is often added that even class 23 laminate has a short service life.

In fact, it is simply more profitable for both manufacturers and sellers to promote commercial laminate as more expensive. Six years of guaranteed operation of a 23 class laminate in any room of an apartment is not enough ?! The cover of the 23rd class has two types of connection: adhesive and locking, so you can choose. It is difficult to find it only on sale.

Requirements for the substrate for laying laminate

Before starting work, you need to check the condition of the surface of the base on which the laminate will be laid. The requirements for the base are reduced to three points:

• Be level.
• Be durable.
• Be dry.

When checking with a rod, the permissible height difference is 2 mm. Usually, a building level is used for measurement, the length of which is 2 m.

Laying of the laminate is done on concrete or wood floors, plywood. OSB boards can be used as a base.

Before laying, an audit of the wooden floor is carried out. Squeaks are necessarily eliminated by fixing the floorboards in these places to the logs. Replacement of boards and logs is made if necessary. The wooden floor can be passed through with a scraper to provide a level surface.

The cracks are sealed with wood putty. Plywood is often used to level wood floors. To create a solid base, plywood sheets are stacked so that the four seams do not converge at one point. For this, the sheets are cut with different configurations. There should be a distance of about 10 mm between the plywood sheets during installation.

The level of the screed is checked using a building or laser level, and the screed is inspected for cracks and concrete sagging. Sagging is leveled by grinding or knocked down. Deep cracks are embroidered and filled with mortar. With significant fluctuations in height (within 20 mm), it is used to level the screed. The mixture is poured over the surface of the concrete screed, leveled, then rolled with a needle roller to remove air bubbles from the mixture.

After the self-leveling floor has dried, the surface is primed. It is best to use a deep penetration primer. For waterproofing when laying the laminate on the screed, it is imperative to use a polyethylene film.

Laminate can be laid on old linoleum if the remaining coating is firmly laid on a flat base, does not have serious (through) damage, and there are no bulges on the linoleum surface. In other cases, the old linoleum must be removed.

Preparatory work. Styling tools

The material in packages is brought into the room in which the installation will take place. Within 2 days, it must adapt to temperature and humidity. The packages are opened immediately before starting work.

Important! The coating must be purchased for the entire premises. Remember that in different batches of the same laminate model, the shade will differ. Or this model may end up on sale.

For diagonal laying, it will be enough to provide a margin of 10% of the total area of ​​the room, for straight lines - 7%. The area of ​​the room is determined and divided by the footage of the laminate in one package. The resulting number of packages is rounded up to the nearest whole number.

Before starting the installation, draw a plan of the room (to scale, indicating the dimensions of the panels you purchased). The plan will help you cut the material efficiently and avoid unnecessary costs and mistakes.

For installation we will prepare:

A mallet and a block for tamping the panels are needed to install the cover with a Lock-lock.

Choosing the direction of laying

There are several options. Laying diagonally and in a herringbone pattern will require significantly more time, and the material consumption will be higher. Diagonal installation visually enlarges the room. It is believed that it is this installation method that reveals the beauty of the flooring.

Important! Traditionally, the laminate is laid so that the light travels along the long side of the panel (perpendicular to the window). In this case, the interpanel seams will be almost invisible.

Parallel to the window, the laminate is laid in narrow rooms. This method helps to visually expand a narrow room.

If the base is an old wooden floor, the direction in which the floorboards are laid must be taken into account. In order to reduce the possible deflection of the structure, the covering on the wooden floor is laid perpendicular to the floorboards.

If the old wooden floor is leveled with plywood sheets, installation is best done in the traditional way - perpendicular to the wall with a window.

Laminate laying procedure

First, the substrate is laid. There are different types of substrates. Their properties depend on the material from which they are made. They also differ in price:

Despite the fact that some manufacturers claim that the substrate is able to even out unevenness in the substrate under the laminate, this is a serious exaggeration. The task of the substrate is to create an additional sound-, hydro- and heat-insulating layer under the material. The substrate can compensate for minimal differences in height, but not level the floor with serious differences in height.

