You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
Does anyone know if a not very fit 50 year old lady (well, I will be by the time I get round to it) could manage to put down the kind of laminate flooring -that looks like tiles - on her own, if I get the click and lock variety?
Probably a little late to be answering this - but DH and I just put down laminate flooring that looks like tile in the kitchen. I don't see how you can do it without two people - especially if you have any large areas to cover. I had to hold already installed planks while he added new ones. It's also tricky to make sure you get the planks arranged so that you don't have the same pattern next to each other...helps to have two sets of eyes at that time.
Also-after doing about four planks without a table saw (using circular saw) - we invested in a table saw - went MUCH faster. And we've got the rest of the house to do...so it was worth the investment...
Did you have any pets running around? I have laid tiles on my own - did not trust the guy who said 'Oh I laid them all around my bungalow' I'll do it for you' because of course I am disabled so he probably thought I was a moron as well. He laid his effort upside down so being the perfectionist that I am I took his ones up and relaid them myself. I was not in a wheelchair then, though there are times when I use it now. I can still do it but I would advise you get a professional to do the job.
As you may know, I had a thread going on this subject entitled "flooring" either in March or April, I think. Well I HAVE moved out of my daughters place and into a bungalow [sheltered] but the previous tenants left me their carpet and all the paint that they used which was left over. So intead of ripping the carpet up at this stage in the year and as none of the carpets are over a year old though mainly green, I have decided to put my vinyl flooring project on hold until next summer. I've only my staffie and one cat now so it will be better to have someone who makes his living at it than for me to get all bitter and twisted with the frustration of it. I am 66 now and have arthritis in my spine at both ends, and my left ankle is permanently in pain where I have broken it five times.
So eventually it will be like the floors in spain, even if I have to spend a thousand english pounds on it.
There's two ways to install laminate flooring: glueless floating (click and lock variety) and glued floating (using adhesives). It may be a bit difficult for anyone--no matter how young you are--to install tiles by themselves. This guide might help you: http://www.findanyfloor.com/InstallationGuides/InstallingLam...
I used this site to install my own tiles.
I did 2 rooms totalling about 320 sq ft myself and didnt have a problem, I used the click lock tiles - pergo brand, basicly they went together really easily, and the only thing i would consider slightly hard would be all the cutting required- you will definately need a new sharp blade on a miter saw or bench saw. But as long as you are good measuring and using the saw - i would consider it a EASY DIY project.
You pretty much cant put the boards together wrong with the click lock. But i have read a couple of reviews that some brands of click lock laminates- do not fit together easily - and it seems the problems are more of a manufacturing issue , but either way - I would recommend trying out the fit on a couple of the boards before you make a purchase.
I can not kneel for literally a second so i sat down most of the time while shifting around on my butt. I had to get up to cut the boards, and sweep up every so often- but most of the time i kept the saw next to me - while just pushing it along as i moved along.
One room was oddly shaped with alot of corners - that took me around 8 hours to finish, while the other was just a square and i finished it in about 5 hours.
Good luck
