1. MARCH 2016 THE HOME HANDYMAN12
FLOORING
Laminate floors
By Aarifah Nosarka
Thinking of replacing
your floors? Laminate
flooring is a smart
option and you can
install it yourself
L
aminate flooring is considered one of the quickest, easiest and least expensive
ways to transform a home, which is why it has become a popular flooring option
for homeowners. Laminate flooring imitates various types of wood, including
certain types of solid wood that are too fragile or too costly to use as flooring.
What is laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring offers the look of natural wood at a fraction of the price. The
flooring has a hard surface that looks like wood, but it consists of about 80% wood-
based composites. It has a melamine wear layer that protects it from scratches.
“The majority of the product is made from wood fibres, wood chips and pulp. There
is a base layer, core layer, paper photographic layer and a protective wear layer,” says
Rory Keane, operations manager at Flooring Depot.While a common misnomer is that
a thicker laminate makes for a better laminate, Rory says that what makes for a good
quality laminate is board density and a good wear layer.
Pic courtesy Kaindl

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Floor grading
Internationally, floors are graded according
to their abrasion resistance. This is known
as an abrasion class or AC rating. In South
Africa, the majority of floors that are
imported are AC3/grade 31 or AC4/grade
32. These floors are designed for heavy
domestic use as well as for commercial
applications.
Choosing the right option for
your home
Rory says that the first step is to decide
where the flooring will be installed.
“Laminate floors are suitable for most areas
in the home or business premises. They
are hygienic, easy to clean and extremely
hard-wearing, provided they are installed
correctly and cleaned using proper cleaning
methods.” He says though laminate
flooring is more scratch resistant than real
wood, it is important to understand that
there is no such thing as a scratch-proof or
waterproof laminate floor. The better the
wear layer, the better your floor will wear.
Rory recommends the use of AC3/grade
31 floors for residential use.“They are an
absolutely perfect fit,” he adds. If you have
a busier household or business, it is better
to consider an AC4/grade 32 floor.“These
floors wear better for those higher traffic
areas.” Avoid installing laminate flooring
in bathrooms or areas where water tends
to puddle.
There are a plethora of colours, textures
and styles on the market that will allow
you to find the look you want.“From the
ultra-modern apartment in Sandton to the
beach bungalow at Clifton, the choice is
yours,” says Rory. Certain floors have more
pronounced textures than others, making
for a more realistic look - these are known
as synchronised textures.
V-groove flooring
Some laminate wood planks have a bevelled
edge, which gives the look of a hardwood
floor. Bevelled edge or V-groove floors have
distinct edges that create a natural look –
designed to look like individual planks. It
differs from other laminates in the way it
fits together and affects the total surface
area once completely installed, since
there will be gaps. One of the reasons for
V-groove laminate flooring’s popularity is
how easily it is installed. It has V-groove
features at the edge of each board, which
are bevelled and colour-matched to the
top surface finish. This means that when
any two boards are joined together, there
is a V-groove along the joint between the
two boards. It provides a natural finish by
enhancing the plank effect of the floor.
Laminate flooring is one of the easiest ways
to transform a home
V-groove laminate plank showing
the bevelled edges
There are a plethora of colours,
textures and styles to choose from