Important! The roll substrate is rolled out so that the strips fall end-to-end. These joints are glued with tape. This is done so that the substrate does not move during the installation of the coating.

Laying laminate

Work begins with the installation of boundary wedges around the perimeter of the room. They are needed in order to maintain a gap for the expansion joint. Installation starts from the far left corner of the room and proceeds towards the window. The panels of the first row are laid so that the ridge faces the wall. The end sides of the panels are connected. The last panel in the row is cut to size and fit.

Advice! Lay the covering in a checkerboard pattern or shift the next row by one third of the panel (the seams in adjacent rows should not overlap). In the first case, the row starts alternately with a whole or half of the panel. When laying with an offset of one third of the panel, the first row begins with a whole one, the next - from a panel 2/3 of the length, the third - from a panel of 1/3 of the length, then everything is repeated. This will give the floor a cleaner look and greater structural strength.

The second row of panels is assembled and joined to the first. Panels with Lock connection must be knocked out with a mallet. The blow is applied to the bar pressed against the panel for the ridge to fit tightly into the groove.

Panels with a Click connection are applied to those already laid at an angle of 45 °, lowered and snapped into place with a characteristic sound. The Click-lock cover can be disassembled and reassembled 3-4 times.

Usually a whole number of panels cannot be stacked in a room. Therefore, the last row often has to be dismissed. It may turn out that the size of the room will dictate the width of the last row of 50-70 mm. Panels of the first and last rows of different widths will look very ugly. That's what you need a room plan for. In this case, it is worth trimming the panels in both rows. More work, but the appearance of the floor will be much better. Don't worry if the cut is not perfectly straight - it will still be hidden by the skirting board.

After completing the installation of the cover, the wedges must be pulled out. Then you can proceed with the installation.

As a conclusion

If the room does not have any special features (the room is very narrow, the window is off-center), the long sides of the panels are usually laid along the stream of light perpendicular to the window, in which case the seams between the panels will not be so noticeable. In addition, this method of installation visually increases the length of the room.

Diagonal styling is used to visually increase the width of the room. For the same purpose, you can use the laying of the laminate parallel to the window.

All manufacturers claim that laminated parquet is easy and quick to install thanks to the locking system of joints. However, starting to work, the masters have a question: how to lay the laminate - along or across the room? Let's reveal the features of the technology.

When thinking about the design of your apartment or house, you choose the color and texture of the flooring material, but you hardly think about how to lay it correctly. Experts say that important parameters of the floor depend on the chosen direction of laying the laminate: wear resistance, service life and even the decorative effect created.

It is believed that laminated parquet belongs to long finish coatings. That is, the length of the floor material is 4.5 times the width. Therefore, its styling is limited to the following options:

By light (from the window)

Manufacturers and experienced craftsmen recommend this particular method as the most optimal, especially for standard apartments. Allows you to create a single, like monolithic floor with invisible joints from a laminate with a smooth surface. Also suitable for coatings with a double-sided bevel. The so-called endless plank effect is formed in the room, reminiscent of a long plank floor in a traditional Russian or country style. Light textured embossing in this case does not interfere; on the contrary, it emphasizes the special texture of the floor or gives an aged look.

Laminate installed in the direction of the light.

Laminated parquet of 32-34 classes can be mounted in the light. Use with caution for the 31st category of wear resistance, as the material is rather weak for abrasion in the area of ​​the joints.

Across the direction of the light

The floor material is mounted perpendicular to the window along a long wall. Recommended for class 32-34 laminate. This is a great way to visually enlarge a room and also emphasize:

• a textured coating with an embossing "in register" (the surface is not even, but as if a little bumpy, exactly repeating the pattern of wood), chrome-like (glossy stripes are adjacent to matte ones), brush (structure of a metal-brushed board), etc .;
• V- or U-chamfer on two or four sides;
• drawing with 3D effect.

