How to connect old and new laminate. How to connect laminate flooring between rooms with and without thresholds. With the use of thresholds

What is a laminate, I think everyone knows. This stuff is very popular right now. Excellent appearance and quite affordable price - these are the main factors that people take into account when choosing this flooring for their home or apartment. How to lay laminate This is what we are going to try to figure out now.

As usual, we start with surface preparation. To begin with, our subfloor needs to be examined for any irregularities. Basically, manufacturers allow unevenness up to 2 mm per meter of floor area. Those. You take an even rail (level, rule) 1 meter long and apply it to the floor in different places and in different directions, determining the presence of depressions and bumps.

Differences on concrete floors are leveled with a thin screed device from self-leveling bulk mixtures. If you have uneven wooden floors, then it is advisable to put chipboard or plywood on them. Good for laying laminate flooring. It is important to understand here that the more irregularities on the base, the more likely there are gaps between the laminate panels. When walking on the floor in places of unevenness, the panels bend relative to each other, the interlocks gradually wear out. And the lower the quality of the laminate itself, the faster the cracks will appear.

The next step is to lay the underlay. Its thickness is usually from 2 to 4 mm. It is not worth making the substrate thicker, this will again lead to wear of the locks. The choice of substrates is now very diverse. The cheapest are obtained from polyethylene foams (penofol, polyfoam, isolon and many others).

Cork substrates are more environmentally friendly, but also more expensive. There are substrates made of extruded polystyrene foam, made in the form of rectangular sheets. One side is ribbed. When laying, it should be facing down.

In general, the choice is large, and besides, it is constantly replenished. To be honest, I can't advise what to choose. I never felt any noticeable difference. As usual with every manufacturer, his product is the best. Let me just say that the service life of all the above types of substrates is much higher than that of the laminate itself, so any of them is quite acceptable.

When laying laminate on a concrete base, additional waterproofing must be spread under the substrate. It can be, for example, a simple polyethylene film 0.2 mm thick or any other waterproofing film.

Before laying, the laminate should lie in the room for at least 2 days so that it adapts to the temperature and humidity of the room. Laying is recommended to be done along the direction of sunlight. When laid across, the joints give small shadows and they become a little more noticeable, spoiling the integrity of the appearance.

In general, there are two ways to install a laminate:

adhesive;
castle.

The adhesive laying method has one good advantage - the joints are reliably protected from moisture penetration. As a result, the service life of the coating is increased. But the laying process itself is more complicated and time-consuming (compared to the castle), besides, there are additional costs for glue. In rooms where a floor heating system is installed, it is not recommended to use this method.

Glue laying is carried out by applying a special water-repellent glue to the ends of the panels (sold together with the laminate). Under no circumstances should a water-based adhesive (e.g. PVA) be used. This will cause the joints to swell. Glue is applied to the panel groove along the entire length. Then the groove is joined with the spike of the previously laid panel. The connection is sealed with light hammer blows through a wooden block. Excess glue is wiped off with a damp cloth.

After laying 3 rows of panels, it is better to let the glue dry for a couple of hours. Then we lay the floor to the end. The coating can be put into operation 10-12 hours after installation is completed.

The adhesive method of laying is now used less and less. There is practically no such laminate on sale. It is being squeezed out of the market by lock panels. This is due to the ease of installation of the latter. Moreover, the coating of the lock laminate can even be disassembled without damaging the panels and, for example, transferred to another room. Although, to be honest, I have never heard of anyone doing this.

Locks from all manufacturers of laminate have their own characteristics and differences. But in general, all of them can be divided into 2 groups: Click and lock.

When laying laminate with locks such as lock one panel is driven into another with a hammer. Thanks to special combs, the spike is securely fixed in the groove without the use of glue.

Type locks Click appeared later and are considered to be of better quality and wear-resistant. They are mounted by turning one panel into another at an angle (30-45º). Then it is pressed to the floor and the lock snaps into place. I’ll add on my own that you still have to hammer the laminate with a hammer, although manufacturers don’t write about this on the instructions.

The installation sequence of the laminate of all the types described above is almost the same. Laying starts from the left corner of the room. Before laying the 1st row, it is necessary to measure the width of the room and calculate how wide the last row will be. Otherwise, it may turn out that you cover the whole room and at the end there will be a gap of 2-3 cm along the wall. You can’t close it with a plinth, and such a narrow strip of laminate will not hold well. The width must be at least 5 cm. To do this, you will need to cut the panels of the first row to length.

