laminate flooring - beginners questions

[BMC problems]

I know nothing but have sort of decided this may be the way to replace some tired lino on a very irregular shaped boat floor.

 

questions;

 

when it says 'oak laminate' flooring is the top bit real wood?

like this; https://www.discountflooringdepot.co.uk/urban-oak-laminate-flooring-7mm-flat-ac3-2-4022m2-p79?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=urban-oak-laminate-flooring-7mm-flat-ac3-2-4022m2-lam042&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&vs_tax=inc&gclid=CN3NtvuIhMwCFUWfGwoddIIEHg

 

do I need a special type to avoid rot in the underside?

 

do I need to allow room for expansion? if so how much? the widest section is just over a metre

 

how do I finish the edges?

 

what's the easiest way to make inspection hatches and/or ensure it can come up in an emergency?

 

my existing floor is 18mm plywood in good condition, ie this is primarily a cosmetic exercise.

[Robbo]

Laminate isn't real wood, it's an image to look like the real thing. Engineered wood has the real wood on top.

[BMC problems]

thanks. Engineered wood is the one.

 

I have around 4.5 square metres but it really is an odd shape so there will be lots of cutting.

 

 

is is a sensible solution to a new floor covering rather than tongue and groove real wood?

 

I'm looking at Barlinek 3-layer piccolo in cream oak with kronotherm fibre underneath.

 

Thickness of both of 19mm with an allowance of 3mm in unevenness.

 

The thing I'm not sure about is, that it's a boat, I shouldn't really 'permanently' obscure access to the bilges so how to make this in panels

Edited April 10, 2016 by BMC problems

[BMC problems]

Another question; my shape is very irregular - and so it that of my floor.

 

Will I have trouble with the odd shaped parts fitting together?

 

foam underlay? yes or no?

Edited April 10, 2016 by BMC problems

[Peter X]

I haven't laid laminate in a boat, but have done two rooms in houses and generally used bits in other DIY so can offer some ideas.

 

Laminate is vulnerable to water, though it will withstand a little dampness now and again. So on a boat I would only use it inside, in living/bedroom areas where not much water will get at it. The kitchen of my house came with a laminate floor, and by the sink it's really getting rather warped after six years despite my best efforts to wash up responsibly. So don't expect a laminate floor to last too well in a boat kitchen or bathroom, or anywhere the canal might invade.

 

Otherwise it's quite cheap and durable, and easy to sweep clean, so it's a reasonable choice particularly for areas like passageways which take a lot of wear. It's noisy if you walk along it in hard soled shoes, or if there's no underlay, and I really wouldn't want to live one floor below someone who had a laminate floor without underlay. The latter is not a problem in the sort of boats we're talking about!

 

Laminate does expand a little both across and lengthwise, so normal practice in houses is to use cork edging strips. But on a short run, unless you fit it precisely up to the wall it's unlikely to expand enough to be a problem. You can get curved edging pieces to hide the edges if you're after a neat looking finish, designed to be pinned to wooden skirting boards, or you might use any beading you fancy, or just not bother.

 

The floor has to be flat or you're doomed to failure; ordinary foam underlay is a good idea because apart from reducing noise it can help smooth out small imperfections, and it's cheap. The more pricey half inch thick heat and sound insulating underlay is only worth bothering with if someone lives downstairs.

 

Irregular shaped rooms just mean a bit more faffing about cutting the boards to fit round everything. An ordinary electric jigsaw with a suitable blade (not one designed for cutting wood) is a crucial tool.

 

Where an inspection hatch is needed, I would prepare the flooring as if to cover over it, then mark and cut it for the rectangle or whatever, and maybe glue the pieces for the hatch onto hardboard of the same thickness as the underlay to keep them together. I haven't had to do that but I suppose it would work.

[twbm]

Everything Peter said ....

 

.. and, for really fiddly areas, I have successfully planed off the interlocking edge and fastened the last strip down with panel pins.

 

As an alternative, there are ranges of vinyl heavy duty 'tiles' that are fastened down with adhesive which would I suspect be less prone to attack from moisture, but be more challenging to lift in the future.

 

For example: http://www.wickes.co.uk/Westco-Self-Adhesive-Vinyl-Plank-Oak-7-Pack/p/138985

[BMC problems]

I haven't laid laminate in a boat, but have done two rooms in houses and generally used bits in other DIY so can offer some ideas.

 

Laminate is vulnerable to water, though it will withstand a little dampness now and again. So on a boat I would only use it inside, in living/bedroom areas where not much water will get at it. The kitchen of my house came with a laminate floor, and by the sink it's really getting rather warped after six years despite my best efforts to wash up responsibly. So don't expect a laminate floor to last too well in a boat kitchen or bathroom, or anywhere the canal might invade.

 

Otherwise it's quite cheap and durable, and easy to sweep clean, so it's a reasonable choice particularly for areas like passageways which take a lot of wear. It's noisy if you walk along it in hard soled shoes, or if there's no underlay, and I really wouldn't want to live one floor below someone who had a laminate floor without underlay. The latter is not a problem in the sort of boats we're talking about!