The light will not only highlight the joints and the texture of the lamellas, but will give the floor volume, the room - liveliness and special charm. It is not for nothing that the floor of deep embossing is called "live".

Beveled laminate, installation across the direction of light.

The assortment of well-known manufacturers includes many similar collections, differing in decor and lamella size. Among experienced installers, it is considered the height of professionalism to install textured planks of different formats into a single floor, beautiful in its harmony and showiness.

By motion

If the room has a certain direction of foot traffic (kitchen, office) or belongs to the entrance (corridors, hallways, halls), then the most reasonable method of laying laminated parquet is along the course of the most intensive movement of people. It is necessary in order to reduce the degree of abrasion of the coating at the joints. This is exactly the option in which the floor material of 31-34 classes will last the longest.

Laminate in the direction of the most traffic.

Diagonal

This method of styling has many opponents, but all their arguments are dashed against the client's desire. The parquet is laid at an angle of 40-60º relative to the walls. It is considered a special design technique for “diluting” a boring interior or changing the geometry of rooms. Often used for rooms with windows on adjacent walls.

Cons of this solution:

• Increased abrasion at the joints;
• Increased material consumption;
• The need to purchase special chemicals for cleaning and care.

To do everything correctly and durable, we recommend using class 33-34 coatings with a chamfer or a pronounced texture of the floor.

Features of laying laminate in non-standard cases

Before choosing a mounting option, please note the following:

Unusual plank sizes.

Laminate flooring is produced not only with long boards up to 30 cm wide and up to 2 m long, but also in the form of:

• Rectangular planks 40x80 cm, 40x120 cm, etc.;
• Square lamellas with edges 40x40 cm, 60x60 cm.

These dimensions are used to imitate an engineering typesetting array or a palace (artistic) parquet. The designs are undeniably beautiful and the assembled floor looks luxurious. In addition, the dimensions of the slabs and decors allow not to be tied to a certain direction - it depends on the wishes of the customer and the abilities of the master. This is especially true for equilateral planks.

Laminate imitating artistic parquet.

Base type.

The best base for laminated parquet is a well-dried and leveled concrete floor. But if the coating is mounted on wood, then the work must be carried out strictly perpendicular to the direction of the boards. If everything is done correctly, then the probability of floor deflection with a local increase in pressure will decrease to almost zero.

Laminate design.

The largest number of decors in the collections is a single-strip board of radial, tangential or rustic (mixed) sawing. In the first case, the texture of the wood is implicitly expressed, the assembled floor turns out to be "calm", there are practically no halftones or they are minimal. It is desirable to mount such a laminate in the direction of light or in motion.

The second option assumes the presence of characteristic stripes of a dark color, as well as small and large knots. If the manufacturer has added embossing, then the result is a coating that is great for any installation method, including across the light and diagonally.

Rustic is a combination of the first two, supplemented by minor defects (of course, not real). These are wipes, cracks, blackened areas, abrupt transitions from one color to another. That is, everything that creates the effect of aging. In this case, the decors of the lamellas in one pack can change with an interval of 1: 4, 1: 6, that is, the pattern will be repeated every 4-6 plates. This is done in order to diversify the floor, to bring it as close to natural as possible.

The imagination of the designers is not limited by anything, therefore it is from such a floor material that the brightest, vintage covering is obtained. Here it is best to use those styling options that emphasize the structure and features of the decor.

Correct laminate layout: flat classic or in a run

For long floor coverings, which include not only laminate, but also solid parquet, ceramic and vinyl tiles of "under the board" design are installed in such formats as:

• Herringbone - the planks are positioned at an angle of 45º relative to each other;
• Classic - each subsequent row is shifted ½ of the lamella length;
• Scattered (asymmetry) - chaotic stacking of panels;
• Labyrinth - the formation of large squares, geometric patterns from elements of floor material;
• Diagonal or braid - the shift of the stripes by the width of the slab;
• Deck - Offset 1/3 from the previous row.

