Diagonal floor. Diagonal laying of laminate: material calculation and installation features

Laying laminate diagonally is gaining more and more supporters every day. The advantages of this flooring are known to everyone and everyone, because it is a relatively inexpensive material that looks great in any room. In addition, the installation of the laminate is quite simple and will not cause difficulties even for beginners. It will take only a few minutes to learn how to lay the lamellas correctly, after which the process will go very quickly. But if you want to make the room even prettier and more inviting, try laying out the laminate diagonally. The result will be more than satisfying.

Diagonal laminate flooring - what is its advantage?

The installation instructions that come with the purchase of laminate flooring usually list the easiest installation method. It consists in the parallel placement of boards in relation to the walls. The main disadvantage of this method is that the features of the room itself are not taken into account. For example, rooms decorated in a circle or semicircle will not be very convenient to lay out with parallel planks. In this case, diagonal mounting will help out. With this method, the boards are laid at an angle of inclination of 30 to 45 degrees with respect to the walls, and not parallel to them.

If you figure out how to lay the laminate diagonally, you can hide uneven walls or imperfections in the layout of the rooms. Designers often resort to a similar method to lengthen and expand small rooms. For example, diagonal planks visually lengthen the floor, especially if there is little furniture in the room. Due to this, the room seems more spacious. An important factor when choosing in favor of diagonal laying is that the floor pattern looks much more beautiful and interesting.

The following main advantages of laying laminate diagonally can be distinguished:

  • If you have uneven walls at home that are also not perfectly parallel to each other, the usual installation method will increase the effect. In the case of diagonal laying, all irregularities almost completely disappear due to the correct texture of the selected material and the desired laying angle of the coating.
  • Some window openings do not meet standard standards, and this introduces certain changes in the flooring process. If you turn to the help of the diagonals, then the floor will be laid out in such a way that the light falls in the right direction.
  • With the help of diagonal mounting, it becomes possible to visually stretch and expand the room, emphasizing the originality of the room, focusing exclusively on the unusual and original way of flooring.

Calculation of the amount of material - how many strips will be required?

When installing lamellas in this way, several disadvantages can also be distinguished. So, laying a laminate on a floor diagonally with your own hands is more difficult compared to the traditional method. In addition, you will need a few more consumables. Due to trimming and sawing, you need to purchase 15-20 percent more laminate in advance than you originally planned.

Naturally, you can turn to the help of specialists with extensive experience in this field of home improvement. In this case, the percentage of overspending will not be very large and will not exceed 5 percent. However, the services of professional builders cannot be attributed to the number of cheap ones, so most people try to lay the boards on their own.

Foundation preparation as a necessary stage of work

Diagonal laying, like any other procedure, requires certain preparatory steps. It is necessary to check the load-bearing base of the walls for the percentage of deviation, assess the damage. If possible, try to level out problem areas that can be corrected.

If your floor is concrete, remember that for 2 m 2 the height difference should not be more than 3 mm. Otherwise, you will need to fill a layer of leveling mass or a thin-layer screed. In case of detection of more serious malfunctions of the base, it is necessary to perform more complex operations related to pouring up to 10 centimeters of cement-sand screed. One way or another, the process of preparing a concrete floor will take a lot of time - up to seven days with small deviations and up to a month if a concrete screed is required.

Differences in the height of a wooden floor can also be significant, but the main problem lies in the design, in which there should be no hidden or visible damage. These include bacterial and fungal infections. For further work, it is required to treat all problem areas with special antiseptics, up to the replacement of individual wooden elements. At the same time, existing elevation differences can be leveled and corrected thanks to various substrates.

Without leveling the base, further work does not make any sense, since the laying of the laminate requires the most even surface. Only in this case, the coating will serve you without the manifestation of deformations, defects and other mechanical damage during the entire period of operation, retaining all its positive qualities and advantages.

How to do everything yourself and not spoil anything?

When you are done with the preparatory procedures, level and clean the surface, the diagonal laying of the laminate begins directly. There are two main methods:

  • From the center of the room. You will need to pull the threads from opposite corners of the room diagonally, their intersection is a guideline for installation. The first row should be laid out parallel to the thread, starting from the center to the left.
  • From the corner of the room. In this case, it is necessary to move towards the door from the window. To make the joints between the plates less noticeable and not attract attention, you can arrange the long end connections of the lamellas in the direction of the light that enters the room from the window.