Between the laminate and the walls it is necessary to leave a gap for thermal expansion. Usually it is made about 1 cm. The main thing is that it is then closed with a plinth.

So we collect the first row of laminate from left to right. The rightmost panel basically always needs to be cut off (do not forget the gaps). From the remaining piece, you can start the next row, so we get the necessary spacing of the seams. It is recommended that this difference be at least 30 cm.

Having typed the first row between the laminate and the walls, we insert wedges to provide the necessary clearance, while you need to monitor the straightness of the row. Actually, I do things a little differently. When knocking panels of subsequent rows with a hammer, the wedges often fly out, the straightness of the row is disturbed, in general, it is inconvenient. Therefore, I fix the first row with self-tapping screws with washers (if we lay them on a wooden floor) or dowel-nails with washers (if the floor is concrete). I screw them in the corners and at the joints of the panels of the first row. After finishing the installation of the laminate, be sure to unscrew it.

When laying laminate with glue and with hammer type locks lock each subsequent panel is first joined along the long edge, then along the end.

When laying laminate with lock type Click first, a whole series of panels is assembled and then it is completely inserted into the previous one. With a large width of the room alone, it is inconvenient to do this, it is better together.

When installing for tamping laminate panels, it is convenient to use a special set of tools. If this is not available, knock the laminate through a piece of panel (10-15 cm), inserting it into the groove with a spike. When installing the rightmost panels of the row and the entire last row, you can wring it out of the wall with a small nail puller, only carefully, through the lining, so as not to damage the walls and laminate.

After completing the installation, you need to install the skirting boards, and they can only be fixed to the wall, and not to the floor.

Laminate is a modern floor covering with a number of advantages. First of all, these are high aesthetic qualities, affordable cost and ease of installation.

Thanks to this, the laminate has firmly become one of the most popular floor coverings, but its installation has a number of its own nuances. One such stumbling block is the junction between laminate and laminate flooring.

The appearance of the floors in the apartment will depend on how well the laminate is connected between the rooms. Consider in our article how to connect the laminate to each other correctly.

Docking options

Laminate Lock Types

It is quite simple to dock individual laminate floorboards with each other - they have special locks on the side that are designed to connect them. However, the problem is usually not how to join the floorboards together, but the connection of two varieties of laminate flooring - say, at the border of the living room and hallway.

Inside the apartment, the docking of the laminate is usually done only in two cases:

If in adjacent rooms a laminate flooring is laid, which differs from each other in color, texture or size of the boards.
If you need to make an aesthetic transition in one room between two types of laminated boards.

The latter option is becoming more and more common, as floor compositions of several types of laminate flooring are today a hit in interior design.

Preparation of mating surfaces

Only a flat base will allow the laminate to last a long time.

Before you join the laminate, you should take into account a few nuances, the observance of which will greatly simplify the work and increase the period of subsequent operation of floor coverings.

The base of the floors in adjoining rooms must be perfectly flat and without horizontal level differences at the point where the two floor coverings will join. Otherwise, a noticeable butt joint with a height difference may form in this place.
If the floors at the junction are sufficiently even, the decorative coating itself can deliver a problem. The fact is that the thickness of the laminated floor can vary significantly - the thickness of the floorboards can vary from 0.6 to 1.2 cm. Therefore, when buying two flooring options that you plan to connect, pay attention to their thickness. However, this problem can be solved with the help of special multi-level connecting profiles.
The technology of the floor “pie” device (waterproofing - substrate - topcoat) should be the same for both coatings.
If it is planned to produce a joint between a laminate and a laminate, then both coatings must belong to the same resistance class. This will avoid a situation where one surface has already become unusable, while the other will still be quite suitable for further use.

Docking of the lamellas should be done with a gap of at least 0.5 - 1 cm. This is an expansion joint that prevents warping of the coating with increasing humidity and temperature changes.

Types of thresholds for docking

Thresholds neatly close the joints of the laminate with other floor coverings

In addition to skirting boards and a special substrate, the standard kit for laying laminated boards also includes connecting strips, often referred to as thresholds. On the modern market of finishing materials there is a large selection of docking profiles.

Thresholds for laminate can close the unevenness of the joining of the lamellas (floorboards) among themselves and hide small differences in height along the seam. Their value can be from 0.3 to 2 cm, which allows you to connect almost any type of laminate.

