Gracenote Tools Install Laminate
Buy products related to laminate floor installation tools and see what customers say about laminate floor installation tools on Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases. Laminate has become an extremely popular flooring material. Based on the Fiberboard, it is used both in residential and commercial properties. How to cut laminate flooring properly? In this article, we will explain which tools are desirable and undesirable to use for this work in order to get the best result.
I was making Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from scratch, my variant on the standard recipe where I used science to help me get the chewy part to work without having to underbake them. Now at this point, I don’t need a written shopping list to buy the ingredients I need. Even if the thought to bake them occurs to me as I’m already doing my shopping, I know exactly what to get, and usually even how much of each I already have at home. This I did, and then confidently I proceeded to concoct my dough. Until I got to “1 and 1/8 tsp.
Baking soda” (“and 1/8?” my water is a little alkaline. The extra keeps the cookies from ‘falling’, as cakes did in 1950’s family sit-coms). I looked everywhere. Who runs out of baking soda? But I’d forgotten that I had used it on my carpet the last time I vacuumed. Something new (therefore forgettable).
It worked, but now I needed to drive out to the store to spend a whopping 79 cents for exactly one item. One, tiny little ingredient, of which I needed just a teaspoon, not even worth the drive, if not for the fact that without it there would be zero cookies.What’s this got to do with flooring?Installing is one of the simplest of the larger do-it-yourself projects, and one of the keys to keeping it easy is having your materials ready before you start.
This includes not only trims and floor pad, but also the tools you’ll need. To facilitate that last one, and hopefully keep you from needing to drive out to the home store for one, tiny little, essential thing, Floors To Your Home has just gathered the tools needed for most standard laminate flooring installations into two, a basic bucket of supplies, and a deluxe kit which includes a saw. Here is what comes in the kits, what each item is for, and some helpful tips. Jigsaw Cutting Your BoardsThe jigsaw only comes in the Deluxe Installation Bucket, for those who don’t already have the saw they need. The jigsaw is used to cut the laminate planks so they will fit as you approach the wall. It comes with instructions, so you can use it safely and properly, and plugs into the wall to maintain power as your installation progresses.
Battery powered saws can weaken long before they need to recharge. Most people find it useful to have an area to make the cuts which is away from their installation, to keep the sawdust from being a nuisance as the floor is installed. I recommend doing the cuts in a nearby room over a big, plastic sheet (for easy cleanup at the end). If the garage or a doorway to an outside location is close, those areas are even better options.
Many people will lay the plank over a bucket, allowing much of the sawdust to accumulate there. You’ll find a bucket included, should you wish to give that tip a try. Everything else comes in all of our Installation Buckets.Measuring Tools. Speed SquareIt’s crazy important to be sure that your measurements are right, and your cutting lines are straight before making your cuts.
Being careless here can eat up your extra plankage pretty quickly, and you may wind up reordering more cartons of your flooring just to get the last few feet done, which would well, which would suck! To facilitate precision, we have included measuring tape and a Speed Square. The latter will drop over the side of your plank, so that your cut line can be both straight and perfectly square. The measuring tape needs no explanation, but I have one recommendation.
Measure twice, ideally having it done by two people. You do it, then have another double check it. This is not to cover ineptness, but the numerical fog that can come with a day of measuring the same things in the same way over and over. Your Armor Protect YourselfThere is no avoiding the time you will spend down on this floor as you install it, so we’ve included knee pads, and let me tell you, they help. Even if you’re tough and all that, use them anyway, just to eliminate the distraction and allow you to focus on what you’re doing. Likewise with the safety glasses and the mask. You don’t need sawdust in your eyes, and when your floor is finished, and all furniture is in place, you’ll want to sit down, relax, and enjoy your new room, not spend the rest of the night coughing.
They’re right there, available and easy. Use them, especially when cutting. Installation Specific ToolsYou will also find in the bucket a rubber mallet, and, packed together, our long available “Installation Kit,” comprised of a tapping block, a pull bar and a bunch of spacers.
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Each has its use in the installation process. Spacers are first. As you click your planks together, they should become perfectly snug as they lock and lay flat.
If they don't, and you're inclined to tap them together, the Tapping Block will become your good friend. It rests against the side of the board, spreading out the force as you tap it on the other side with your rubber mallet. This allows you to move your floor pieces together without damaging the locking mechanisms. You should put the weight of your body on the pieces you already have in place, so that they do not move, but only the new piece moves in snug with the existing floor.