The process of installing boards is not particularly difficult. First of all, the end locks of the slats are assembled, after which the fully assembled and finished row is combined with the next one. It is much easier to do this when you have a helper. Otherwise, you can resort to some tricks, for example, use not very heavy loads to facilitate the process of snapping the lock joints. It works in the following way: by snapping one part of the row, we put a load on it. After that, you can safely start working with other locks, without worrying that the very first one will disperse.

We recommend laying out the lamellas in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, there should be a distance of at least 40 centimeters between the plates. In this case, the laminate will turn out to be the most durable, strong and reliable, it will withstand loads for a long time without kinks and breaks. Leave a small gap between the boards and the walls, the thickness of which should not be more than 2 centimeters. With humidity or temperature fluctuations, such gaps can compensate for shrinkage and swelling of the laminate.

Another useful observation is the installation of special pegs in the gaps in order to maintain the same distance around the entire perimeter of the room. At the end of the installation, the pegs are removed, and the seams themselves are sealed with skirting boards attached at the junction. The greatest difficulty in the process of laying laminate diagonally is cutting boards. After all, they must be cut perfectly precisely so that the angle fully corresponds to the contour of the wall to which the die is applied. All the same pegs can come in handy here - just measure the length from the top point of the lamella to the peg and in the same way from the bottom point to the peg.

The board must be cut from the back using a regular hacksaw or, ideally, an electric jigsaw. After that, we calmly put the laminate, sawn at such an angle, at which it will fit as tightly as possible with the wall. As you can see, absolutely everyone can lay a laminate diagonally. The process is somewhat more complicated compared to traditional laying methods. A little more source material, planning, preliminary calculations, accuracy and time are needed. However, the result in the form of an elegant and beautiful floor that visually enlarges the room will please you for a very long time.

Laminate is gaining more and more popularity as a floor covering, which many owners not only buy for the interior of rooms in their homes, but also strive to install it on their own without involving specialists from construction companies. The article will discuss how the diagonal laying of the laminate with your own hands is carried out no worse than that of professionals and what are the features of this process.

The basics of laying laminate at an angle

A common thing for many owners of their own homes is to buy a laminate and lay it exactly according to the instructions on the package, but there is no elegance and zest in such a coating. No construction company will present photos of such flooring as an advertisement for their own services, since they do not attract potential customers.

It is reasonable to use this method only in cases where certain conditions of the room require laying boards butt-to-butt and not otherwise.


If the room has some design flaws, or vice versa, the designer’s idea (rounded walls or characteristic projections of the floors), then the option will look aesthetically pleasing when the laminate is laid at an angle to the walls.

The advantage of diagonal laying

Usually do-it-yourself diagonal laminate flooring is done because it is original. But, nevertheless, laying a laminate diagonally has its pros and cons and it is necessary to take them into account before purchasing materials and starting work.


We are talking about the following advantages of technology:

  • hiding various layout flaws;
  • smoothing uneven walls;
  • visual expansion of space in very narrow rooms with a lack of natural light;
  • naturally, the diagonal arrangement of laminated panels is much more beautiful.


Calculation of the amount of laminate for laying

Before laying the laminate diagonally, it is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of material in order to carry out installation without additional purchases and overpayments. Diagonal laying implies increased costs, because the laminate is purchased not to spare, but 15-20 percent more (for waste). If earlier the owner had experience in laying such a coating, then you can make a stock of only 5-10 percent.

Beginning diagonal laminate flooring

Naturally, laying laminate at an angle, like any other coating, can only be done after careful preparation of the subfloor: leveling and cleaning from dust, dirt, debris, liquid, etc.


You can start the installation process:

  • from the far corner of the room, located opposite the front door. This is done so that the joints of the planks (on the long sides) are located along the sunlight entering the room through the windows. Thus, joints can be made less noticeable, which makes the coating more aesthetic in the photo and visually increases the space;
  • also laying can be done from the center. To do this, a cord is pulled through the center diagonally between opposite corners of the room. Laying is carried out parallel to the cord with a gradual removal from it to the sides.

Features of the laying process

First, a row of panels is assembled into one solid long structure by snapping the lock fasteners. Then he joins the already laid row. Before laying the laminate diagonally, you should find an assistant who will help at least at the initial stage, since the longest rows will pass through the center and it is quite difficult to combine such rows with each other.


Laying, as in the case of the usual parallel version, must be carried out with some divergence of the ends of the boards. Each row should be shifted by about 30-40 centimeters, as is the case with the installation of a ship deck. This condition is required to increase the strength of the coating.

In addition to laying the laminate diagonally correctly, some features of this coating should be taken into account. We are talking about a possible change in the size of the flooring due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity in the room. Each specialist will say that it is necessary to create an expansion gap between the laid laminate flooring and the walls.