We have listed the most used ones. However, we will immediately indicate that all laminate manufacturers, without exception, recommend the last option: deck, with a shift of one third of the lamella length.

Layout scheme for laminate "deck" with a shift of 1/3 of the length of the plank.

This will allow you to create a full-fledged, strong with locks and durable strapping of each element from all sides. With this method of installation, small differences (no more than 2 mm for every 2 m of surface according to SNiP 3.04.01-87 and SP 29.13330.2001) do not affect the build quality, and the service life of the floor material corresponds to the warranty:

• at least 10 years for 31 class of load,
• up to 15 years for 32 wear resistance categories,
• 25-30 years old - for 33-34 grades.

Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for their selection. Just send in the form below a detailed description of the work that needs to be performed and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and firms by mail. You can see reviews of each of them and photos with examples of work. It is FREE and non-binding.

It's no secret that laying modern laminated flooring is available to most of us, even without practical experience. The only question that beginners may have before starting work is how to lay the laminate along or across? There are several opinions on this matter, and they will be discussed in the article below.

In the photo - a diagram of the direction of laying the laminate

Laying principle of laminated floor slats

1. Installation is carried out only on a flat surface. The installation instructions require that its drop is not more than 5 mm;
2. For some types of laminate flooring, an additional waterproofing film is required. In this case, the installation price will, of course, increase;
3. The sub floor must first be cleaned of debris and wiped dry;
4. When installing the laminate flooring with your own hands, do not forget about the special backing. Its thickness should not be more than 5 mm; for lamellas with a thickness of 8-12 mm, it should be 4-5 mm.

Advice: and the method of installation, depending on the class of coverage.

How to join laminate slats

There are several clutch options for this:

1. Glue method;
2. Locking method:

• Click;
• Lock.

Tip: If you don't know how to properly lay your laminate flooring lengthwise or sideways, take advantage of professional advice - observe the natural light indoors during the day.

Whether the laminate is laid along or across depends on the location of the daylight source. They can be a window or an artificial light source in a room without windows (corridor, hallway, closet).

This is due to the fact that artificial or sunlight, when it hits the floor, which was laid perpendicular to it, illuminates the joints of the laminate boards and the floor may lose its attractiveness.

In this case, all the joints of the lamellas will be clearly visible to each other. Therefore, it is most correct to lay the laminate along the light source in the room.

Laminate installation tools

• A jigsaw or a hacksaw for metal, a saw for wood will not work, since it has too large teeth that can ruin the decorative coating of the lamellas;
• Metal ruler;
• Large scissors, such as tailors;
• Sharp knife;
• Nails;
• Rope or fishing line;
• Wooden wedges, bars;
• Pencil;
• Square;
• Rubber hammer.

If there is no rubber, use a lightweight conventional hammer. Strike the ends of the lamellas only through the gasket.

Features of laminate installation using Click-locks

To assemble laminate boards, a lamella snapping system is often used, which consists of collapsible locks. The mechanism is durable and resistant to mechanical stress.

The system is easy to install and has a long service life. This method of adhesion of the lamellas guarantees a minimum gap between them, although even this is visible if the direction of laying the laminate in the room is perpendicular to the artificial or daylight source of light in the room. So keep an eye out for this if you want your room floor to look pretty.

Laying sequence

1. Measure the width of the room. In doing so, take into account a thermal gap of 8-10 mm near each wall, so you can create a "floating" structure. If the room area exceeds 12 m 2, the distance between the lamellas and the wall is calculated as follows: 1.5 mm per 1 m of the length of the room.
2. Calculate the width of the lamella in the last row along the wall.
3. Start mounting from the far left corner. Lay the lamellas with a ledge against the wall.
4. Let's determine in which direction to lay the laminate. Lay the slats along the light source of the room, securing them from the end using the locking method. In this case, the connection of the next row should be displaced by 300-400 mm from the previous one. This way you can evenly distribute the mechanical load on the floor.
5. Join the lamellas at a 45˚ angle, gradually lowering the laminate board until you hear a click, which indicates the end of the process.
6. Observe the subsequent installation, placing the lamellas in a staggered manner, with an offset of the end connections, while not forgetting how to properly lay the laminate along or across, taking the light source as a reference.

