Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on laminate flooring?

Repair is a difficult and long stage in the life of every family. The design update includes wall and floor finishing. However, often there is a good laminate or linoleum left on the floor, which is a pity to remove. In this regard, the question arises whether it is necessary to remove the old flooring in order to lay a new one. If the question arises whether it is possible to lay laminate flooring on an old floor covering, first of all you need to look at the condition of the old covering. Further repair actions will depend on this.

Advantages of laying a new coating over an old one

Laminate is one of the popular floor coverings, which is famous for its elasticity, ergonomics and quality. And the variety of appearance allows you to choose the material to suit any interior design. It is perfect for any room or office space. That is why it is so popular in the construction market compared to other floor coverings.

Laying laminate boards is done using a certain technology. Therefore, not every person will be able to correctly lay the flooring without the help of a specialist. You just need to approach the work with special responsibility and prepare in advance. If you already have experience in working with room decoration, then making repairs will not be difficult. The main thing is to follow the installation technology and know the features of finishing work.

This installation option has a number of advantages:

• Complete dismantling of the floor covering is not required. This will help avoid a lot of dirt and dust in the house. In addition, the need to remove waste and boards disappears.
• Minimal time investment. Most owners are interested in the repair time; the sooner it is completed, the better. If there is no need to remove the old laminate or linoleum, the time required to cover the floor is reduced. There is no need to first level the floor and prepare it for installation of boards.
• The volume of construction work is reduced. By using old flooring, the amount of construction work will be significantly reduced. There will be no need to remove old material and pre-prepare the floor for installation.
• Economical. The total cost of repairing the floor will be significantly less if the old laminate is not removed. There will be no need to spend money on leveling the surface.

Double coating on the floor improves sound and heat insulation. Therefore, this renovation option is perfect for apartments with thin walls and floors. Laminate boards are also often used in office spaces, as they are highly wear-resistant. So that everything goes well, and there is no need to resort to the help of specialists. It is recommended to first measure how much the floor will rise so that you can install the doors.

Disadvantages of the method

To understand whether it is possible to lay a new floor covering on an old one, you need to figure out whether it is suitable for further use. This installation method has its advantages and disadvantages. They make this method not the best, because if the styling is done incorrectly. Re-installation of laminate boards will be required.And this can greatly affect the budget.

The main disadvantage of this technology is the appearance of defects after some time. This is possible due to poor quality installation of the material. After installation, after 2-3 months, the boards may creak or the planks may sag in some places. Such defects arise due to poorly repaired floors. There are gaps under the structure, which lead to deformation of individual areas.

To avoid such problems, you should thoroughly examine the old linoleum or parquet before installation. It must be quality fixed on the floor. If there are any defects or damage. They should be corrected so that the floor is perfectly level. If there are such shortcomings as curvature of the floorboards or the absence of individual elements. Then it’s better not to risk the quality of the work and remove the old finishing material. Then prepare the room for finishing.

Instructions for installing laminate flooring on laminate flooring

It is not always necessary to remove the old laminate to install a new one. To save time, many specialists carry out repair work without removing old material. However, in this case, you will need to spend some time checking the floor for defects. If there is linoleum on the floor, it can also be used as a basis for a new finish.

Remember! The old coating must be smooth, without any defects, otherwise it will need to be dismantled.

If there are gaps or cracks in the floor finishing. You need to get rid of them using sealant or grout. Subsequent repair work can only be carried out after the material has completely dried. It is best to do styling after sealing a day later.

Before finishing work, we first remove the plinths so that the covering can be connected more tightly. They are subsequently installed at the end of the finishing work at the final stage.

Also pay attention to the future floor level. It should not interfere with the doors opening. If everything is ok. Then it is necessary to put insulation on the old laminate. New finishing material is installed on it. You should take into account the nuance that after laying the insulation and boards, the floor will rise by at least 1.5-2 cm.

On a note: The new laminate fits well on the old finished floor; installing another coating is quite difficult.

You can put a new laminate on old linoleum, but, on the contrary, it is almost impossible to do this. This is due to the fact that linoleum is fixed with glue using joining strips. This is quite difficult to do on laminated flooring. In addition, the material may not adhere tightly to the surface. All the work will have to be redone.

Instructions for installing laminate flooring on old parquet

Laminated boards should be laid on top of the parquet, only in certain cases:

• If the parquet is very worn out and has lost its attractive appearance, but it is not possible to completely replace the floor due to the high cost of work.
• If the wooden surface is located in a room where conditions for use are unfavorable. For example, if the room has frequent temperature changes or high humidity. Wood quickly wears out and loses its aesthetic appearance.

All work can be carried out only after consultation with a specialist. He will tell you whether it is possible to make repairs without first removing the parquet.A good quality flooring without defects does not need to be removed; it is perfect as a base for a new coating. If the parquet is no longer there, and it is cracked, swollen or split, there are cracks. It's best to get rid of it. Otherwise, the new renovation will soon need to be redone. Only a good installer can correctly assess the condition of old parquet. Therefore, it is better to seek help first.

Before starting finishing work, you should familiarize yourself with the basic installation rules:

• Laying the boards is done perpendicular to the window opening (if there is one). This will make the seams as invisible as possible. The sun's rays hitting the floor will hide the joints.
• Deformation gap. Do not forget that there should be a distance of 1.5 cm between the outer elements and the walls, no more, so that there are no large gaps between the boards. This is necessary so that after work the coating can expand or contract slightly due to moisture and temperature changes.

After consulting a specialist and purchasing the material, you can begin finishing work. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. We prepare the surface for installation. To do this, we thoroughly clean it from contamination. Then we put a shock-absorbing substrate.
2. Laying begins along one wall where the window is located. It's best to start from a corner. We place homemade spacer wedges along the wall. We lay the laminate boards one by one, connecting them to each other with special locks at the ends.
3. Each row is placed offset by half the board. You can also make a shift of 20-22 cm. After snapping the second row into place, we connect the first and second rows together. All parts must be tightly fixed to each other, without cracks or gaps.
4. We place all rows one after another with the end connection shifted. The last row is snapped with a special clamp.
5. After completing the main stage, remove the spacer wedges.
6. We install skirting boards along the wall, which will help hide the gaps between the wall and the material. Finishing work is finished!

Remember! The surface on which the material is laid must be perfectly flat and strong so that the boards do not sag or deform.

If you need to change the floor when renovating a room. And the question arises: “Is it possible to leave the old coating and install a new one on top?” The answer to this cannot be unambiguous, since it depends on the type and quality of the old floor. Some experts do not recommend laying new materials on old ones. Others believe that this method can speed up the work process and reduce repair time.

So that the repair goes quickly and without problems. And a new beautiful laminate appeared on the floor. You should approach installation with special responsibility. You need to soberly assess the quality of the flooring and prepare well for finishing work. All stages of installation must be carried out carefully and efficiently. Then everything will go quickly, and the flooring will delight you with its beauty and quality for a long time.