The width of such a gap should be from 1.5 to 2 centimeters, and then the coating will definitely not be deformed due to an increase in temperature or air humidity. In order to maintain the distance from the laminated panels around the perimeter of the room to the walls, you should use special pegs or small bars that you can make yourself. Upon completion of the work, they are taken out. The gaps themselves will be covered with decorative plinths.

Of course, the diagonally laid laminate has disadvantages, but they are commonplace: the high complexity of the work being done and the high cost of materials (taking into account the fact that you need to buy more). The increased consumption of laminate when laying diagonally can be eliminated if you seek the help of a laying specialist, then the overrun of the material can be reduced to 3-5 percent.


The biggest difficulty for novice workers is the stage of cutting laminated panels, which must be placed against the wall. You need to know how to cut laminateso that the work is done without difficulty. The bottom line is to cut at an angle, while completely repeating the outline of the wall. The pegs help in this, by which the near and far points on the panel are determined, connected by a line and cut from the inside with an electric jigsaw.

The points are determined by measuring two distances:

  • from the top corner of the row to the inserted peg;
  • from the bottom corner of the row to the inserted peg.

Then, points are set at the same distances from one and the other part of the bar.

Outcome


Do not forget that any difficulties will be overcome by professionals from a construction company who can take responsibility not only for laying, but also for choosing a floor covering, taking into account the basic wishes of the owner.

Finishing materials are constantly being improved. Along with this, the methods of their installation are also developing. This also applies to floor coverings, where, in parallel with conventional methods, the diagonal technique of laying laminate is gaining popularity.

It is used infrequently, but it is a great option to visually expand the space and hide some layout flaws. Finishing is perfectly used in asymmetrical rooms without direct geometry, where, for example, there are rounded contours of partitions. A small room will look more voluminous, the harmony of space will appear.

It is not advisable to lay a room tightly packed with furniture in a diagonal way. And with the most open floor surface, such a method will become the basis for the formation of a stylish, beautiful interior. So if you use minimalism in the setting, then you should use the diagonal method, in which the floor looks impressive and aesthetically pleasing.

Laying diagonally is somewhat costly both in terms of material consumption and the complexity of installation. But the floor catches the eye, visually expanding the room, filling the interior space, despite the small amount of furniture. On the recommendation of designers, the floors of corridors, reception rooms and similar, relatively furniture-free spaces are often decorated in this way.

Technically, diagonal styling is much more difficult than straight. A master with some experience in installing laminate will be able to do the work. This method is more complicated than the traditional one, but the original change in the appearance of the room makes the method more and more popular.

Why lay laminate flooring diagonally?

There is a persistent myth that this option is uneconomical. Most sources speak of an increased amount of waste when cutting material, allegedly up to 15-20%. Although with the usual method, no more than 3-5% remains in the waste. This is an exaggeration, since the cutting takes about the same percentage (3-5), which is typical for straight laying. But for this it is necessary to carry out the technology consistently.

The method itself requires painstaking work, maximum accuracy of execution. The end result will be a worthy justification for the effort expended. Diagonal styling radically changes any interior. It should be used to significantly adjust the design of the room.

Material calculation

How to calculate the required amount of laminate with a diagonal method? For this, there is a formula that has a mathematical justification. If in general terms, then it is described as follows, the total quadrature of the required material is the sum of the exact area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room and the product of the width of the room, the width of the panel and a factor of 1.42.

K = (AC*CD) + (1.42*AC*panel width)

where, AC is the width of the room;
CD - room length;
1.42 - coefficient.

Example. Let's assume that our room is 5*7 m in size, and the dimensions of the panel are 0.1*1 m. How to find the required number of laminate pieces for a given area when laying in a diagonal way? The calculation algorithm is as follows:
S premises: 5*7=35 m?;
S area of ​​spare material: (1.42*5*0.1) = 0.71 m²;
S panel (single): 0.1*1=0.1 m².
Let's calculate the total by substituting numerical values ​​into the formula:
35 + 0.71 \u003d 35.71 m - the right amount of laminate.
35.71/0.1 = 375 panels.

What tools are used to install laminate flooring?

For installation you need:

  • jigsaw;
  • pencil;
  • ruler;
  • roulette;
  • expansion wedges for arranging gaps from the wall;
  • a block of wood, for padding panels;
  • special rubber mallet.

Laminate step by step

It is better to start work on the installation of floors according to a previously prepared drawing, where the following are fixed: the angle of laying the panels relative to the wall, the configuration of the room, all the turns of the partitions. The plan reflects the calculation of the number of pieces, schematically depicting their location. A visual picture of the process will facilitate installation, which is especially important for non-professionals who decide to do the work themselves.

