Which Side Of Laminate Floor Is Tongue

Step 1 layout the first few rows of laminate or vinyl plank flooring.

Which side of laminate floor is tongue.

Cut the final piece as needed on your miter saw leaving a 1 4 inch expansion gap. Install the tongue towards the wall you are starting on. The opposite side the bottom side will contain the groove edge which is a larger wider side that contains a lip to hold the boards together when locked. The tongue should be removed from the long side of all of the planks in the first row and from the short end on only the first plank.

Clip the boards together end to end. A simple underlayment of foam sheeting is usually sufficient as a base for laminate planks. Use the rubber mallet to tap the board and close the gap. Most diyers can complete laminate floor installation in one day.

Planks can be cut with a hand saw circular saw or flooring cutter and most laminate flooring comes in planks that simply snap together with a tongue. Which side is the tongue which the groove and which goes first during installation the tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate flooring installation. The tongue on laminate flooring is the small flat edge on one side of the board this is the top edge that is going to angle and lock into the bottom side of another board. Laminate flooring can usually be installed successfully right over old floor coverings such as sheet vinyl provided the surface is flat and smooth and not soft or cushiony.

Lay your first course of tongue and groove laminate floorboards down along the starting wall with the groove side facing the wall. Move down the line of boards until all of the gaps are closed along that line of laminate planks. Let s get started and i will show you how to install the first row of laminate flooring. For proper installation the subfloor or old flooring surface must be flat smooth and clean.

This foundation i m talking about is at least 4 rows of planks. The short width sides of tongue and groove flooring planks also feature either a ridge or a groove which creates a fully interconnecting floor when installed. Similar to the snap together laminate flooring the tongue and groove system is meant to be installed so that the overall pieces interlock with other. In fact laminate flooring can be installed in almost every room in your home including kitchens since it doesn t have to be glued down and doesn t involve grout or mortar.

Prepare the subfloor. If you mix the two up and start with the groove side you will have difficulty completing the installation because you will essentially be.