ᐅ Installing Laminate Flooring

Hello dear forum members!

How did you install your laminate flooring?

We are getting laminate in several rooms (living room, kitchen, hallway, etc.) because we have 7 fluffy housemates who are already allowed to move freely on the floor in the apartment, which we certainly won’t forbid them from doing in the house. Now, the thing is, I can’t guarantee that they won’t ever have an accident and that we humans will notice it right away. So, a hidden flood scenario...

We have already considered the type of flooring (carpet – not suitable for multiple guinea pigs, cork – no idea and we don’t like it, linoleum – also no idea and not our taste, vinyl – very suitable but definitely not for the living room, tiles or similar – also not to our taste, …). In the end, only parquet and laminate remained. From experience, I know that the finish on parquet floors suffers a lot when pets are not constantly supervised (the “wet spots” damage the finish).

So we decided on laminate. And as usual, you get as many expert opinions as questions you ask.

Question: How can laminate flooring (we always talked about the same model) be made moisture resistant?

Salesperson 1: The edges of this laminate are sealed and very precise. Nothing can happen. Just in case, there is a “click-seal” you can put between the joints.

Salesperson 2: You definitely need the “click-seal” on the edges.

Production company technician 1: Regular snapping together is enough. If you want, you can add a “click-seal.” But glue would be better.

Salesperson 3: Definitely no “click-seal,” it ruins the floor because it forces the joints apart… If anything, glue. But that’s not really good either.

Production company technician 2: Gluing is not necessary. Nothing can happen anyway since the edges are precise and sealed. We should not use the “click-seal” because it can push the edges apart.

We will start installing the flooring this weekend. Let’s see what we decide to do. Reports to follow...

Hello meissel,
waxed parquet would have been the best solution, but it is in a different price range compared to laminate. With laminate, there is the already known issue that the core material can swell if it gets exposed to moisture.
Laminate that has been fully treated by the manufacturer with a hydrophobic coating would be the second-best option. It is important that this treatment is applied to all sides, including the end grain, meaning the narrow edges.

Click-lock flooring is recommended by some manufacturers and installers, but not by others; unfortunately, I cannot comment on this as I have no experience with it. It is best to consult the laminate manufacturer regarding the suitability for click-lock systems.

The Klick Dicht system is quite suitable for temporarily holding back water and protecting the laminate from swelling. However, it is not completely waterproof, and if your little creatures do this frequently, it could become a problem. After all, these small rodents might sometimes get a taste for the laminate 🙂

Solid hardwood flooring would be more useful here than laminate, but it also costs much more. I have had good experiences with laminate and pets. Click-lock flooring is also a good solution, as the joints are well sealed. One tube is enough for 10 to 12 square meters (108 to 129 square feet).

seiler schrieb:
Clearly, solid wood parquet would be more suitable here than laminate, but it is also much more expensive. I have had good experiences with laminate and pets. The click-seal system is also a good solution, as it effectively seals the joints. One tube is enough for 10 to 12 m (11 to 13 yd)².

I always thought click-seal was the system that allows you to additionally seal laminate, so that’s new to me. What kind of tubes are you referring to, Seiler?

I have also installed laminate flooring, and the click system is the method used for installation. Nowadays, laminate can be installed in almost any area. It is important that the subfloor is dry, level, and clean. This must be given a lot of attention.