Step By Step Process To Install Laminate Flooring On Walls
Before you start the installation process, it is important that you are working with a clean, vertical surface. Make sure that you are not installing laminate on slanted walls or ceilings, and always remember that the installation area should be indoors. You also need to keep in mind that laminate should not be installed on a wall that has previously experienced moisture damage, or in those areas where you can expect a lot of water, like, over a bathtub or as a backsplash. In addition, there is a limit to how large the accent wall should preferably be & therefore, it is strongly recommended to use a maximum area of 40’ long and 10’ high.
Tools & Materials Needed
- Caulk Gun & Utility Knife
- Laser Level & Nail Gun
- Tape Measure & Table Saw Or Circular Saw
- Tapping Block & Pull Bar
- Hammer & Adhesive Caulk
- Brad Nails & Laminate Flooring Planks
Step 1: Measure Your First Row
Before securing anything to the wall, it is important to lay out as well as connect the planks that you will need for the first row. Trim the final plank to fit, making sure it is at least 6” long. Make certain to account for a 3/16? expansion gap betwixt the planks and any adjacent walls. If the remaining piece of the plank is also at least 6” long, then you can use it to start the next row.
Step 2: Apply The Planks
Apply adhesive caulk on the back of each laminate plank, before carefully pressing them in opposition to the underside of the wall. The tongue side should be facing down, which in turn helps to make it easier to tap the planks together, and easier to secure the planks with nails.
Step 3: Nail Planks To The Wall
In order to provide stability for the adhesive to set, you can nail planks to the wall. At each wall stud, you need to use a nail gun in order to drive brad nails into the groove of each plank. It is important that the nails don’t stick out into the groove, due to the reason that this will disrupt the installation. Now, it is time to double-check your first row with the help of the laser level, and make any adjustments if necessary.
Step 4: Start The Next Row
After the first row, it is not necessary to connect all the planks in a row before installing. Instead, you need to square-up and determine the short edges of each plank by trimming away the tongue with the help of a utility knife.
Step 5: Connect The Second Row With The First
Firmly link or connect the first as well as the second rows by tilting the tongue and groove edges together. Hammer and tapping block can be used, if needed. Make sure there are no gaps betwixt the planks in each row, which can be done using a tapping block or pull bar. Then fasten them to the wall using nails like you did the first row.
Step 6: Continue Installation
Follow these steps for successive rows in order to keep installing the laminate as long as you fully cover the accent wall area. You may need a step stool when it comes to completing the higher rows. Reinstall any trim or moldings you formerly removed, and restore power if you switched it off.