If the installation of floors starts from the center of the room, then the material is consumed more economically than when starting from the corner. The first line of panels should be oriented along the guide cord. It is pulled between opposite walls of the room at a chosen angle, which is usually 30–45 °.

It is necessary to orient the laying so that the light falling from the window passes along the long edge of the panels. In this case, the seams between the rows are visually less noticeable, which gives solidity to the entire floor, visually expanding the room.

If some wall in the room is not located at a right angle relative to the others or has a rounding of a certain radius, then it is easier to start work from a non-standardly located partition, while not forgetting to leave a gap between it and the laminate of 10 mm.

Starting installation from the corner of the room, carefully measure the first sheet. It is placed at a selected angle with the installation of spacer wedges. Continue laying, moving from window to door. With the standard method, the last panel of the stacked row is cut off, and the remainder usually goes to the beginning of the next. Thus, waste is minimized. With the diagonal method, when forming the starting angle, the sawn off piece of panel will have to be actually thrown away. Therefore, saving material, the remaining segment should be set aside until the installation goes beyond the middle of the room. The line length of a row of panels will decrease. In this case, the cutting angle is reversed. Previously, the obtained laminate trimmings are used with less loss.

When laying the lock laminate, the first step is to make a row, snapping the end locks together. Only then is the entire assembled line connected to the previously laid one. The offset of the joints in the rows of the previous one with the next one is at least 40 cm. To join long lines together, the participation of two builders is required.

Accurate marking of the edge boards of the row at the right angle can make installation difficult. Here, detail and care when measuring is especially necessary, and time-tested wisdom: “Measure seven times - cut one” comes in handy as well as possible.

The final and necessary final action of laying the laminate is the installation of the skirting board, which closes the technological gaps around the perimeter of the coating. Attach it to the wall.

Laminate, due to its liberal cost, unpretentiousness in care, durability, aesthetic appearance, is becoming the most popular flooring in modern apartments.

Laying laminate diagonally - to make the room more beautiful and spacious

Laying laminate diagonally is gaining more and more supporters every day. The advantages of this flooring are known to everyone and everyone, because it is a relatively inexpensive material that looks great in any room. In addition, the installation of the laminate is quite simple and will not cause difficulties even for beginners. It will take only a few minutes to learn how to lay the lamellas correctly, after which the process will go very quickly. But if you want to make the room even prettier and more inviting, try laying out the laminate diagonally. The result will be more than satisfying.

Diagonal laminate flooring - what is its advantage?

The installation instructions that come with the purchase of laminate flooring usually list the easiest installation method. It consists in the parallel placement of boards in relation to the walls. The main disadvantage of this method is that the features of the room itself are not taken into account. For example, rooms decorated in a circle or semicircle will not be very convenient to lay out with parallel planks. In this case, diagonal mounting will help out. With this method, the boards are laid at an angle of inclination of 30 to 45 degrees with respect to the walls, and not parallel to them.

Diagonal laminate flooring

If you figure out how to lay the laminate diagonally, you can hide uneven walls or imperfections in the layout of the rooms. Designers often resort to a similar method to lengthen and expand small rooms. For example, diagonal planks visually lengthen the floor, especially if there is little furniture in the room. Due to this, the room seems more spacious. An important factor when choosing in favor of diagonal laying is that the floor pattern looks much more beautiful and interesting.

The following main advantages of laying laminate diagonally can be distinguished:

  • If you have uneven walls at home that are also not perfectly parallel to each other, the usual installation method will increase the effect. In the case of diagonal laying, all irregularities almost completely disappear due to the correct texture of the selected material and the desired laying angle of the coating.
  • Some window openings do not meet standard standards, and this introduces certain changes in the flooring process. If you turn to the help of the diagonals, then the floor will be laid out in such a way that the light falls in the right direction.
  • With the help of diagonal mounting, it becomes possible to visually stretch and expand the room, emphasizing the originality of the room, focusing exclusively on the unusual and original way of flooring.

Calculation of the amount of material - how many strips will be required?

When installing lamellas in this way, several disadvantages can also be distinguished. So, laying a laminate on a floor diagonally with your own hands is more difficult compared to the traditional method. In addition, you will need a few more consumables. Due to trimming and sawing, you need to purchase 15-20 percent more laminate in advance than you originally planned.

Material Quantity Calculation

Naturally, you can turn to the help of specialists with extensive experience in this field of home improvement. In this case, the percentage of overspending will not be very large and will not exceed 5 percent. However, the services of professional builders cannot be attributed to the number of cheap ones, so most people try to lay the boards on their own.

