Is it possible to shift the laminate. How to reinstall laminate flooring. Which underlay is best

Laminate flooring differs from other types in its high maintainability and the possibility of re-laying after dismantling. To be able to lay the slats in their original place, you need to know how to disassemble the laminate correctly.

In modern models of laminated coatings, a Click-type locking connection is used, the separation of which is not difficult. It will take more time to dismantle a laminate with a Lock system, as well as a greater likelihood of damage to individual lamellas.

When is disassembly required?

The packaging often indicates that the laminate can withstand several assembly and disassembly cycles. The higher the coverage class, the better it tolerates such manipulations. There are various situations when the laminate flooring needs to be dismantled:

If the initial laying was done incorrectly, as a result of which a creak appeared when walking or the coating swelled. In this case, the laminate can be disassembled and laid back, correcting the shortcomings.
If a cheap substrate was used, which quickly lost its properties, which caused a creak or gaps between the lamellas.
If the floor has been flooded with water, it is advisable to disassemble and dry the coating as soon as possible. In this case, there is a high probability that the lamellas will not be damaged and can be used again.
If one or more lamellas have been damaged and need to be replaced.
If some time after the repair you decide to install electric underfloor heating. In this case, it may be necessary to replace the substrate with a more suitable one.
If you decide to replace the coating, and use the old one, for example, in the country.

Advice! Dismantling laminate flooring is a simple process and does not require the involvement of specialists. If desired, dismantling can be done independently, spending only a few hours on it. To do this accurately, it is enough to follow simple rules.

The sequence of dismantling the laminate

To facilitate the upcoming assembly, everything was done, it is desirable to number it. To do this, you can use masking tape, which is glued to each part for subsequent marking:

Start dismantling from the plinth. Using a screwdriver or screwdriver, unscrew the screws with which it is fixed. Each part is removed sequentially, starting from the door and moving in one direction. All parts are numbered so that they can be installed in reverse order.
The dismantling of the laminate begins from the edge where its installation ended. To do this, through the deformation gap, the extreme row of lamellas is hooked and lifted.

If you do not want to do the dismantling yourself, you can invite specialists. Such services are usually inexpensive, while the work will be done quickly and accurately.

If any defects appear after laying the laminate, they can be quickly eliminated by knowing how to disassemble the laminate. This does not require special tools and professional skills. If the coating is supposed to be reused, it is necessary to follow simple rules, accuracy and the correct sequence of actions.

The castle laminate has one nice feature: it can be dismantled and reassembled. High-quality coatings from European manufacturers can withstand up to four assembly-dismantling cycles, and budget options - only two.

Why is laminate flooring necessary?

The most common reason for dismantling and subsequent re-laying of the laminate is mistakes made during the first installation:

uneven subfloor;
no gap of 10 mm between planks and walls;
construction debris under the slats.

If the difference in floor height exceeds 2-3 mm per square meter, then a few weeks after laying the coating, a creak occurs, gaps form between the panels, the material begins to “walk”. In this case, the laminate must be removed from the floor as soon as possible, until its elements are deformed. Then the base should be leveled and all debris removed from it. Can I then re-lay the old laminate instead of buying a new one? Yes, you can.

If there is no gap between the coating and the wall, then the floor begins to “hunch”: the planks rise at an angle, a creak occurs. In this case, the removal of the laminate is also required. When re-laying, you need to make a 10 mm indent from each wall, and the unpleasant "symptoms" will disappear.

How to properly install laminate flooring?

Removing the laminate and its subsequent laying does not require special skills, so the home master can handle them. The main thing is to know the sequence of actions.

Remove furniture from the room.
Remove the plinth.
To remove the old laminate without damaging it, find the edge bar and pry it as gently as possible.
Raise the planks at an angle of 45 degrees and remove them carefully, being careful not to damage the lock.
Number the strips to facilitate subsequent installation.
Clean the floor surface, if necessary, level it with a self-levelling compound.
Before laying the laminate, place a polystyrene or natural underlay on the base.
Start laying the laminate again, leaving a 10 mm indent from the walls.
Replace damaged strips with new ones. If you could not buy the same shade, hide the new panels under the furniture.
Install skirting boards.