The Pull Bar comes into play when you need to 'tap' something, but a tapping block, let alone the mallet, will not reach the edge necessary to tap. It hangs over the opposite side of the plank you need to pull toward you, and you hit the part of the bar that sticks up, still essentially tapping the new piece toward, or into, the already placed flooring.– – – –David is a Writer at Floors To Your Home (.com), as well as the PPC Manager, a Marketing Strategy Team member, a Researcher, Videographer, Social Strategist, Photographer and all around Resource Jitō. In my spare time I shoot and edit video, explore film history, mix music (as in ‘play with Beatles multi-tracks’) and write non-fiction for my friends. Connect with me on.
Laminate Flooring Tools For Installing Laminate FlooringSome laminate flooring tools may not look too familiar to you. Other tools needed for installing laminate flooring are fairly common. I would say as a rule that the more expensive the laminate flooring tools, the easier it is to install laminate. If you are doing your own floors and don't plan on using some of the specialized laminate tools afterwards, you could purchase a kit that usually consists of a tapping block a pull bar and some spacers for about 20.00 dollars. But if you plan on doing more laminate flooring you may want to invest in some quality laminate flooring tools. I use Pergo pull bars and tapping blocks, these tools were made to last.
I have been using the same ones for years now with no complaints.Tools Used For Installing Laminate Flooring. 10 inch miter chop SawThe miter chop saw is good for cutting trims and moldings.
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As far as cutting laminate flooring It is hard on the blades. 10 inch sliding miter sawA sliding miter saw is better for cutting laminate flooring.
The sliding action helps keep the blade sharp longer. Table sawTable saws are used mainly for cutting down the length of a plank, such as the last row of flooring being installed up against the wall. Most often this row will need to be trimmed down. If you are thinking of purchasing a table saw you don't need an expensive one, just a basic table saw. They usually have them at Home Depot or Lowes for around 100.00. Jig saw or saber sawJig saws are used for cutting irregular shapes or curves.
It can also be used for cutting planks like the miter saw.Specialized Laminate Flooring Tools.Tapping blocks are used for tapping the laminate planks together. Tapping blocks are usually made of a hard plastic. When using the tapping block the edge of the block is put against the top layer of the laminate plank and then tapped. Do not put the tapping block against the locking system on the planks when tapping the planks together, this can damage the locking system edges.This I use has two different sides for thinner or thicker laminates. The handle can be inserted in either side.The tapping blocks come in various sizes.
I prefer them to be smaller than the width of the laminate planks, this makes it easier in tight spots.Pull bars are used to tap the last plank together when it meets the wall. The pull bars that are sold in the laminate installation kits are basically just a heavy metal that is bent in the shape. These will bend over time. If you are installing a lot of flooring it may be better to invest in a better quality pull bar. SpacersSpacers are used for maintaining the proper expansion gap around the walls.
How To Lay Laminate Flooring Youtube
The most common type are that are placed against the walls as the flooring is installed. Another type are. This type cost more but gives you more control when the wall bows in and out. The adjustable spacers are also good to lock the floor in place when placed at the ends. This helps to keep the floor from moving around while being installed.This jamb saw is not very expensive and will work for cutting your door jambs.
Laminate Flooring Installation Tools Kit
This new one I purchased at Home Depot for around 12.00. The only drawback to use this type of saw is it will not cut inside corners, an example would be where two door jambs form an inside corner. But if you are just cutting straight door jambs it works fine. Just make sure you cut them high enough because its hard to go back and cut small amounts off afterwards.Saws, Cutting The LaminateI have seen some people using a hand saw to cut the laminate, which is fine if your up to it.I use a sliding compound miter saw to cut the planks, with a carbide tip blade. The sliding action allows me to cut the planks across rather than straight down from the top. This helps my blades stay sharper longer. A quality sliding miter saw can cost anywhere from 400.00 to 700.00 dollars.
I have noticed that there are sliding miter saws that are cheaper to purchase these days.(less then 200.00 at Harbor freight)These saws would work out OK for someone doing their own floors but may not hold up for a full time installer.A fixed miter saw only cuts down, which is harder on the blade because of the aluminum oxide finish on the laminate planks. I have seen these saws for as little as the 100.00 dollar range.There are new laminate flooring tools being developed all the time such as this new alternative for cutting laminate. Its kind of like a paper cutter. These cutters don't create saw dust and can save time by not having to go outside to make cuts. I have not used one of these yet. They can be pricey but I have noticed some versions that are less than 100.00.You could also use a jig saw, circular saw or table saw for cutting laminate flooring.Curved Cutting Jig Saw-Saber Saw.
There are times when you will have to cut curves, such as cutting around door jambs. You can also use the table saw for cutting on curved scribe lines which are slightly curved. Or just to rip down the length of aboard to fit in the last row along the wall.I use a. This would be a little difficult trying to do this on a miter or table saw.Jig saws come in a wide range of choices. The inexpensive brands don't give you the control you need in some cases. The less expensive models usually come with a fixed speed which can be difficult to make more precise cuts. Variable speeds work a lot better for this and gives you more control.