Foundation preparation as a necessary stage of work

Diagonal laying, like any other procedure, requires certain preparatory steps. It is necessary to check the load-bearing base of the walls for the percentage of deviation, assess the damage. If possible, try to level out problem areas that can be corrected.

Preparing the floor for laying

If your floor is concrete, remember that for 2 m 2 the height difference should not be more than 3 mm. Otherwise, you will need to fill a layer of leveling mass or a thin-layer screed. In case of detection of more serious malfunctions of the base, it is necessary to perform more complex operations related to pouring up to 10 centimeters of cement-sand screed. One way or another, the process of preparing a concrete floor will take a lot of time - up to seven days with small deviations and up to a month if a concrete screed is required.

Differences in the height of a wooden floor can also be significant, but the main problem lies in the design, in which there should be no hidden or visible damage. These include bacterial and fungal infections. For further work, it is required to treat all problem areas with special antiseptics, up to the replacement of individual wooden elements. At the same time, existing elevation differences can be leveled and corrected thanks to various substrates.

Without leveling the base, further work does not make any sense, since the laying of the laminate requires the most even surface. Only in this case, the coating will serve you without the manifestation of deformations, defects and other mechanical damage during the entire period of operation, retaining all its positive qualities and advantages.

How to do everything yourself and not spoil anything?

When you are done with the preparatory procedures, level and clean the surface, the diagonal laying of the laminate begins directly. There are two main methods:

  • From the center of the room. You will need to pull the threads from opposite corners of the room diagonally, their intersection is a guideline for installation. The first row should be laid out parallel to the thread, starting from the center to the left.
  • From the corner of the room. In this case, it is necessary to move towards the door from the window. To make the joints between the plates less noticeable and not attract attention, you can arrange the long end connections of the lamellas in the direction of the light that enters the room from the window.

Laying from the corner of the room

The process of installing boards is not particularly difficult. First of all, the end locks of the slats are assembled, after which the fully assembled and finished row is combined with the next one. It is much easier to do this when you have a helper. Otherwise, you can resort to some tricks, for example, use not very heavy loads to facilitate the process of snapping the lock joints. It works in the following way: by snapping one part of the row, we put a load on it. After that, you can safely start working with other locks, without worrying that the very first one will disperse.

We recommend laying out the lamellas in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, there should be a distance of at least 40 centimeters between the plates. In this case, the laminate will turn out to be the most durable, strong and reliable, it will withstand loads for a long time without kinks and breaks. Leave a small gap between the boards and the walls, the thickness of which should not be more than 2 centimeters. With humidity or temperature fluctuations, such gaps can compensate for shrinkage and swelling of the laminate.

Another useful observation is the installation of special pegs in the gaps in order to maintain the same distance around the entire perimeter of the room. At the end of the installation, the pegs are removed, and the seams themselves are sealed with skirting boards attached at the junction of the walls and the laminate. The greatest difficulty in the process of laying laminate diagonally is cutting boards. After all, they must be cut perfectly precisely so that the angle fully corresponds to the contour of the wall to which the die is applied. All the same pegs can come in handy here - just measure the length from the top point of the lamella to the peg and in the same way from the bottom point to the peg.

The board must be cut from the back using a regular hacksaw or, ideally, an electric jigsaw. After that, we calmly put the laminate, sawn at such an angle, at which it will fit as tightly as possible with the wall. As you can see, absolutely everyone can lay a laminate diagonally. The process is somewhat more complicated compared to traditional laying methods. A little more source material, planning, preliminary calculations, accuracy and time are needed. However, the result in the form of an elegant and beautiful floor that visually enlarges the room will please you for a very long time.

Diagonal layout of laminate and parquet boards in the interior

I can see the floor.

Laminate and parquet boards are good not only for the color and texture of wood, which gives the interior a special coziness. This coating allows you to influence the perception of the room, which is especially important for long plates with a longitudinal pattern. Probably, many noted this visual effect at home: if such a coating is laid, for example, along the corridor, its length visually increases. Planks lying across the room. on the contrary, they shorten it, but add width.

Much more neutral in this respect is another way of laying - diagonal. Visually, it adds volume, but does not steal either length or width. A floor with a laminated or natural board lying diagonally looks stylish and interesting.

Let's talk about the features of the diagonal arrangement of parquet and laminate in the interior.

Diagonal laying of parquet and laminate in the interior: what you need to know?