Ready! You can arrange furniture and enjoy the updated floor.

Typically, laminate flooring lasts about 15-25 years. The class of the material characterizes its service life. But from various unforeseen circumstances, the laminate is not the best way to protect. Many people have already decided to base their choice not only on the basis of the main qualities of the laminate: resistance to moisture and abrasion, impact resistance, appearance and environmental friendliness. Now it is customary to think about the maintainability of the flooring. No one is immune from getting a defect on their floor. These can be: scratches, dents, chips and severe abrasions. What to do? How to solve the problem? Is it possible to disassemble the laminate and put it back together with your own hands? Let's figure it out.

Do you need to disassemble the laminate?

Serious defects on the coating indicate that it is time to start dismantling. But is it possible to disassemble the laminate and assemble it back so that it is suitable for further use. Before answering, let's get acquainted with the most common "problem" cases:

Paul creaks. This may be due to the fact that the installation was not carried out as carefully as necessary, here is the result.
Bloating and incomprehensible formations. Such a case is very common, since moisture can penetrate under the laminate and destroy the material.
And some simply want to move, but do not want to leave their native laminate flooring. Why not take it apart to put in another room?

Important! Sometimes it happens that only a few lamellas break. Experienced owners will not throw away excess material after installation and will get a few spare planks from the pantry. Partial repairs are carried out very easily - we remove the old panels and replace them with new ones.

Preparation for work

How to remove laminate? In fact, installation is not the most difficult thing. Modern materials are perfectly assembled and disassembled. There is an expression: "Break - do not build", but the disassembly of the laminate should be carried out with extreme care, even if only a few "cells" need to be replaced.

Flooring connections

To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the type of boards used. So far, there are only three types of floor locks:

Lockless (adhesive). Such a floor is assembled with glue. In other words, parts of the material are simply glued to each other. Such a laminate cannot be dismantled and used again.
Lock panels. On one side of such a panel there is a spike in the form of a protrusion, and the other side is equipped with a special groove. With the help of a few light blows with a hammer, such “cells” are easily connected. The “signal” of readiness gives a characteristic click during assembly.
Click is the most common connection system. It is here that it is easiest to carry out repeated operations on the laminate. The panels are simply placed at an angle of 45 degrees to each other and lowered to the floor. This is how the adhesion of the lamellae occurs through this system.

Partial installation

Can laminate flooring be taken apart and put back together? Of course, but let's start our acquaintance with this procedure with one “small” job. If you have already decided to start dismantling defective boards, then follow the following instructions:

Use a marker to indicate the desired range of work.
Using a jigsaw, saw off the unusable parts. It is necessary to leave at least 5 millimeters from the edges to prevent damage to the connection of the locks.
Using tools, hook the canvas and remove it.
Prepare a workpiece with the same geometric dimensions, sand the edges and coat them with some kind of sealant. Now you need to carefully place the new parts in place of the old ones.
Don't forget to clean up excess sealant.
To replace just a few planks, you will first have to dismantle the plinth, and only then gently pry and lift the outermost lamella in order to disconnect the connections of the locking system. Take the lamellas out of the cover until you get to the “broken” parts.

Important! We recommend numbering the panels. This advice is due to the fact that many people very often make mistakes during assembly. If the “cell” has not been cut off, then the numbering can be neglected and simply mounted in an arbitrary order.

Removing the laminate

Well, first you have to do the dismantling of the skirting boards.

But with modern and technological Click-locks, things are going very well. This type of flooring can be removed without difficulty, maintaining the perfect condition of each lamella, which will play into the hands of subsequent work.

Important! It is customary to start dismantling from the wall where you completed the installation procedure last time.

Just lift the end panel until it clicks, which will tell you when the lock will open, then release the panel. Carry out these manipulations with all parts, not forgetting about the numbering, about which there were a few words above. Numbering will facilitate the process of laying in a new room and significantly speed it up.

Laminate is a popular floor covering that is beautiful, reliable and durable. How the material looks can be seen in the photo. But it happens that the boards are laid incorrectly, or defects occur during operation. In such situations, you have to figure out how to remove the laminate from the floor, and, if possible, reuse it.