For the manufacture of a docking profile, a variety of materials can be used: steel, aluminum, plastic, cork, composite materials. The sills can be made in a variety of colors and textures. For more information about the junction of laminate and tiles, see this video:

The profile is attached to the floor surface with dowel-nails or self-tapping screws. It is also possible to install connecting elements using liquid nails and other adhesive compositions.

It is important that the surfaces are at the same level

From the point of view of design features, sills can be divided into several types:

As corner profiles, it is best to install elements made of unpainted metal. The fact is that corner profiles are especially prone to abrasion, so the sills made of plastic or painted metal will quickly lose their appearance.

Installation of docking profiles

Thresholds for laminate are mounted in three ways - open, closed and combined.

open way

Mark out before drilling holes

In an open way, decorative sills for laminate are fastened with self-tapping screws or dowel-nails. To do this, the docking profile has special holes for fasteners.

To do this, using a hacksaw for metal or a grinder, a threshold of the desired length is cut off and placed in place. We mark the points where the screws will enter the floor, and drill these places. We insert special plastic plugs into the holes, re-install the profile on the laminate and fasten it to the screws.

Closed way

The closed technology is more aesthetically pleasing, since in this case no self-tapping screws are visible on the profile surface. In this case, the threshold between the laminate and other coatings is fixed with strong adhesives - liquid nails, concentrated PVA glue, etc. For installation of thresholds without self-tapping screws, see this video:

In this case, the glue is applied to the inside of the profile, after which the threshold is set in place and pressed strongly for a while.

Another way to close fixation is to use a special snap-in profile.

In this case, the lower part of the structure - the mounting plate - is attached directly to the floor using self-tapping screws.

The upper decorative part is attached to it by simply snapping clips.

Combined method

In this embodiment, both glue and self-tapping screws or dowels are used to install the docking element.

A combined installation method is used when fastening sills of great length or with a large radius of curvature for their better fixation.

Subject to all the technologies for installing thresholds, you can get a beautiful joint between two floor coverings. The right choice of material and its installation are one of the conditions for the durability of laminate flooring.

There was an opinion that laying a laminate floor is quite simple. We will not dispute it, but in the process of work, depending on the specific circumstances, certain difficulties may arise. The most common problem arises when it is necessary to connect one coating to another. A similar situation occurs even when the entire apartment is covered with the same laminated material. You still have to face the question of how to join the laminate between rooms, use a threshold or do without it. Here everything depends not only on the design solution, but also on the technical preparedness and expertise of the laying specialist.

The joint between laminate and laminate is made under the following circumstances:

By combining laminate, you can perform all sorts of design solutions. For example, it is possible to visually increase the size of the room. To do this, docking of the same coating in the room is performed without setting thresholds.

By combining different materials it is possible to create a unique interior. It is possible to join laminated panels of different shades or textures in the space of one room. The connection of the boards is done in accordance with the overall design.

Note: at present, the combination of two floor materials in the design of a room is becoming an increasingly used artistic technique, as a result of which the interior design of a room acquires a special charm and originality.

Preparation for bonding laminate flooring

Recall that for laying laminated panels, the base must be well prepared, leveled and cleaned of all contaminants. For joining two floor materials, this condition is also necessary.

To join a laminate with a laminate, it must be foreseen that the panels can have different thicknesses, it is 6 - 12 mm. The best way is to purchase laminated boards, underlays of the same thickness, in order to avoid the slightest difference in the height of the surfaces. It is very good if materials from the same manufacturer are to be joined, so that they have the same type of locking joints, the same strength class, and hence the service life.

How to join a laminate with a laminate, with or without a threshold, and which profile should be used for the laminate joint?

There are several options for joining laminate to laminate. Consider the most common and less complex.

Most often, the connection of laminated surfaces occurs when moving from one room to another, that is, in a doorway. Here it is necessary to leave a technological gap. In its absence, the formation of deformation, swelling of the floor surface is likely. The gap left must be filled in some way. How to close the joints of the laminate?

Laminate joint in a doorway

To our joy, all these questions have been thought out for a long time, the answers to them have long existed, our task is to take ready-made solutions and apply them correctly. Coating manufacturers also produce a variety of components. These include: substrates, skirting boards, connecting strips for laminate. Planks for connection are also called threshold, molding, profile for connection. They vary in shape and are made from various materials.

