Let’s suppose that you already have laminate flooring in your house. But now you realize that they’re not providing a smooth feel to your floor. So, you want to add another extra flooring.
It looks like a hard choice to make, huh?
What can you put over laminate flooring?
Firstly, you can put a new laminate flooring over the one you already have. Many people also use vinyl flooring over laminate ones. Otherwise, you can also opt for hardwood flooring over your laminate flooring.
Still can’t decide which one to pick? Relax. In this article, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of these in detail. So, stay tuned!
What Can Be Put Over Laminate Flooring
What would be the ideal choice of flooring? It’s just as confusing as deciding what to use to fill the gap between tiles and wall!
But we got your back. We’ve provided an in-depth analysis of our top 3 recommended floorings to choose from. They are-
Alternative 1 of 3: New Laminate Flooring
You can put a new laminate flooring over your existing laminate flooring. However, you should keep in mind 2 things before doing so. Otherwise, you might not get the optimum flooring experience.
One of these is ensuring that your existing floor is even. Is your existing laminate flooring is smooth and even? Only then should you put laminate flooring over it.
But here’s the catch, laminate floorings are not usually smooth and even. That’s because they are floating floors. These are floors that are not glued or nailed to the surface.
So, what’s the solution to this issue? Here’s where the second factor comes in handy. That is, installing a laminate underlay!
Now, what is a laminate underlay? They function the same as caulks between tiles but are a bit different. This is basically cushion-like support that can be put between your existing and the laminate flooring.
You can enjoy many benefits of a laminate underlay. Firstly, it will give a much neater look to your flooring. Secondly, the underlay will make your existing laminate flooring smoother. So, you can easily put a new laminate flooring over it.
You might now have the question, which laminate underlay would be the best for you? Usually, there are three kinds of laminate underlays. Their pros and cons are discussed below-
Rubber Laminate Underlay
This is the kind of underlay chosen by most people. They are widely available. And have a strong and sturdy structure.
They are a bit expensive, so that’s a disadvantage. However, the smooth feeling under your feet makes it worth it.
Foam Laminate Underlay
Foam laminate underlays are the cheapest option that you can go for. They usually have a lower quality compared to rubber underlays. However, nowadays, they’re being improved. The quality is almost on par with the rubber underlays!
Felt Laminate Underlay
This is the best quality of underlays that you can possibly find. Felt laminate underlays are highly expensive. That’s because they are made of high-quality felt. This gives insulation to noises on the floor.
They are usually used for commercial buildings for the superior characteristics. But if you want comfortable flooring, they’ll be your best friend!
Alternative 2 of 3: Vinyl
People often use vinyl flooring to put over laminate flooring. However, there is something that you need to note down. When you put vinyl flooring on top, it won’t give protection against moisture.
And laminate flooring swells when it comes in contact with moisture. So, take a step to fix high moisture areas. We would personally suggest using a de-humidifier for this.
Alternative 3 of 3: Hardwood Flooring
This is yet another option that you can use. But remember that hardwood flooring is a fiberboard of high-density. So, you can’t glue it when putting over laminate flooring. Because the surface of laminate cannot adhere to adhesives.
So, there’s only one way you can put hardwood flooring over laminate flooring. That is, by nailing onto the other.
But hardwood planks have a wider height than other planks. So, you need to drill pilot holes through the hardwood flooring. Make sure you carefully drill holes through the laminate flooring too. Then, you need extra large nails to nail them securely.
We know, it’s quite a hassle to do all this. But this is the only way you can properly do so.
How to Install Laminate Flooring
There are certain steps that you can use to install laminate flooring.
Before we begin our project, the tools that you need are-
- Laminate Flooring
- Table saw
- Tape
- Silicon sealant
- Rubber mallet
To begin with, take one of the planks of your laminate flooring. Grab your table saw. Then remove the tongue on all the sides of your first plank.
Now, assemble your planks to begin the flooring. Start aligning and assembling each plank from near the side of the wall. Also, make sure that you’re not leaving any spaces between them.
Are the lengths of your planks bigger than your floor-length? Then trim them using a table saw. Keep assembling each row of planks side by side.
Finally, seal the planks with silicone caulking. Allow them to dry completely for 24 hours. Finally, your laminate flooring is complete!
FAQs
Question: What is the advantage of laminate flooring over hardwood flooring?
Answer: Hardwood is more difficult to be installed than other floorings. But laminate floorings can be installed over everything else.
Question: Can I get the shine of my floor to increase?
Answer: No, the shine your floor will provide will always remain the same. So, polishing or waxing the floors will not work.
Question: Will there be any cutting waste while installing laminate floorings?
Answer: Yes. You will need to trim the planks while installing the flooring. At that time, there will be around 7-10 percent waste of the planks used in total.
Bottom Line
That’s it from us. These 3 floorings are what you can put over laminate flooring.
Basically, you can put new laminate flooring with the help of an underlay. Furthermore, vinyl flooring or mailing hardwood flooring are other options.
Let us know which one you picked in the comments below!
Good luck!