You can install a floating laminate floor in a weekend. A hardwood floor can provide your home with a traditional feeling. The grain patterns inside the wood and the stain applied to the surface may help make your home more attractive. If installing a hardwood floor is not an option, you can install a floating laminate floor. This is a type of floor consisting of engineered wooden planks that are covered in a laminate finish with a wood-grain pattern. It's called a floating floor because instead of having the individual planks nailed to the subfloor, they are locked together using a tongue-and-groove system. Installing a floating laminate floor may be an ideal way to cover your old vinyl flooring. Remove the molding (called quarter-round) along the edge of the baseboard with a pry bar. Take care when removing the quarter-round if you want to reinstall it after the laminate flooring is complete. Vacuum the surface of the vinyl floor to remove any debris. Wash the vinyl flooring with a mild detergent, and allow it to dry.

Lay a piece of foam underlayment and a panel of laminate flooring against the door jambs inside the room. If necessary, cut the bottom edges of the jambs so you can slide the foam and laminate underneath it. Make the cuts by lying a flush-cut dovetail saw on top of the laminate and sawing the jamb. Cover the vinyl flooring with foam underlayment. This provides a barrier between the laminate and the vinyl, and provides some cushioning to the laminate floor. Cut the foam with a utility knife, and join separate pieces by placing duct tape over the seams. Place 1/4-inch spacers against the baseboard every two feet around the perimeter of the room. The spacers keep a gap between the flooring and the walls to allow the laminate to expand and contract with changes in temperature. Lay the first board in place against one of the long walls of the room. Position the board so the tongue on the long edge is facing you, and the groove on the side edge is against the spacer. Apply a bead of glue to the tongue on the side edge of the board.

Hook the groove on the side of the second board onto the tongue and press the board into place. Wipe away any glue that seeps up through the joint. Only use a glue approved by the manufacturer for the laminate flooring you're installing. Continue laying the first course of boards until you reach the other side of the room. If a full-sized board won't fit on the end, measure the distance between the edge of the last board and the spacer against the wall, and cut a board to fit with a circular saw. Wear safety goggles when using the saw. Install the board and lock it into place by sliding the edge of a pry bar between the spacer and the board, then forcing the boards together. Cut a board in half with the circular saw. One half of this board is the first board installed in the second course. This allows you to stagger the boards in the second course, strengthening the flooring and making it look better. Install the second course of boards, using the same process; this time, add the glue not only to the tongues on the side edges, but the tongues on the backs of the boards in the first course.

Place a tapping block against tongues of the boards in the second course, and gently tap the block with a hammer. This tightens together the boards in the two courses. Continue laying laminate floor boards until you reach the other side of the room. Old Red Theatre CurtainsStagger the boards in each course as you lay them. Seattle Cost Of Living Increase 2014Apply painter's tape over the joints every sixth course to help keep them tight while the glue cures. Weight Loss Doctor Northern NjMeasure the distance between the end of the floorboards and the spacers on the back wall, and cut floor boards to fit. Measure and cut notches for the doorways into the boards with a jigsaw. Remove the spacers along the back wall and apply glue to the tongues of the last course of boards.

Install the last course of boards by fitting the grooves over the tongues of the previous course. Tighten the joints by sliding the pry bar between the wall and the last course and pushing the boards together. Replace the tile spacers and allow the glue to cure for at least 12 hours. Remove the glue and painter's tape from the floor. Nail the quarter-round back into position along the baseboard to conceal the gap between the floor and the wall. The flooring industry is a broad one, with literally hundreds of flooring choices available to most consumers. Although some comparison reports on flooring exist, they are generally confined to a specific type of flooring, such as wood or vinyl. To help homeowners sort through the many available options, this article focuses on the pros and cons of the various types, along with tips on what to look for and what flooring types are most suitable for specific situations. Due to the large amount of information available, this report focuses strictly on flooring, not carpeting.

The best sources we found on flooring were consumer education publications. Consumer Reports has an excellent, highly comprehensive flooring report that covers several different types of flooring and compares them based on durability in diverse situations. magazine offers both comprehensive flooring information and comparisons, but is limited to wood and wood-type flooring products. Both of these sites require a paid subscription for full access to information. Two non-subscription sites also provided valuable information. Better Homes and Gardens magazine offers several online articles with information about types of flooring and how to buy the best flooring to suit your needs. , offering a surprisingly non-commercial look at flooring types, pros and cons of each, and installation tips. Most sites also include information on whether you can install flooring yourself. We also found good information on some commercial sites, but these sites were generally focused on marketing their products and/or services, biasing their information.