 

Laminate does expand a little both across and lengthwise, so normal practice in houses is to use cork edging strips. But on a short run, unless you fit it precisely up to the wall it's unlikely to expand enough to be a problem. You can get curved edging pieces to hide the edges if you're after a neat looking finish, designed to be pinned to wooden skirting boards, or you might use any beading you fancy, or just not bother.

 

The floor has to be flat or you're doomed to failure; ordinary foam underlay is a good idea because apart from reducing noise it can help smooth out small imperfections, and it's cheap. The more pricey half inch thick heat and sound insulating underlay is only worth bothering with if someone lives downstairs.

 

Irregular shaped rooms just mean a bit more faffing about cutting the boards to fit round everything. An ordinary electric jigsaw with a suitable blade (not one designed for cutting wood) is a crucial tool.

 

Where an inspection hatch is needed, I would prepare the flooring as if to cover over it, then mark and cut it for the rectangle or whatever, and maybe glue the pieces for the hatch onto hardboard of the same thickness as the underlay to keep them together. I haven't had to do that but I suppose it would work.

thank you that's very helpful. does it generally apply to engineered wood the same. my widest bit is 1600 mm so do you think expansion is not an issue?

[Tonka]

If the subfloor is sound why not go for vinyl planks. Amtico, Karndean & Quickstep all do a range as do b&q . It is probably cheaper and does not need the expansion gap like laminate.

[WotEver]

thank you that's very helpful. does it generally apply to engineered wood the same. my widest bit is 1600 mm so do you think expansion is not an issue?

Engineered flooring moves very little but you still need to leave a millimetre or two.

 

Tony

[Eeyore]

Having removed the laminate flooring from my project boat I agree with Peter X re water damage.

The 3/4" (19mm) plywood sub floor had failed completely by the kitchen, bathroom and water pump as a result of water ingress. The remainder of the sub floor showed damage to the top surface, caused (I think) by moisture "sweating" from the sub floor, and then being trapped by the laminate.

Time scale for this was about 20 years; but I suspect the laminate was masking (had become partially load bearing) long before this.

Something breathable such as carpet, or fully bonded such as vinyl will be my choice for the new sub floor.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Eeyore

[dor]

There is one form of laminate that is water-resistant. It's called Aquafloor and you can get it in normal sort of mock-wood finishes and I think they also do one that looks like slate tiles.

I've used it in the bathroom on my boat (the rest is done in solid oak) over 18mm WBP ply. I have had a small flood where water got in underneath the aquafloor from under the shower. It did buckle a little bit but once it dried out it is back to normal. No apparent damage a couple of years on.

[BMC problems]

I don't have a damp problem and it's not in the bathroom or kitchen so I think I'm going to go for proper wood.

 

Whether that's real wood or engineered wood, I'm not sure. There seems little difference in price so it's down to ease of fitting.

[Joe the plumber]

We've used B&Q carpet tiles throughout our boat. They have a 'bitumen' type backing, are dead easy to cut and lay (scribe the back with a Stanley knife, snap them and cut the remaining fibres), non-slip, quiet, relatively warm under foot and they don't need sticking down as long as you lay them tightly together.

 

You can get them back up in a jiffy and take them to a hosepipe to wash should anything nasty get on them. If one gets damaged, you can put another down in a few seconds (or two minutes if it needs cutting, using the old one as a pattern). And of course, there's no problem with access to the floor below.

 

I hate laminate flooring as it's always a right nuisance for access in my job and disasterous if it gets damaged, so I wouldn't entertain it anywhere on my boat or at home, but if you like it, fair enough.

[patty-ann]

Ive got laminate and in the kitchen it has cracked under the sink area..Ive put some mat down on it for now but will no doubt replace when can figure how.

I have spare so guess can just take up affected bits and then cut to same size.

[bag 'o' bones]

Laminate is prone to water damage.

 

Check out high quality grained vinyl before you make a decision. Surprisingly realistic and far more practical.

 

...and very quiet.

Edited April 12, 2016 by bag 'o' bones

[WotEver]

Whether that's real wood or engineered wood, I'm not sure. There seems little difference in price so it's down to ease of fitting.

Don't think fitting will differ much but the engineered flooring is a lot more stable than 'Virgin' wood.

 

Tony

[lesrollins]

We put solid oak flooring down but had a small leak which we didn't know about until one of the planks showed sign of a split. So I tend to agree that engineered flooring is or would be 100% better. If I had the chance again that is what I would do

[BMC problems]

normally I would tend to real wood being a lentil-hugging lefties but the shape I have to lay is complex so stability and ease of fitting is the biggest factor. The topic is mis titled because it wasn't until the 2nd post and a bit of research that I discovered laminate and engineered wood, which is a laminate, were different. Whereas it would be lovely to lift the fitted furniture and lay a proper floor that isn't going to happen so I have to deal with the complexities of shape.

Edited April 13, 2016 by BMC problems