So, it’s been years since you changed and updated your floors in your home, the laminate floor has seen better days, what do you do? You want to install something new and fresh!
You can remove laminate flooring very easily, as all the parts join and disjoin like a jigsaw, but be careful as the edges can be very fragile and you have to disassemble the panels carefully if you want to reuse the boards somewhere else.
Advantages to Remove Laminate Flooring
Did you know that laminate flooring floats on the subfloor, which means it isn’t attached by glue or nails, if you did have to the glue and nails would be difficult to separate? That isn’t true of most contemporary laminates. They have a locking mechanism that simply unlocks when you want to separate them.
The Perimeter to Remove laminate
Pry off the baseboards from the perimeter of the floor and from any posts or other features in the middle of the floor, using a pry bar. The baseboards should be hiding a 1/4-inch gap between the flooring and the wall. You need that gap to begin the disassembly.
The side towards the groove of the floorboards is easier to remove, but by looking in the gap on both sides of the room you will need to separate the boards and its important to pull them towards the side, then you can start to disassemble them by each corner of the boards.
Clean the Rubber Face
You will need to push the board lengthways towards the wall, and when it disengages from the plank next to it. Then once you’ve done that, push it sideways to disengage it from the other plank to which it’s attached and lift out when it comes free of both boards
Work down the row, removing all the planks that are against the wall in the same way. After that, remove the row so that you room to stand on the subfloor.
What about the First Plank?
The First plank is next to remove, but you will need to disengage the end first. While standing on the subfloor, lift the free side about 4 inches off the ground and pull the plank gently towards you – it should unsnap easily.
Here’s a tip for you, use the lift and pull technique to separate all the planks in that row as a unit, then separate them from the end with the same procedure.
What tools will I need?
When removing the laminate flooring, you will need the correct tools for the job… and equipment which will help lift up the boards from the subfloor. You will need the following:
- A Pry Bar
- Rubber-faced grouting float
Work carefully, the locking mechanisms are often made from medium density fibreboard, which can break very easily. However, the rubber float may make a black dirty mark on the surfaces on some of the planks. But this shall come off easily, so don’t worry.
If the boards are glued together, the easiest way to remove them is to heat the joints with a heater gun. This technique will soften the glue enough, making it easier to separate them. If this doesn’t work either, you may have to pry the boards apart, but this will stop you from reusing the boards again if you decide that you wanted them installed in another room.
Warning! Please do avoid trying to pry the planks apart with a pry bar or screwdriver, as both of these tools will leave noticeable marks and damage on the edges of the boards.
Home of the Laminate Flooring Company
Laminate Flooring is based here at Floor Coverings Local, and has been serving customers laminate flooring and other flooring options throughout Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Wakefield and the surrounding areas since 1991.
Our mobile flooring shop will bring carpets, vinyl flooring, laminate flooring, solid wood flooring and carpet tiles, direct to your door. Being mobile allows us to visit you at your convenience and give you professional help and advice to help you choose the right carpet or flooring for your home.