Profile form

According to the forms, the docking strips for the laminate can be divided in this way:

The considered products carry a decorative load, but not only. When installing a laminated floor, a technological gap is required, which the connecting profiles make hidden, protect against damage and at the same time allow them to have an aesthetic appearance.

Threshold materials

Connecting profiles are made from various materials.

Laminated - made from compressed wood fibers, a laminated film with decoration is applied on top. A wide variety of colors and textures, so it is easy to match the decor of the joined laminate. The connection looks aesthetically pleasing and, with the right selection, is almost imperceptible. Often installed at the junction of a doorway.
Metal - aluminum, brass, steel; the top is covered with a decorative film. It is characterized by high strength, due to which it is installed in places with high traffic, for example: doorways.
PVC profile is a flexible joint profile for laminate, excellent for making wave-like joints. They are produced with a wide variety of colors, i.e. well matched to the color of the joined surface. Relatively inexpensive.
Rubber - more often an angular profile for decorating stairs. They are anti-slip, increase the safety of walking on stairs.

There are several ways to design a seam line:

using thresholds, profiles;
use of a cork compensator;
use of building sealants.

With all its advantages:

ease of installation;
beautiful view of the joint;
no threshold - not used very often.

The point is their serious shortcomings:

after their application, it is impossible to dismantle the panels in contact with the connecting compound without damage;
when filling the joint with sealant or foam, the laminate loses its ability to expand, this can lead to damage to the coating.

Installation of connecting profiles

Aluminum moldings can be mounted in an open-mounted manner using dowels and self-tapping screws. On the aluminum bar there are already ready-made holes for self-tapping screws, accessories are sold together with a metal threshold.

Aluminum threshold, open fitting

Decorative fastening method - looks more attractive, fastening is not visible, it is hidden under a decorative nozzle.

The mounting profile is connected to the base with self-tapping screws. A decorative nozzle is laid on top, pressed until it clicks. It covers the traces of fastening, and the joint looks pretty.

How to attach a universal profile:

Docking laminate and linoleum

This combination of materials is quite common. Both coatings are of high quality, but it is necessary to correctly and aesthetically arrange their joint. The strength of the floor covering and the interior of the room depend on this.

Consider the connection case: the thickness of the linoleum is much less than the thickness of the laminated panels with the substrate. There are two ways to connect in this case:

joint in one level;
joint at different levels of surfaces.

CONCLUSION

Now you know how to connect laminate with linoleum at the junction, how to connect laminate joints with laminate between rooms, it remains to translate all this into reality. Big problems when docking coatings will not arise if everything is done according to the instructions. If the connection line is complex or too long, it is better to entrust the connection of surfaces to specialists.

The level of repair and the overall interior of the renovated premises largely depend on such small but important points as the design of the joints of the coatings.

Laying laminate is not as easy as it seems at first glance. This process has a lot of nuances, the observance of which is important for the successful completion of the procedure. And the correct joining of the laminate between rooms, as well as with other coatings, just refers to these aspects of proper installation. The procedure is simple, but it is important to know how to join the laminate between rooms. Only with the necessary knowledge, it will be possible to create neat and beautiful floors.

How to dock laminate and tile - photo

This material, which is a rectangular long slats, which consist of several layers, is one of the most sought after floor coverings on the market. It is characterized by high strength, attractive appearance, ease of installation. The coating itself, created from a laminate, can serve for many years if strips of the appropriate quality were used for manufacturing, and they were correctly laid.

On a note! The thickness of one lamella varies between 9-11 mm. The width is 19.5 cm, and the length of the bar can be up to 185 cm.

The coating consists of several layers, its base is made of fiberboard, and other layers are located above and below it. From above, the coating is covered with a special protection made of melamine resin, under which there is a layer responsible for giving the material a certain color (for example, imitation of a cut of wood or stone). The bottom layer also performs a protective function. Thanks to the top layer, the coating is not afraid of exposure to ultraviolet rays, moisture and other external factors.

Laminate does not like water, and its side, unlike the bottom or top, usually does not have moisture protection. That is why it is important to correctly lay the material so that there are no gaps between the individual lamellas. However, often when laying the flooring in an apartment between separate rooms or other rooms, you have to join the lamellas - it is not always possible to lay the laminate in one continuous cover. Also, often this type of coating is joined with other types of materials for finishing the floor - for example, tiles, linoleum, etc.