Effects. When we find ourselves in a room, the eye instantly catches any lines in it. They lead our eyes and allow us to make a first impression of the size and shape of the object. If the lines on the floor are arranged along, the room seems to us longer. If across - wide. And if it's diagonal...

When laying laminate and parquet diagonally, our gaze slides into the corner - where the coating lines are directed. The corners seem to move away from each other, due to which the room seems more spacious in all directions. This effect is doubled if used. light material with visible stripes. During installation dark cover I can alternate planks of different saturation - this will add expressiveness to the floor.

Diagonal laying of flooring is well suited for narrow and very narrow spaces, also for rooms with an irregular layout. The fact is that the dies running parallel to the walls focus attention on them. Laminate and parquet, located diagonally, on the contrary, distract him from the walls. The diagonal layout seems to redraw the room.

Focus point. Since this arrangement of boards accentuates the corners, one of them can be made the compositional center. For example, install a fireplace in the corner to which the flooring strips lead. The compositional center will draw attention to itself, due to which the size and shape of the room will be “in the shade”. Instead of a fireplace in this focal corner, you can place a TV cabinet, a large floor mirror, a dining table, a showcase or a corner sofa.

Docking. When combining diagonally directed boards with tiles, it is desirable to place both materials at the same angle. Usually the tiles are laid so that the direction of its "seams" coincides with the position of the joints of the laminate or parquet. This avoids "chaos" on the floor when different coatings conflict with each other. Otherwise, the interior can turn into a "perfectionist's hell."

Docking with tiles

Board angle. It is advisable to lay the plates at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the walls or close to it. If the angle significantly deviates from 45 degrees, the floors look ugly or at least unnatural. There is that same feeling of chaos and irregularity.

Parquet board and laminate diagonally: one important plus and one significant minus

A plus. Many people prefer that the coating in the corridors and rooms be laid solid, without joints and sills. Often in such situations, the owners are faced with a difficult choice. For example: if you install a laminate across the corridor, then in a room perpendicular to the corridor, it will settle down along. And vice versa: if it is across in the room, then in the corridor it is parallel to the walls, which I would not like at all. What to choose? By giving preference to diagonal styling, the owners will save themselves from this dilemma. The board will lie about the same everywhere.

Minus. With diagonal positioning of parquet and laminate, there is always more waste. Accordingly, floors are more expensive. Moreover, the masters rate such work a little higher. Whether these expenses justify themselves is up to you.

About the features of diagonal styling - in our next article.

Parquet and laminate diagonally in the interior

A light coating laid diagonally adds volume to the room

Combined laying of parquet boards

Diagonal board: a good choice for a narrow corridor

The material contains images from the Depositphotos.com photo bank

See also:

How to lay tiles in the bathroom and toilet: horizontally or vertically?

Gray laminate and parquet in the interior

Tile in the hallway: the most practical choice

Which is better: laminate or parquet board?

Diagonal laying of laminate - how to lay it correctly

Laminate is gaining more and more popularity as a floor covering, which many owners not only buy for the interior of rooms in their homes, but also strive to install it on their own without involving specialists from construction companies. The article will discuss how the diagonal laying of the laminate with your own hands is carried out no worse than that of professionals and what are the features of this process.

The basics of laying laminate at an angle

A common thing for many owners of their own homes is to buy a laminate and lay it exactly according to the instructions on the package, but there is no elegance and zest in such a coating. No construction company will present photos of such flooring as an advertisement for their own services, since they do not attract potential customers.

It is reasonable to use this method only in cases where certain conditions of the room require laying boards butt-to-butt and not otherwise.

If the room has some design flaws, or vice versa, the designer’s idea (rounded walls or characteristic projections of the floors), then the option will look aesthetically pleasing when the laminate is laid at an angle to the walls.

Traditional flooring installation involves laying planks parallel to one of the pairs of walls. Diagonal laying implies observance of an angle from 30 to 45 degrees. The angle is selected depending on what angle is observed at the junction of two walls. See also: "Which laminate layout is best suited for a room".

The advantage of diagonal laying

Usually do-it-yourself diagonal laminate flooring is done because it is original. But, nevertheless, laying a laminate diagonally has its pros and cons and it is necessary to take them into account before purchasing materials and starting work.

We are talking about the following advantages of technology:

  • hiding various layout flaws;
  • smoothing uneven walls;
  • visual expansion of space in very narrow rooms with a lack of natural light;
  • naturally, the diagonal arrangement of laminated panels is much more beautiful.

Actually, you can experiment with a similar laying method if there is enough time and money for this. For example, designers, taking into account the latest fashion trends, like to zoning rooms, combining a variety of colors and textures, or joining different floor coverings. See also: "How to lay a laminate along or across - the choice of laying method".

