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Any tips or tricks from the folks out there? This is what we bought and we like the way it looks in the demo photo. Is it a bit tricky to get the installation right at this angle?
I've never done it, but you will waste more material than you would with a standard installation, so I'd get more than the standard 10% extra material. Other than that I would think the hardest part is all the cuts, you'll have more cuts to make than you would with a standard installation and you'll need to make sure you get the angles right when you cut the ends of the boards that butt up against the walls.
Will your laminate flooring go underneath the trim? If so, the ends won't be a problem. It gets tricky when you get into a corner - the tongues and grooves may have to get doctored or you might have to make a spline, and have a course of grooved sides go back-to-back. But maybe the laminate manufacturers have a way around this issue...
I'm curious, do the instructions address diagonal installation? They should. If not, I can tell you how I deal with the corner problem in hardwood flooring. I haven't done laminate diagonally either, just wood.
claypa, DH said he plans to install the baseboards after he installs the flooring. Does that answer your question?
We just got back from HD looking for some instructions about installing laminate at this angle but could not find anything specific. If you can offer some tips, it would truly be appreciated. Our neighbor is saying "It's too hard, don't even THINK about it!!" Thanks for any input.
I asked my brother about this (who has done laminate floors diagonally), and he said to tell you that diagonal flooring is sooo 2007. He was just kidding though, seriously.
Covering the ends of the flooring with trim is the way to go, obviously. When I asked him about the corners, maybe needing to have a course of grooved sides back-to-back when you get near a corner, he said it's generally not an issue with laminate flooring like it is with hardwood.
But, if you find that you need to butt two grooved sides together to get into the corner, instead of making a 'spline' that would insert into both grooves, just cut the bottom off the grooves and lay them over a flat piece of wood that fits in that space. It could be routed off or cut with a tablesaw (blade set very shallow).
I hope this makes sense... I can take a picture to try to illustrate it without too much trouble.
A pic would be good...especially if it's not too much trouble.
DH is hedging back to just laying it standard. If we could give him a clue or two, it might make the difference. :~}
We both love the look of a diagonal layout but do not want to stress the install process unnecessarily, especially since it's our first attempt at it. Went to the library today looking for some instructions but it was fruitless. How the heck does one learn how to do this?
Just do it, you'll be glad you did. I promise!
There's a small chance you'll have a little hard time with the last few courses, so if that happens, do what I was suggesting. Pictures coming up...
...you might have to put two boards with the groove side back to back. The little blacked out areas show where to remove the bottom part of the groove. And you put a thin piece of wood down under the joint in the two boards, allowing you to get into the corner easier.
This might not even come up though... maybe I shouldn't have said anything, I'd feel bad if I talked you out of doing your floor diagonally! Some places it just looks a lot better, and there are good reasons to run it diagonally. You don't have to be concerned with how square the house is, and you never have any funny little courses to stand out like a sore thumb.
(The blackened areas in the pic are supposed to be the same size, it's hard to draw)
Hi Claypa, You have not deterred DH from the task - the neighbor did that. You, otoh, may have got him back on track. Here's hopin' he's up to the task. I won't pressure him - THAT never works. It's whatever he decides to do. Thanks for your tips and especially the pics. I'll let you know how it comes out.