On a note! Since laminate does not like water, it is rarely installed in rooms with high humidity. These are kitchens, bathrooms, bathrooms. Ceramic tiles usually take their rightful place there. And it is also very important to properly and beautifully dock with the laminate.

Prices for laminate "Tarkett"

tarkett laminate

Why you need a connection

Why is it so important to correctly arrange the joints of the laminate between rooms? There are several correct answers to this question:

individual sections of the coating are sometimes easier to dock between rooms than to continue to lay out the coating all over;
according to the recommendations of experts, every 7-8 meters between the rows of laminate should be gaps about 10-15 mm wide. They are necessary to compensate for the thermal expansion of the slats;
the design of the joints is necessary for joining different types of laminate, the interlocks of which do not match;
the procedure is performed with a combination of lamellas of different colors or different coatings when zoning a room;
it is also indispensable in the design of steps, if the room has a podium.

By itself, the locking connection between the lamellas is quite strong and reliable; it will not allow individual parts of the coating to walk. But the laminate is a “live” coating, it is able to change its dimensions depending on the temperature and humidity of the air, either expanding or narrowing. That is why the presence of deformation gaps is necessary. Still, the laminate has in its structure a wood component, which reacts sharply to changes in humidity and temperature.

On a note! Such deformation gaps must also remain along the walls along the perimeter of the room. Otherwise, the coating may bulge over time.

Thus, it is necessary to do the docking of individual parts of the coating and not always the reason is that it is required to connect the floors in separate rooms. It will also look ugly if you leave different types of coatings without joining.

How to join laminate

Connecting individual laminate planks between two rooms can be done in several ways. It can be docking with locks, directly available on the lamellas, docking with thresholds, cork compensator or adhesive mixtures such as sealants or mounting foam.

lock connection suitable if the same planks of the coating are joined, having the same structure and height. Simply put, when lamellas from the same batch are used. In this case, the locks will match exactly. Also, the method is suitable for small premises, where additional compensation gaps between the coating areas are simply not needed.

Nuts are used more often than other elements for docking. This is due to the simplicity of their installation, availability and low cost - you can buy sills at any hardware store for little money. The profile is simply screwed or glued (depending on the type of product) to the gap remaining between the laid sections of the coatings. This gap will be sufficient so that the lamellas can easily expand if necessary, and the coating will not rear up. By the way, sills can be made from a variety of materials, but standard metal ones are most often used. Their length can also vary.

On a note! With the help of thresholds, you can join a variety of types of floor coverings among themselves, including laminate with ceramic tiles or laminate with linoleum.

It is usually used only to connect two sections of a laminated coating, less often - to connect different types of coatings. Such a product will allow you to avoid the presence of gaps on the floor at all, since cork is a rather soft material and will simply wrinkle when the coating expands, and when it shrinks, it will return to its original shape again. The cork compensator is laid already immediately after the installation of the entire coating - with the help of a small spatula, as it were, it is inserted into the cavity of the remaining gap. Usually the cork is not even visible to the naked eye, since the color rarely differs from the coating itself. And if necessary, it can be tinted with a marker or paint.

Sealant and foam are used less often as they can stain the surface of the coating. But on the other hand, with their help, you can hide gaps of any width and join sections of coatings that have rather bizarre shapes. It is important to immediately remove excess material after application, otherwise after drying they will leave ugly marks. The main disadvantage of the method is the impossibility of dismantling this section of the panels if necessary. Also, due to the sealant, the lamellas cannot expand, which means that the method can only be used in small areas.

Sometimes connecting elements are produced together with the laminate. They are ideal for joining individual sections of the coating. They cost, as a rule, more than universal connecting elements. Typically, only large and well-known manufacturers of laminated flooring produce such options.

Types of connecting strips

All connectors for individual sections of flooring can be divided into several categories. They are divided by the type of material from which they are made, as well as by shape.

Table. What can sills be made from?

