Laminate Floor Plank Alignment
Staggering of Laminate Floor
Laminate flooring manufacturers require their floors to be staggered anywhere from 8 to 12 inches or more. (See manufacturers installation instructions.)
A floating floor that is not staggered will look odd.
A floating floor not staggered properly will compromise its strength and structural stability.
The planks in the photo above have not been staggered. Not only does this look bad, the floor will not perform properly.
Out of Rack Laminate Floor
Planks must be installed tightly together on both the short and long sides.
When the laminate flooring is not installed tightly together a wedge shaped gap known as “Out of Rack” will occur.
Laminate Floor Care and Maintenance
Protect Floor from Scratching
While laminate flooring has a harder finish than many types of floor covering, all types of floors can loose their appearance from dirt. Abrasive soil scratches and cuts at a floor surface resulting in a dull appearance.
- Trap dirt, sand and grit by using doormats at outside entrances.
- Use felt protectors under chair, table and other furniture legs. On large items that may scratch a floor place a piece of felt under it.
- Use a dust mop, or vacuum to remove loose dirt or grit. (Avoid uprights or carpet attachments as these may scratch the floor.
Cleaning Laminate Floors
- Damp mop with warm water; do not saturate the floor and change the water as necessary to keep clean.
Cleaning Spots and Small Areas
- Use a clean damp cloth or clean sponge to wipe up most spots. Grease, chocolate, juice or wine. Use warm water and one of the following: mild detergent, vinegar or ammonia. (Never use excessive water)
- Crayon, asphalt, dried foods, shoe or nail polish, ink, paint or other materials that would stain most floors: Rub with a clean rag dampened with mineral spirits, denatured alcohol or acetone (nail polish remover). The room should be well ventilated.
- Candle wax, chewing gum harden with ice, then gently scrape with a blunt scraper. Wipe with warm water and a clean white cloth.
Don’ts
- Never clean with abrasive cleaners, scouring powder or steel wool.
- Do not sand, use wax, polish or varnish.
- Do not allow liquid to stand on a floor.
