Getting Started/Estimating
Always check each board for damage before installing.
- Avoid narrow pieces at the finish wall. Measure the distance between the
starting wall and the finish wall.
- Divide this number by the width of the board.
- If the remainder is less than 2-1/2"(6.35 cm), cut off 2-1/2"(6.35 cm) from the
width of the first row or to balance the
room add the difference to the plank
width and divide by two.
- Roll out Armstrong Two-in-One Advanced
Hard-Surface Flooring Underlayment or
Moisture Barrier Sheeting along the starting
wall, and cut to length. Kitchen and bathroom
installations require folding the
underlayment up the wall 2". Place additional
sections with butt seams as the installation progresses.
- To minimize pattern repeats in the floor, always pull from at least three
cartons of flooring while installing.
Wall Irregularities
All wall irregularities require cutting the first or
last row of boards to fit the contour of the wall.
- Use dividers or a spacer turned sideways 1"
(2.54 cm) wide to mark the contour.
- Cut to shape.
- Position the cut piece, using the pull bar to
tighten the last piece in place.
- Place a spacer between the end of the board
and the side wall.
- Two tapered spacers can be used as wedges to
accommodate irregular walls.
Cutting
- A good quality carbide-tipped cutting blade that has been designed for
composition and laminate materials such as melamine, coreboard, or other
hard, dense, man-made materials is recommended. When extra clean cut
edges are required – e.g., custom installations – you may need more elaborate
cutting equipment.
- When using a hand saw, cut with the decorative side of the board facing up.
- When using power saws, the direction of blade must cut into the decorative
side of the board to minimize chipping.
- Use a square to keep your cut line straight.
- Cut the marked piece in another area to keep the sawdust away from the
installation site.
Installing the First Row
- Begin on the left side of
the room and work right.
- Lay the first full piece
with the small, tongue
side facing the wall.
- Install second and subsequent full pieces in the first row by aligning short
ends of boards and locking into place.
- Use spacers along all sides that butt up against walls to maintain 1/4"
(6.35 mm) expansion zone.
- Continue laying boards in the first row until you need to cut the last piece.
- Measure the distance between the wall and
the face surface of the last board. Subtract
1/4" (6.35 mm), and cut the board. (See
cutting instructions above).
- If this distance is less than 8" go back to the
first full plank and cut approximately
8" from the end closest to the starting wall.
This will leave a longer piece at the end of
the first row.
Installing Remaining Rows
- Begin the second row of planks with the
piece cut from the last piece in the first
row. If the piece is shorter that 8? cut a
new plank in half, and use it to begin the
second row. Whenever practical, use
the piece cut from the preceding row to
start the next row. End joints of all
boards should be staggered 8? or more
and grout lines on planks with tile visuals
must be aligned.
- Install the long end of the first board at
an angle to the board in the previous
row. Keep this board at its natural angle
slightly raised off the subfloor. Use a
scrap piece of laminate to support the
row if needed.
- Continue installing full boards in the
second row by angling the short end of
the next board in the row to lock into
the previous board. Position the board
so that the long side of the board is
close to boards in the previous row and
overlapping the groove of the boards in
the previous row.
- Angle up and push forward until the
boards lock together.
- Continue installing full boards in the second
and subsequent rows until you
reach the wall on your right.
- Mark the last piece, cut and install.
After all boards in the row are
installed, press or walk all boards
flat to the subfloor to begin the
next row.
- Use a pull bar when necessary to
ensure joints are tight.
Installing the Last Row
- The last row in the installation may
need to be cut lengthwise.
- Place the row of planks to be fit on top of the last row of installed planks.
Use a divider or a piece of the plank as a scribe to trace the contour of the
wall.
- Be sure to place a spacer between the
marking pen and “scribe” piece of
board. This adds the 1/4" (6.35 mm)
space you need at the finish wall.
- Mark where the board should be cut.
- If the fit at the finish wall is simple and
straight, just measure for the correct
width and cut.
- After the last row is installed, use the pull
bar to tighten the joints.
- When appropriate, cut the underlayment
even with the top of the floor.
Installing Under a Door Jamb
Installation of locking laminate through a door
jamb requires the lip of the groove to be
reduced in size.
- Using a small plane or utility knife, plane or shave off 75% of the ledge of the
groove.
- Be careful not to trim too
much. Excessive reduction
can weaken the joint.
- After the groove ledge has
been trimmed, place the board in position laterally and lightly pull the board
into place using the pull bar.
- Sometimes, more than one passing may be necessary in order to trim the
ledge of the groove to the correct height.
- Joint should be tight with no movement, however a thin, 3/32" bead of glue
on top of tongue only, should be used at this juncture to ensure joint integrity.
Finishing the Installation
- Remove spacers and install moulding pieces. (See Coordinated Transitions
and Moulding Pieces section.)
- Always predrill transitions or mouldings prior to nailing. To allow the floating
floor to move freely, do not fasten
the trim to the laminate flooring.
- For everyday cleaning, vacuum or
damp mop. To remove excessive dirt
buildup, use Armstrong Laminate
Floor Cleaner.
- DO NOT WAX OR POLISH your floor.
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