A DIY Treasure - Glueless Laminate Flooring
There are few do-it-yourself projects that are as satisfying as installing Glueless Laminate Flooring. The selection of wood (oak, maple, hickory, etc.), colors, and prices ranges is vast, the installation is easy, and the results will be long appreciated by family and friends. The flooring is even easy to care for.
A glueless laminate flooring is designed so that it literally floats over the existing floor surface. It's secret, which makes installation so easy, is that it incorporates a mechanical locking mechanism between the wood pieces that making adhesives unnecessary. Without the glue, the diy homeowner has no mess and can easily redo an area if he or she makes a mistake. Premium brands, such as Pergio, offer a locking mechanism for both the side-by-side pieces and the end-to-end pieces. Some less expansive brands require gluing of the end-to-end pieces to avoid end-to-end gaps. This gluing still allows the floor to float, but it does complicate installation somewhat.
In addition to the locking mechanism, glueless laminate flooring uses a pad under the floor. The pad helps give the flooring its characteristic softness when walking or standing on it. The pad also helps to mask any imperfections in the original floor. Some of the premium brands, such as Pergio, use a pad that is already attached to the bottom of the laminate. This makes installation easier. However, an unattached pad can also be used, but it is an additional expense and installation step.
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The competition is the glueless laminate flooring market is intense. There are a number of national brands and many premium, regional and discount brands from which to choose. Many of the products are manufactured in Canada, but may also come from the US, Europe and Asia. Each brand normally has a large selection to choose from. For example, at the high end, Pergio's Prestige Spiced Hickory is 8mm thick with a built-in 2 mm padding. It is available for $83.84 for 25.64 square feet. DuPont has a Montreal Gunstock flooring, 10 mm thick (with 2mm pad built-in), that can be found for $73.92 for 25.64 SF. An 8mm, English Walnut flooring with 2mm pad attached from Supreme Click goes for $35.64 for same square footage. Balterio has a 7mm maple flooring for $31.77 for the same square footage. However, the pad is not included. |
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