Laminate floorings are a unique type of floorings that have a wood-like appearance. Though laminate flooring looks like wood, it doesn’t have the quality of natural wood.
But it has some other benefits, like durability, cost-effectiveness, etc. That’s why people like their floors in laminate floorings.
Laminate floorings are not so hard to install. So, you can do it by yourself. You can also hire professional laborers to install laminate floorings.
But you might be confused about how much laminate flooring you can lay in in a day. This article will tell you about the laminate flooring’s installation time.
How much laminate flooring can be laid in a day?
Generally, 1000 square feet of floors can be covered with laminates a day. If the professionals do it, they can cover up to 1000 square feet. For the unprofessional person, the laminate flooring depends on the person’s skill. Generally, an unskilled person can cover up to 400-500 square feet.
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If you are laying the laminate flooring on your own, you can efficiently complete a 200 or 300 square feet bedroom in a day. Once you learn well how to install the laminate flooring, you can complete two bedrooms a day.
However, professionals are pretty expert at laying the laminate flooring. They can cover up to 1000 square feet a day.
Sometimes, they can complete more than 1000 square feet, rather than the entire living room along with the bedroom. The efficiency depends on the skill and experience level.
How long does it take to install 1000 sq ft of laminate flooring?
How long the laminate flooring will take to install 1000 sq ft depends on the skill. Generally, the professionals don’t need much time to install this much laminate flooring. They can complete 1000 sq ft in a day. Even they can do it within a couple of hours.
If you are not professional and don’t have enough skill, you need a full day or two days to install 1000 sq ft laminate flooring. If you can install the laminate flooring properly, you will need enough time.
For example, while installing laminate flooring, you have to skip the floor alongside the wall to do it a bit later. Moreover, you have to wait one or two hours to wrap the flooring of the doorways. So, if you want to install the laminate flooring perfectly, you have to give at least a day to install 1000 sq ft.
How much does it cost to install 1000 square feet of laminate floors?
The average cost to install 1000 square feet of laminate floors is $5000 to $6000. The cost also depends on the quality of the laminate floorings. The mid-level laminate floorings usually cost $5000 on average.
If the quality of the laminate flooring is low, the cost might be very low. Even you can get 1000 square feet of laminate floorings lower than $5000. But if you want high-quality and durable laminate flooring, you must increase your budget.
Laminate floorings are more cost-effective than other floorings. So, they are gaining much popularity day by day. So, the average cost is pretty budget-friendly.
Can I install laminate flooring one room at a time?
You can install laminate flooring one room at a time. But you have to safe the edge of the door opening. When you start to install the laminate flooring in one room, you have to skip the door openings to start in another room.
If you don’t protect the edges of the door opening, the room will not complete at a time. So, try to buy a vinyl reducer to protect the edges of the doorways. So, you can install laminate flooring in one room at a time.
What is the best direction to lay laminate flooring?
The best direction to lay laminate flooring is laying the flooring horizontally and parallel to the longest wall.
You can apply the laminate flooring either horizontally or vertically. But laying horizontally has a benefit. If you lay the laminate flooring horizontally, the room will look larger.
You can also lay the laminate flooring in the direction of the most used entrance. This will create a symmetrical appearance on the floor. Laying the laminate flooring in the same direction as the light source will make the room look bright.
Laminate flooring’s direction is an essential factor to maintain to create an impressive look of the floor. So, you can keep a horizontal direction and the same direction of the light source to have the best result.
How to install laminate flooring?
Installing laminate flooring isn’t that difficult. But if you are a beginner, you can make mistakes. So, following some techniques might help you to install the laminate flooring perfectly. Let’s see how you can install laminate flooring.
Acclimating the floor:
Acclimating is an essential step before setting the laminates on the floor. The floor needs to be acclimated for preparing the floor. Wait at least two days after acclimation.
Inspecting the planks:
It would help if you scrutinized the planks whether there is any defect or not. If any plank is defective, it can affect the entire flooring. You can straighten the edges of the planks with a table saw.
Cutting the planks:
All the walls of a room aren’t the same length. So, you have to cut the planks in the proper size before setting them on the floor.
Start assembling the laminates:
Start the first row with the tongue side of the planks along with the wall. Keep the joints between two planks close. Assemble the first row correctly because the following rows are connected with the first row.
Keep space for expansion:
The planks alongside the wall might expand. So, keep about 3/8” of spacing alongside the wall for safety.
Assemble the second and other rows:
Follow the first row of the planks. After assembling the second row, place it tightly with the first row. If there is any space between the two rows, the floor will be uneven. So, put it close with the first row. Follow the same process for the entire floor.
How long does it take a professional to lay laminate flooring?
A professional can lay laminate flooring in a room just in 3 to 4 hours. With this time, they might need extra time to protect the doorways. So, a professional needs 5 hours on average to lay the laminate flooring.
Installing the laminate flooring has some preparation. For example, settling the floor before installing the laminates is necessary. For this process, the professionals might need 2days to prepare the floor.
But the actual installing of the laminate floor planks over the floor is a quick process. Moreover, professionals are skilled enough to do it within some hours. So, 5 hours is the average time a professional needs to lay laminate flooring.
What is the average labor cost to install laminate flooring?
The average labor cost to install laminate flooring is $6 to $12 per square foot. Installing laminate flooring isn’t much expensive. Laminate flooring is famous for its cost-effective feature. Labor cost is also reasonable for the installation of laminate flooring.
Laminate flooring isn’t such a complex task for professionals. So, the labor can quickly finish the installation of laminate flooring. The cost is also very reasonable. You can complete the whole 1000 square feet floor within $6000.
How soon can you walk on laminate flooring?
You can walk on the laminate flooring after 24 hours of installation. After installation, the floor must be cured. The floor needs at least 24 hours to cure.
Laminate flooring can be laid quickly, but after installation, some processes may continue. For example, the planks on the floor might expand or contract. The floor must be settled down before starting walking on it.
If you don’t give enough time after installation, the plank might move. If the plank moves slightly, the entire floor will be affected. So, you can walk on the laminate floor after 24 hours or more after installation.
Read more in detail, How soon can you walk on laminate flooring after installing?
Laminate flooring is a pretty convenient flooring. It’s both durable and cost-effective. Even you can get high-quality laminate flooring within a reasonable budget. But the flooring doesn’t require much time to be laid.
You can lay it by yourself also. You can complete an entire apartment in just one day. But the flooring needs some preparation and extra care while installing.
So, you should estimate 2 to 3 days for your entire home. Moreover, the labor and the material cost is in a reasonable range.