Tip: If necessary, cut your laminate planks to the desired width or length.

Features of mounting Lock-locks

The sequence of laying laminate boards with a Lock system is the same as for a click system. The only thing is that the lamellas should be parallel to each other, and their engagement with each other occurs using special grooves at the ends. Do not forget in which direction to lay the laminate, focusing on the direction of the light source in the room.

Features of the glue method

The main advantage of this method is reliable protection of connections from moisture ingress. Thus, the service life of the coating is significantly extended.

Before installing laminate flooring, let's find out its disadvantages:

• complex styling;
• glue costs;
• after installation, the panels cannot be disassembled if you want to move them for installation in another room;
• adhesive laminate is not used for underfloor heating.

During installation, a water-repellent glue is applied to the ends of the flooring sheets.

The lamellas are connected according to the "tongue-and-groove" principle.

Advice: do not skimp on glue, and never use PVA. It is based on water, so it can cause the coating to swell, which will compromise the integrity of the joint.

1. Wipe up glue residues with a damp cloth.
2. After laying 3-4 rows, not forgetting in which direction to lay the laminate, wait 2-3 hours.
3. Then continue laying the surface to the end.
4. Use a crowbar for the last row. Work with it carefully, without damaging the slats and the wall.

Tip: make a paper template in advance if the floor rests on the heating pipes.

Use a jigsaw to cut all the required holes. Do not forget about the thermal gaps between the lamellas and the wall, lamellas and the door frame. To do this, use special spacer wedges.

Tip: After finishing the installation, remove them and hide the gaps under the skirting board. Attach the latter to the wall, but not to the floor.

It should also be said that the installation of an adhesive-based laminate is a difficult and time-consuming job. If you have not had any experience before, it is better to provide the editing work to specialists. Do not forget that this option for fixing the lamellas does not provide for disassembling the floor in the future.

A few more secrets

1. Always install laminate with the long side along the light source.
2. If you want to visually expand the room, for example, a corridor where there are no windows, you can put the slats across.
3. If you know how best to lay laminate flooring, then apply the laying direction depending on the individual characteristics of the premises, as well as on their design. The main thing is that the light source should not contribute to casting a shadow between the joints.
4. Lamellas, laid perpendicularly - increase the width of the room, along - its length.

Output

The article described in detail how to lay the laminate along or across the room, as well as what affects this. Then the joints between the lamellas are not striking, and the coating looks spectacular and beautiful. In the video below, you will find additional information on this topic.

To solve the difficult problem of how to lay laminate flooring in a narrow corridor, you should thoroughly understand the properties of this excellent material and its ability to optically change the perception of the surrounding space,

Quantity calculator

This is especially important when laying floor coverings in architecturally complex premises.

High durability of the coating, excellent abrasion resistance and fairly good moisture resistance make it possible to successfully use the laminate in order to lay the floor in the hallway or corridor, and the variety of colors and textures of this material allows you to solve the most complex design problems.

How to properly lay the floor in a narrow and long corridor to compensate for the lack of natural light, and visually change the perception of space. It turns out to be very simple, you only need to fulfill a few conditions:

• Avoid purchasing flooring with a very pronounced narrow longitudinal pattern, but use models in the form of a wide board, with a monochromatic pattern or in the form of ceramic tiles;
• Choose the right direction for laying to visually change the space;
• Take into account the location, nature and intensity of light sources, because some types of lighting contribute to the "manifestation" on the surface of the seams between the tiles;
• Be very careful when choosing a color, taking into account that a lighter tone visually expands the room
• Due to the increased load on the floor, it should be remembered that laying is possible only on a high-quality substrate of minimum thickness and very carefully prepared surface of the screed or subfloor.