Type / material of manufacture	Peculiarities
	This type of sills is made from pressed wood shavings, in other words, these are MDF moldings. They have a laminated coating on the top, which gives the desired color to the product. Usually selected in accordance with the texture of the lamellae. They allow you to discreetly and beautifully join individual sections of the laminate floor. The disadvantage is that MDF moldings are afraid of moisture.
	It can be made of several types of metal - aluminum, brass, steel. The surface has a decorative finish, which is often done in gold, wood or silver. Due to the high strength of the product, they are usually installed in places with high traffic and a significant impact on the floor covering.
	Quite flexible and suitable for the design of figured joints between coatings. Such a threshold is made of plastic, it is inexpensive, it can be made in almost any color. The main drawback is the fragility, which is why such a threshold quickly loses its appearance.
	It usually looks like an angular profile and is used if you need to decorate the edges of stairs or podiums. Made from rubber. Strong, durable product with no sharp edges.
	A rather expensive option for sills, which is rarely used for joining laminate. It is more often used for the design of joints between individual sections of a natural wooden floor. The nut is difficult to care for, constantly requires varnishing and polishing.

Combined floor in the hallway - tiles and laminate

Also, profiles for decorating joints can have a different shape. They are:

direct- these are used to form joints between two types of laminate or between a laminate and other coatings. The main thing is that they have the same height, otherwise it will be inconvenient to fasten the sills;
transitional- this version of the nut is useful just for joining multi-level coatings;
corner- such a threshold is useful if you need to connect two perpendicular surfaces to each other, for example, when decorating podiums and stairs;
final– allow you to close the edge of the last lath of the laminate.

What to consider before starting installation work?

Before you start joining two separate sections of the laminate flooring or connecting it to another type of floor finish, you should take into account several features and make sure that all the necessary requirements for the working conditions have been met. For example, the installation of a laminate and its docking can only be carried out if the rough base is perfectly even. There shouldn't be any gaps.

On a note! The maximum horizontal deviation of the floor prepared for laying the laminate should not exceed 2 mm.

Also, do not lay and immediately acquired laminate. He must necessarily lie down in the room for two days before starting work. Otherwise, the coating will most likely heave over time, and even the presence of compensation gaps will not save the situation.

Laminate installation can be carried out only at positive temperatures. Work begins from the farthest corner of the room from the exit. It is also recommended to orient the lamellas along the direction of incidence of light rays, so the joints between the lamellas will be minimally noticeable.

Mounting of connecting strips

Let's see how the installation of connector thresholds is carried out, which are necessary for joining individual sections of the laminate between rooms.

Step 1. The first step is to measure the threshold and doorway. It is necessary to make sure that the product enters the opening and completely closes the deformation gap along the entire length.

Step 2 The threshold is applied to the installation site, markings are applied through the holes in it, which will allow you to outline the drilling points of the rough base. Dowel holes should be drilled in the center of the gap and not on the surface of the laminate. The location of the nut is also noted.

Step 3 At the marking site, holes are made in the subfloor. The diameter of the drill should be optimal for the size of the dowels included with the nut.

Step 4 Dowels are inserted into the holes made in the floor.

Step 5 The sill is placed in its intended place.

Step 6 The strap is fixed with self-tapping screws, which are screwed into plastic dowels and tightened tightly.

On sale there are also sills with hidden fasteners. In this case, you will have to act as follows.

Step 1. As in the previous case, the threshold and doorway are measured, and then markings are applied to the subfloor in the places where the dowels will be inserted.

Step 2 The nut with hidden fasteners has a groove on the reverse side into which the heads of the self-tapping screws are inserted. The dowels are screwed onto the self-tapping screws immediately.

Step 3 According to the previously applied marks, holes are made for the dowels.

Step 4 The nut is attached to the gap, which must be closed with it. Dowels fixed on self-tapping screws, moving along the groove, are inserted into the holes made by the perforator.

On a note! There are also self-adhesive sills on sale, on the wrong side they have a special adhesive tape that allows you to fix the product in the right place.

Video - Nut mounting option

Joining laminate and tiles

If you need to join the laminate and tiles, you can act in the same way as when installing metal thresholds, or you can use another version of the docking profile - a cork compensator.

Step 1. To install a flexible cork expansion joint, you will need to cut it not only to the required length of the doorway, but also in height so that it does not protrude above the surface of the coatings.

Step 2 The laminate at this stage has already been laid, you need to start laying the tiles. But first, the cork sill itself is glued to the base with the help of reliable building glue. First, glue is applied to the rough base along the edge of the laminate, on which the threshold is then laid, but is not temporarily pressed.

Step 3 Acrylic sealant is also used to seal the gaps between the cork compensator and the laminate. Then the cork expansion joint is pressed against the subfloor and the laminate.