Calculation of the amount of laminate for laying

Before laying the laminate diagonally, it is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of material in order to carry out installation without additional purchases and overpayments. Diagonal laying implies increased costs, because the laminate is purchased not to spare, but 15-20 percent more (for waste). If earlier the owner had experience in laying such a coating, then you can make a stock of only 5-10 percent.

Beginning diagonal laminate flooring

Naturally, laying laminate at an angle, like any other coating, can only be done after careful preparation of the subfloor: leveling and cleaning from dust, dirt, debris, liquid, etc.

You can start the installation process:

  • from the far corner of the room, located opposite the front door. This is done so that the joints of the planks (on the long sides) are located along the sunlight entering the room through the windows. Thus, joints can be made less noticeable, which makes the coating more aesthetic in the photo and visually increases the space;
  • also laying can be done from the center. To do this, a cord is pulled through the center diagonally between opposite corners of the room. Laying is carried out parallel to the cord with a gradual removal from it to the sides.

Features of the laying process

First, a row of panels is assembled into one solid long structure by snapping the lock fasteners. Then he joins the already laid row. Before laying the laminate diagonally, you should find an assistant who will help at least at the initial stage, since the longest rows will pass through the center and it is quite difficult to combine such rows with each other.

Without an assistant, the procedure is performed using a small weight. First, several panels are snapped into place, and a load is placed in some place so that when working on the remaining part, the previous section does not disperse. See also: "How to lay a laminate - do-it-yourself laying sequence".

Laying, as in the case of the usual parallel version, must be carried out with some divergence of the ends of the boards. Each row should be shifted by about 30-40 centimeters, as is the case with the installation of a ship deck. This condition is required to increase the strength of the coating.

In addition to laying the laminate diagonally correctly, some features of this coating should be taken into account. We are talking about a possible change in the size of the flooring due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity in the room. Each specialist will say that it is necessary to create an expansion gap between the laid laminate flooring and the walls.

The width of such a gap should be from 1.5 to 2 centimeters, and then the coating will definitely not be deformed due to an increase in temperature or air humidity. In order to maintain the distance from the laminated panels around the perimeter of the room to the walls, you should use special pegs or small bars that you can make yourself. Upon completion of the work, they are taken out. The gaps themselves will be covered with decorative plinths.

Of course, the diagonally laid laminate has disadvantages, but they are commonplace: the high complexity of the work being done and the high cost of materials (taking into account the fact that you need to buy more). The increased consumption of laminate when laying diagonally can be eliminated if you seek the help of a laying specialist, then the overrun of the material can be reduced to 3-5 percent.

The biggest difficulty for novice workers is the stage of cutting laminated panels, which must be placed against the wall. The bottom line is to cut at an angle, while completely repeating the outline of the wall. The pegs help in this, by which the near and far points on the panel are determined, connected by a line and cut from the inside with an electric jigsaw.

The points are determined by measuring two distances:

  • from the top corner of the row to the inserted peg;
  • from the bottom corner of the row to the inserted peg.

Then, points are set at the same distances from one and the other part of the bar.

The article describes in detail how to lay a laminate diagonally, what are the main advantages and difficulties of this process. If the owner wants to get a high-quality and organic looking coating in his own home, then this method is the best fit. See also: "How to lay a laminate - a sequence of actions".

Do not forget that any difficulties will be overcome by professionals from a construction company who can take responsibility not only for laying, but also for choosing a floor covering, taking into account the basic wishes of the owner.

Tastefully designed flooring significantly affects the overall picture of the interior. That is why the choice of such a coating should be taken very carefully so that the selected material not only looks beautiful, but also lasts a long time. Today, laminate flooring is rapidly replacing parquet, thanks to its practicality and ease of installation.

Before proceeding with installation work, be sure to familiarize yourself with a number of rules and recommendations that will help achieve the best result.


When should you not install laminate flooring?

There should not be any particular problems with laying laminate planks, but there are a number of factors under which the installation and selection of laminate should be done very carefully. These guidelines include the following:


Technology Choice

One of the important tasks in the installation of laminate flooring is the choice of laying technology. Among the most commonly used installation methods are the following:

  1. Glue method. Based on the name, this installation method consists in fastening the laminate elements together with the help of special adhesive mixtures applied to the end part of the boards. The main advantages of this method:
  • high rate of reliability of the coating due to tight sealing of the joints, through which moisture does not enter the thickness of the floor sheet and does not deform it;
  • resistance to temperature extremes, since the locks of the boards are securely fixed with an adhesive composition;
  • ease of installation.