Surface preparation

In order to put the laminate flooring in a narrow and long room with high quality, it is necessary to take a very responsible attitude to the preparation of the screed and, if necessary, to putty the surface, and given that this is a corridor with a large load on the coating, it is best to complete the finishing layer using a self-leveling mortar that guarantees a minimum shrinkage and high strength.

Select the minimum thickness of the laminate underlay to ensure the least shrinkage in areas of maximum stress. It is best if it is a cork that is not afraid of moisture and has excellent spring properties. If the installation is carried out on a correctly selected substrate and a perfectly flat screed, it does not allow the slabs to bend, which additionally masks the seams and improves the appearance of the floor.

Along or across?

There is an opinion that in a long narrow corridor it is best to lay the laminate across the room, so as not to visually lengthen it even more. But as the reviews show, this statement is only partly true, because a narrow and long pattern placed across it will not add beauty to the coating and balance the perception of the room as a whole.

Across, you can lay a single-color laminate, a covering in the form of a wide board with a uniform texture and a laminate in the form of ceramic tiles, which is also somewhat wider than the traditional one, which is the best fit for such complex rooms.

Laminate flooring with a small uniform pattern or imitating porcelain stoneware can be laid on the floor and along the room, especially if such a long and narrow corridor can end with a window, the light from which falls on the laminate at a certain angle, showing the tile joints. In this case, it is imperative to take into account the rule that the laying of the laminate in the corridor or in another room in which there is a window should be done so that the long seams are parallel to the incident light rays.

And neither along nor across

But what if you need to put the laminate in the L-shaped corridor? Here, the method of laying the board diagonally or herringbone, well-known since the days of parquet floors, comes to the rescue, which, firstly, creates an original pattern, secondly, does not narrow the visual space and, thirdly, allows the use of a more varied texture of the coating.

Of course, you have to put up with a lot of waste, but a light laminate in a narrow corridor laid diagonally creates that balanced perception of the room, which is clearly visible in the photo.

Variety of colors

The color palette of the laminate laid on the floor should not only be in harmony with the general style of the room, but also meet some specific requirements.

You should not put both very light and darkest laminate on the floor in the corridor, which will require more frequent wet cleaning, which will negatively affect the durability of the coating. The light laminate in the corridor in the photo from various angles looks very respectable, but on such a surface, traces of dirt brought on the shoes are very visible, traces of dried water will be very clearly visible on the dark coating, but the floor of discreet gray or beige tones is the optimal solution for the corridor or hallway.

Having finished with the preparation of the surface and the choice of color and pattern of the coating, you can lay the laminate on the floor, taking into account a few simple recommendations:

• Before placing the laminate in the corridor, the material should be kept for 48 hours in this room for acclimatization.
• Laying begins with careful marking and the most accurate placement of the first three strips, which will serve as the basis for future coverage;
• The connection of the parts of the coating is carried out in a staggered manner, and the lock on the short side is snapped in after aligning the long side of the strips;
• Since the corridor is a room subject to significant changes in temperature and humidity, laying is carried out with a mandatory gap between the wall and the covering to compensate for the linear expansion of the material. The easiest way to maintain the gap is with a removable strip, which is dismantled after laying;
• When placing the laminate across, do not use very short lengths of board at the edges in order to save material. This reduces the strength of the coating, which is unacceptable in a room such as a corridor.

As the reviews show, laminated flooring in narrow and long corridors is the most effective way to build durable, wear-resistant floors with a minimum amount of waste, which fits on any type of sub-floor, which is impossible when using ceramic tiles or linoleum. Laying the laminate floor, shown in the video, is so simple that with the necessary tools and the proper level of accuracy, it can be done independently.

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.