Step 4 Excess sealant is removed with a sponge dipped in water. The surface is then wiped with a dry cloth.

Step 5 In the traditional way, on the other side of the cork compensator, ceramic tiles are laid on the glue.

In general, joining laminate and tiles is necessary to achieve aesthetic harmony, extend the life of coatings, and protect the joint from water.

Video - Option for joining laminate and tiles

It is not difficult to join individual sections of a laminate or different types of floor coverings to each other. The main thing is to know how it's done. In general, if you follow the installation instructions, difficulties should not arise even for novice craftsmen.

When laying laminate, it is often necessary to join it with another floor covering at the border of rooms or zones. Sometimes, in places where it is laid, heating or water supply pipes come out of the floor. Finally, the joints of the floor and walls are inevitable.

Since the laminate is subject to thermal expansion, its connection with other materials should not be rigid. In the same time, the joint must be sealed or covered from above so that it looks neat, and so that there is no gap left in which garbage will clog.

Sealing laminate joints with other floor coverings

The need to join two types of laminate or laminate with other floor coverings usually arises in doorways, as well as in a room divided into zones. The width of the compensation gap at the joint of the coatings is calculated according to the principle: 0.5-1.5 mm for each meter of joint length.

Joint of different types of laminate

The need to design a joint arises if:

Used laminate with different locking systems
A difference in the height of the coatings is formed
Joint design, curvilinear
The podium or steps are sheathed with laminate
The area of the room exceeds 64 m² and the coating cannot be made continuous, an additional expansion joint is required

In these cases, to decorate the joints are used special connecting strips (sills, moldings). This is the best solution for laminate joints.:

Leaves room for temperature fluctuations
The threshold protects the ends of the laminate and closes the gap from above, preventing debris from entering it.

The sills differ in configuration and allow you to solve different problems:

Direct– for sealing joints between coatings that are on the same level
Leveling- for connecting coatings with a small (up to 4 mm) height difference
multi-level- for joints with a solid height difference (up to 2 cm), they can be coal, round or more complex
corner– for joints of mutually perpendicular coatings (steps, podiums)

They are made from different materials:

Laminated, from pressed chips, covered with a protective and decorative film. Usually matched to the tone of the laminate and allow you to make the joint as invisible as possible
From solid wood- expensive, elite
metal, aluminium, steel, anodized brass. These are the most durable overlays and can be used in high traffic areas, some of these products can also be bent to form curved joints.
Plastic(PVC) - flexible sills, ideal for decorating curved joints, are distinguished by a variety of colors. Affordable but not durable
Rubber usually angled

Laminate and tile joint

For joints between laminate and tiles, you can use the same thresholds as for decorating joints between two types of laminate, selecting them in accordance with the configuration of the joint. If the surfaces of the tile and laminate are on the same level, there is no height difference, you can arrange a joint without a threshold:

If the length of the joint does not exceed 2 m, and the width of the joint is 3 mm, it can be filled
Longer and wider seams are filled elastic composition(silicone sealant, polyurethane foam, liquid cork)
A long even seam without thickness differences is filled cork compensator, it is also permissible to use it with a slight difference in the height of the coatings

The technique for joining laminate and tiles is described in detail.

Joint between laminate and other floor coverings

Laminate joints with parquet, linoleum usually covered with sills, more often leveling or multi-level. Less commonly, the seam between the laminate and linoleum is filled with transparent silicone glue, this option is used if the coatings are on the same level, and the cuts at the junction are perfectly even. Masking tape must be glued along the edges so that the adhesive composition does not get on the surface of the coating.

If laminate and carpet are combined, a sufficiently rigid underlay is usually laid under the carpet, the thickness of which corresponds to the thickness of the laminate, and the carpet itself is laid with an overlap on the laminate. If they are joined, it is necessary to use a transitional multi-level threshold.

Installation of thresholds

Here are some types of sills by installation methods:

Two-piece T-shaped for flush mounting, fastened with screws (self-tapping screws)
One-piece with herringbone dowels, the caps of which are inserted into the groove from the wrong side of the nut
One piece for exposed screw fixing, supplied with pre-drilled fixing holes and cap screws
Z-shaped multi-level, with a zigzag leg, the foot of which is attached to the base with screws or glue
Flexible brass or aluminium, single sided tab divided into many sections
Flexible polymeric two-piece, from a groove and tabs
Self-adhesive

Self-adhesive sills are usually used if the base is loose and it is problematic to screw fasteners into it, as well as on top. Before installing them, the surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased, the protective coating removed from the lower part, the threshold must be applied in accordance with the markings and pressed well.

