Quick step is a term that refers to the process of installing flooring planks together. Quick step laminate flooring ranges use a specific type of tongue and groove system known as Uniclic for simple and straight forward installation that can be done in a few hours. All you have to do is to click the tongue into the groove at a slight angle, and then push firmly until the two pieces mesh together. Ranges like Quick Step flooring can be installed directly over a variety of different types of flooring, including cement, heated floors and a variety of other surfaces as well. Quick step flooring planks can be easily cut using rotary saws, table saws and jig saws.
There are 66 different varieties of Quick Step that are wood laminate, 8 different varieties of stone laminate, and 4 ceramic laminate varieties. Some Quick Step ranges come with two-slat planks, and others are 3-slat planks. Tile and stone laminate flooring planks come in patterns of four squares.
It is important to have all of the tools that you need when fitting your flooring. You need to have measuring implements, a plane and a carpenter's square. You also need an underlay like a moisture or vapour barrier. If you need to cut planks, which you more than likely will, a hand saw, circular saw or jig saw is required. Knocking blocks and spacer wedges are required for the fitting process itself, provided that your intention is to create a clean and straight flooring layout. You may also need a hole saw, drill, pull iron and straight edge depending on the flooring that you choose and the space that you are working with.
Before you install your Quick Step laminate flooring, it is vital that you allow the planks to acclimate to the humidity and temperature in the room where it will be installed. The planks should be allowed to stay in the room for at least 48 hours or more before you begin installation.
Placing the underlay is the first step of fitting your flooring. Make sure the entire surface is sealed before you proceed. Place spacers along the wall so that a small space is left to accommodate expansion. The first board should be placed with its Uniclic tongue facing the wall. Then lay each subsequent board against the last, letting the pieces click together properly before installing the next. The last board should be cut with a handsaw to accommodate whatever space is remaining. The pull iron is a handy tool when fitting the last board properly, securing joints in space without damaging the boards. You should be gentle when installing each board.
Before you add decorative touches like quarter round and baseboard pieces, it is important to remove the spacers that you put into place. Clean up all debris and dirt after fitting the flooring before you cover the gaps. A dry cloth or cleaning mop is all that you need to sweep up before the baseboards are installed above the flooring.
Installing Quick Step laminate flooring is simple and straight forward, and does not require many tools or supplies to accomplish. If you are looking for a quick weekend flooring project, this is the range you have been looking for.
Well, that depends on what’s important to you. The biggest advantage of laminate flooring, apart from its attractive price point, is that it is so easy to install: you can do it yourself, quite easily, which is far from the case with wood flooring. Laminate systems tend to be designed like a jigsaw puzzle, to quickly and easily snap together.
Laminate flooring is also often sturdier than wood – it is very hard wearing, to the point where a cheap shop like Ikea can give a much longer guarantee on their laminates than most wood floor shops can. It won’t fade or dent easily.
While it’s no easier to clean that wood, it’s worth mentioning that it’s an awful lot easier to clean laminate that it is to clean carpet, if you were also considering putting that on your floor. Between the quality of wood and the cheapness of laminate, it’s hardly even worth considering carpet as an option these days.
However, there are also quite a few disadvantages to laminate flooring. The first is the look and sound of it: it looks fake, and it sounds hollow. While the sound can be fixed with an underlay, the look will never be as unique as wood, as wood is naturally formed on a tree and every floor is different. Laminate flooring is basically like sticking a bunch of repeating posters to your floor with a picture of some wood on them – hardly the same.
Also, laminate floors will often curl up and get spoiled if you drop water or other liquids on them. This generally makes them unsuitable for bathroom and kitchen use, unless they have been specially treated for it.
Both Derek Rogers & John Gibb are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Derek Rogers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Food and Drink and Computers and The Internet. Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For installing laminate flooring, he recommends Completely Flooring, one of the UK's leading suppliers of. Derek Rogers's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
John Gibb has sinced written about articles on various topics from Adware, Legal Matters and Family. John Gibb is the owner of. John Gibb's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.