3. MARCH 2016 THE HOME HANDYMAN14
• Genuine bevelled grooves – these match
specific characters of the wood design
and texture. The grooves contain wood
grains and are crafted in matching tones.
• Impression bevels – combine the
authenticity of a large bevel with the
subtlety of a micro bevel. They emphasise
individual planks in an attractive way.
• Fine, micro-bevelled edges – clearly
delineate the planks. They are smaller and
more subtle than large bevels. They also
place more emphasis on the aesthetic
character of the flooring.
Square-edge flooring
Flooring without a bevel, also known as
square-edge flooring, has no grooves. It
provides a more streamlined appearance.
An advantage of this option is that it
contains no grooves thereby leaving no gap
for the collection of dirt or dust.
Pricing
The more realistic the floor looks, the higher
the cost of production. Rory says that
flooring is a big investment in any home
and advises that you purchase the best
possible floor that fits into your budget.
“Floors vary in price from R79 per square
metre to just under R700 per square metre.
Your less expensive floors do tend to come
from less desirable factories and are not of
the highest quality, though.” He says that
laminate floors with an estimated pricing
around R150 to R200 per square metre are
likely to be decent quality, while floors in
the mid R200s to low R300s per square
metre tend to be really good quality.“Paying
anything more than R300 per square metre
may be a bit over the top in price.”
How to install laminate floors
Rory says that preparation is pivotal.
“You’ve spent the money on your floors
so make sure that it’s not wasted by a
poor installation. This type of flooring has
to be installed on a level, dry and clean
surface. You can install it over tiles, but a
flooring expert or installer should first be
consulted.”
FLOORING
Installing over tiles
• Avoid installing over rustic tiles
such as slate. The surface of slate
tiles tends to be more uneven than
that of regular tiles.
• Fill your grout lines, especially when
the lines are wide. If your laminate
boards join on a grout line it can
create structural weakness when
strain is placed on the laminate
joint. Grout lines can be removed
using a simple self-levelling screed.
• Remove cracked or hollow tiles.
• Use a rigid underlay.
• Avoid installing laminate flooring
over carpets. This applies to both
carpets that are glued down and
with underlay.“Carpets are soft
and flexible. It’s the flexibility that
causes movement in the laminate
joints and ultimately causes the
joints to fail,” says Rory.
• Rory does not recommend
installation over parquet flooring.
When installed over parquet floors,
the laminate acts as a moisture
barrier, trapping moisture between
the floors. The parquet then swells
and lifts, causing the laminate
to lift.
Bevelled grooves create the impression of
individual wood planks
Square-edge flooring gives a streamlined
appearance
It is posssible to
install laminate
flooring over
smooth tiles

4. THE HOME HANDYMAN MARCH 2016 15
Installation method
In general, the best way to lay laminate
flooring is along the longest wall or
towards the largest light source if the walls
are even in length. However, this is not a
hard and fast rule.“The flooring can be laid
in any direction you choose, provided you
follow the manufacturer’s specifications.”
• Once you have decided on the direction
you wish to run your floor, apply the
underlay. There are many different types
of underlay; use the underlay that is
prescribed by the laminate producer.
• Start installing the floor in staggered
rows.“Not only is staggering of the rows
important, it also has cosmetic value and
will give your floor a more natural look.”
• It is important to have expansion gaps
around all the edges.“If you do not install
your floor with the necessary expansion
gaps, your floor may lift or peak in the
centre. Expansion gaps need to be
10mm-15mm in width.”
• Cover the expansion gaps with either
skirting or beading strips.
• Laminate floors also need expansion
breaks every 10 running metres. This is
an important factor in large homes
or offices.
Home Handyman Skirting.pdf 1 2016/01/21 11:24 AM
Choose the right
underlay for your floor

5. MARCH 2016 THE HOME HANDYMAN16
FLOORING
Finishing touches
There are many different styles of laminate and wood skirting. Modern trends tend
to be simple and less elaborate. “You are not limited to style or design however you
should make sure that your skirting is wide enough to cover the expansion gaps in
place. Your skirting width should be no less than17mm,” says Rory.
Skirting is generally one of the more expensive items that you will purchase when
re-doing your home or office. Rory says that in some cases the existing skirting can
be re-used, provided it is wide enough and is of good quality. “Certain wood skirting
becomes brittle over time and can fracture or splinter when you remove it.”
If you have thought about staining your skirting, be aware that different woods
absorb stains at different rates. This can lead to a patchy finish. Rory says a step in
the right direction is to consult a stain expert when attempting to carry out staining.
An alternative to skirting boards, which are relatively inexpensive, are quarter rounds
or scotias (hollow concave). These can be used to cover the required expansion gap.
“These can be attached to your skirting using panel pins or silicone,” he says.
Floor care
Laminate floors require very little
maintenance and are easy to clean.
Follow these guidelines:
• Remove surface dirt with a broom
or vacuum.
• If mopping is required, use a damp
microfibre mop. They glide across
the floor, picking up dirt and even
pet hair effortlessly.
• Avoid using a wet or spaghetti
mop. Spaghetti mops hold a lot of
moisture.
• Avoid using any harmful chemicals
or ammonia-based cleaning
products on laminate floors.
• Rory says the old wives’ tale about
using vinegar and water to clean
floors is not applicable for laminate
flooring. “Vinegar is an acid that is
harmful to the wear layer on the
laminate floor.”
Select a skirting that matches
your laminate floor
Use a damp microfibre mop
to pick up dirt effortlessly
This room makes use of rope
as an unusual skirting
Pic by Dirk du Plooy (iFloors Greenstone)

6. THE HOME HANDYMAN MARCH 2016 17