Two-piece strips with 2 legs are mounted in the following sequence:

The junction is marked
Holes with a diameter of 6 mm are drilled at the base on both sides of the seam in increments of 20-30 cm
Plastic dowels are driven into the holes
The mounting rail is installed in place and attached to the concrete base with self-tapping screws 60 mm long, to the wooden one - 45 mm
Floor coverings are laid on top of the paws, the seam between them must be wider than the mounting groove
The leg of the decorative strip is inserted into the mounting groove, it is driven into place with light blows of the mallet. First, the bar is partially recessed along the entire length, with a gradual advancement from one end to the other, then you need to repeat the operation, and only on the third run, hammer it to the full depth

If open fastening thresholds are used, the floor coverings must be laid first., then a threshold is applied on top and marking is made, holes are drilled in the designated places of the base, dowels are installed in them. The nut is put back in place and fixed with screws.

In a similar way, marking is carried out for one-piece sills with hidden dowels. The threshold is installed so that the dowels fall into the holes, and nailed with a mallet.

It is best to use the same brand of sills as the laminate. Quick Step produces laminated and aluminum multifunctional thresholds, with which you can make joints between different coatings, including multi-level ones. Their decorative strip consists of several segments, removing individual segments, you can change its configuration.

If a threshold with a zigzag leg (one foot) is mounted, a thicker coating is laid first. Then, next to it, a plank is fastened with screws or glued with a foot in the direction opposite to the laid coating. A thinner coating is laid over the foot. The upper part of the bar is set down with gentle hammer blows in 3 steps to the required height so that its edges press both mating coatings.

To close up a curved joint, you must first make markings on the floor, in accordance with which the profile of the flexible threshold is bent. The metal threshold can be bent using a special tool, as well as manually, relying on the knee.

The polymer groove, which is installed in the mounting seam, is bent during installation and fixed to the base with screws (dowels are first inserted into the holes). The upper, decorative part of the plastic nut acquires plasticity when heated and retains its shape after cooling. You can soften the insert with a building hair dryer or by placing it in water heated to 50-70 ° for 15-20 minutes. The insert is gradually pressed into the groove and carefully pressed.

Laminate joint with vertical surfaces

At the junction of the laminate with the wall
plinth is installed. It performs a dual function:

Covers the expansion gap
Decorates the joint, giving the atmosphere completeness

Also inside the hollow plinth there may be a box for hidden wiring.

In no case should the skirting board be attached to the laminate, only to the wall, and there should be a small gap between its lower edge and the surface of the laminate so that nothing prevents the thermal expansion of the floating coating.

The MDF skirting board goes well with the laminate. If the walls are even, you can use a traditional wooden plinth, fixing it with self-tapping screws or putting it on glue. With a significant curvature of the walls, a flexible plastic plinth is suitable, which is attached to clips or "petals" to the base, screwed to the wall with self-tapping screws.

The joints of the laminate with columns and other architectural elements are also decorated with a plinth or special overlays of a suitable shape.
If a communication pipe comes out of the floor at the place where the laminate is laid, it is necessary to cut a hole in the panel according to the template for it, and leave a compensation gap of 10-15 mm.

After laying the laminate, this gap is closed with a special decorative detachable overlay of a suitable color and shape. If the shape or location of the pipe(s) does not allow the use of linings, the gap can be filled with silicone sealant.

Video

Installation of different types of aluminum sills

Sealing the junction of laminate and tiles with a flexible thermoplastic threshold

Making laminate joints with Quick-Step accessories. Installation of thresholds, slips for pipes, plinth.

Outcome

The joints of the laminate with other coatings must be sealed in such a way that it remains possible for its thermal expansion. Elastic joint fillers (sealants), cork compensators are suitable for these purposes, but in most cases the joint is covered from above with a decorative threshold of a suitable configuration. There are sills that allow you to join coatings with a height difference.

The joints of the laminate with walls, columns and other architectural elements are decorated with a plinth, and it must be attached to a vertical surface. The joints of the laminate with communication pipes are usually closed with special decorative rosette overlays.