Previously, when the choice of flooring was limited to wooden boards covered with paint, no one worried about the appearance of cracks, scratches and marks from furniture. Modern floor coverings are decoration of the room, and not just a necessary detail of the interior. Of course, the imperfections of the floor surface can be hidden with all sorts of rugs, but this is not always a good solution.

Despite the fact that the laminate is a fairly durable finishing material, it still gets damaged over time. Therefore, it is not enough when buying to take an interest in such characteristics of the material as wear resistance and abrasion - it is also recommended to find out how maintainable it is.

Can laminate flooring be taken apart and put back together? - this question comes up often. Yes, such a repair option exists, although there are other methods for restoring planks.

Sanding, like parquet, this flooring is not subject to, but it can be repaired using the following tools:

wax pencil;
sealant Soundal;
special composition FloorFil.

If it was decided to repair the damage with a pencil, it must be borne in mind that when it dries, its shade may change (darken).

Thinking about whether it is possible to remove the laminate and put it again is worth it if the coating contains not only chips and scratches, but also more serious damage. In this situation, you will have to perform a partial or complete replacement of the coating.

Laminate replacement tools

To replace damaged panels, you need to carefully remove them and install new ones.

This will require:

tools for removing laminate;
hammer;
mounting bracket for gripping the panel in inaccessible places;
screwdriver for removing skirting boards;
chisel for removing dice;
pencil for marking.

Partial removal and replacement

In most cases, only one or a few damaged panels need to be replaced (details: "").

Work in this situation is as follows:

The marker outlines the contour of the damaged area so that it runs along the perimeter of all panels that need to be replaced. From the junction make an indent of about 5 millimeters.
If you are interested in how to disassemble the laminate without damaging it, then this work is best done with a jigsaw, sawing out the previously designated area.
Dies are removed from the general coating with the help of special devices. The remaining material is carefully pry off with a chisel, trying not to damage the locks on the lamellas.
The board prepared for laying should be 3-5 millimeters smaller than the remote area, and match the shade. Then the ends of the workpiece are cleaned and a sealant is applied around its perimeter, designed specifically for wood surfaces.
A new, prepared panel is installed in place, and excess sealant is removed with a rubber spatula or rag. You need to wait until the composition is completely dry - the time is indicated in the instructions for the glue.

After such repairs, the floor covering can still last a long time.

Complete dismantling of the laminate

If the damage is significant, it may not be enough to change only a certain area of the floor. How to dismantle the laminate, if the scale of the repair is rather big? It depends on the type of connections. In most cases, the Click-Lock system is used. It is not difficult to disassemble the floor covering in such a situation.

Click is considered the most reliable type of connection. But the Lock system is more prone to damage. There will be more waste when working with panels having a second type of connection, and additional boards will be required in order to re-lay the laminate in place.

So, how to remove the boards:

The plinth is removed with a screwdriver.
The first panel (which was laid last) is pryed through a specially left thermal gap. It is carefully lifted up so that the connection disperses. In this case, sudden movements are unacceptable, you need to act smoothly. Do the same with all other panels. That is, you need to disassemble the laminate in the reverse order, from the place where the installation was completed. Usually this is a window.
When removing each panel, it is recommended to put a serial number on them, so that later it is easier to re-install.

If you follow the rules for the operation of the coating, damage to it will not appear soon. But if the flooring does happen to be damaged, it's worth trying to repair the affected panels with wax crayons, sealants, or repair kits before you think about whether the laminate flooring can be reinstalled.

The situation is different if the laminate is significantly damaged, and the matter is not limited to scratches and chips. Then really, it is necessary to replace the damaged panels.

How to open the laminate and put it back, was described in this article. If you follow the instructions given and do the work carefully, after restoration, the floor covering will last for more than one year. And such repairs, of course, will cost much less than laying a new floor covering. It is only important to try to ensure that the new panels are as close as possible in shade to the old ones, and even better - they are from the same batch. Therefore, when laying a laminate, it is advisable to buy material with a margin.