Yes. However, the installation method will depend on the floor type.

1) On a damp-porous floor covering:

First remove any damp-porous floor covering (i.e. carpet, needle felt, etc.) before installing Smiling Rock’s timber laminate floating floors.

2) On a damp-sealer floor covering:

Damp-sealed floor coverings (PV, linoleum, VCT, etc.) do have to be removed but an acoustic underlay should be installed.

3) On a wooden subfloor:

First, remove every existing wooden subfloor.

Ensure that:

– There are no signs of mold and/or insect infestations.
– The subfloor is level.
– All loose parts are nailed down.
Install an underlay to level out unevenness in the sub-floor and ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in the crawl space underneath the timber floor.

Additional tip:

If you plan to lay your timber laminate floating floors over existing tiles, do ensure that the tiles are relatively level beforehand. Otherwise, proceed with using a levelling compound so that the surface is nice and flat.

While it is true that the patented click system in Smiling Rock’s timber laminate floating floors makes it exceptionally uncomplicated to install (even in the smallest corners or underneath doors), some additional tools are still required.

These include:

• A measuring tape to measure the room and determine the length of the laminate floorboards
• A pencil for taking notes & marking down sawing lines
• A hammer, crowbar and tapping block to click the floor firmly into place.
• A jigsaw to cut the laminate floorboards to the desired length
• Gloves & possibly safety glasses to be worn when sawing through the laminate floorboards
• Spacers to keep a set distance between the walls and your laminate floorboards.
• A bevel tool to measure the corners in your room to ensures that you cut the boards at the right angle.

An underlay can aid in:

1) Providing protection against rising dampness
2) Level out minor unevenness in the sub-floor
3) Sound insulation
4) Thermal insulation (may be required above unheated areas, i.e., a garage)
5) Finally, more walking comfort and better shock absorbing properties.

There are three easy steps in installing an underlay.

Step 1: Have a Stanley knife in place.

Step 2: Roll out the underlay across the length of your room. Ensure that the end of the underlay is slightly higher at the edges to make the installation easier later on and protect against rising moisture.

Step 3: Use your Stanley knife to cut off any surplus.

Tip:
Your underlay needs to be as smooth as possible. Never put two layers on top of each other, as this will create unevenness.

While it is possible to do so, it is highly important to ensure that the subfloor is perfectly level & damp-proof before doing so.

Yes, it’s necessary. While HDF is extremely strong and durable, like any wood it’s also porous — which means that environmental factors like subtle changes in heat and humidity will cause the planks to expand and contract. Therefore, it is extremely important to have expansion joints of 8 to 10 mm along all walls.

There are three main ways to do so:

1) Handsaw

A regular handsaw will do the trick! A good tip is to start off by making a small cut. Put your saw line as close as possible to the surface and don’t forget to firmly hold the piece you’re sawing off.

2) Jigsaw

Jigsaws are best used to cut out shapes from your laminate floorboard. Always use a fine-toothed blade and have the saw blade spinning before you touch the board.

3) Alternatively, you could also use a crosscut, plunger or table saw.