Important! The only significant drawback is that all the parts are tightly glued and if something happens to one of the coating elements, it will not be possible to replace it, but it will be necessary to completely dismantle the coating.


  1. Castle Lock. This method is somewhat similar to the previous one, only the parts are fastened in a horizontal plane. Installation is carried out as follows:

Instrument preparation

To qualitatively perform the installation of a laminate coating, initially prepare a set of tools and materials. To make this work you will need:

  • jigsaw;
  • tape measure and ruler;
  • building pencil;
  • a hammer;
  • square;
  • wooden bars for knocking boards;
  • expansion wedges for gaps;
  • special adhesive solution (depending on the choice of installation method);
  • laminate boards.

Important! Give preference to quality materials from well-known manufacturers so that in the near future you do not have to dismantle freshly laid laminate.

Diagonal laminate calculation

Calculating the required amount of material for decorating the floor with such diagonal panels is quite simple: add another 15% to the number of meters of the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room in which the laminate is supposed to be laid.

Important! If you are laying for the first time and do not have installation skills, then the material consumption will most likely be the footage + an additional 20%.

Room preparation

Every homeowner who has ever dealt with renovation work (finishing walls, ceilings, facades) knows how important foundation preparation is. Depending on the base material, the preparatory work will be carried out in different ways, so below we will consider two main types of surface.

Concrete floor

Concrete floors often dominate in multi-story residential buildings. As a preparatory work in this case, pour the cement-concrete screed. This method is the simplest without the involvement of builders and special equipment.

When performing a concrete screed, consider a few important points:


Wooden floor

The tree is much faster to deteriorate, even with the use of special impregnations. Therefore, when preparing a wooden base for a laminate, perform a number of activities:

  • rotten floor elements or those that are covered with mold and fungus must be replaced with new ones, microorganisms that have attacked areas of the wooden floor will not harm the substrate, but will adversely affect the laminate.
  • fasten loosened elements with self-tapping screws - this will prevent the appearance of unpleasant squeaks;
  • if significant deformations of the wooden floor are found, it would be advisable to completely replace it rather than perform restoration;
  • if there are irregularities in the floor, fix them with sheets of plywood or chipboard.

Important! This method is quite economical and will help extend the life of a wooden floor by 15-20 years.

Substrate laying

After the base has been prepared, proceed with laying the underlay material, which performs a shock-absorbing function under significant loads on the coating, and also acts as a heater and sound insulator. To design the substrate, purchase one of the following materials:


Installation of the substrate is quite simple:

  1. Spread the material on the base joint to joint.
  2. Fasten the joints of the false sheets together with adhesive tape or masking adhesive tape.

Important! Lay the material, leaving an overlap on the walls of 50 mm, which, after laying, cut off with a knife.

How to lay laminate flooring diagonally?

Before proceeding with the installation, you need to deal with the question "how to lay the laminate diagonally?". In this case, you need to follow simple instructions and recommendations for laying, and then the result of your work will exceed expectations.

Installation technology rules:

  1. Choose the direction in which you will mount the boards. Often, laminate flooring begins to be laid from the far left corner.
  2. Choose the angle of the boards - the most acceptable is an angle of 30-45 °.
  3. Between the walls and the edges of the laminate parts, place ten-millimeter expansion wedges that will prevent the panels from adhering tightly to the wall and create expansion joints.
  4. Lay the panels in a checkerboard pattern.
  5. Adjust the initial 2-3 rows according to the existing angle between the walls, since not in all rooms the walls are joined at an angle of 90.
  6. Be careful that the cut piece is the starting element of the next row.
  1. Cut panels as follows:
  • measure the distance from the edge of the penultimate part to the wall on one side of the plank, not forgetting the expansion joint;
  • write the data obtained with a pencil on a laminate board;
  • take distance measurements on the opposite side;
  • mark the second indicator with a pencil on the bar;
  • connect the two marks together;
  • cut the part along the marked line with a jigsaw.

Important! Laminate sawing is best done from the inside out so as not to damage the front surface.

There is a certain list of additional recommendations, the observance of which will certainly ensure high-quality installation of the laminate. Please read them carefully:


Diagonal laminate flooring. Video

Conclusion

To ennoble the floor with a laminate, as you can see, is quite simple without much effort. This coating is very practical due to the fact that it does not require special care. But, like any other finish, laminate requires careful treatment, namely:

  • move furniture and heavy objects without touching the floor;
  • do not allow abundant humidity in the room;
  • dry clean regularly.

Following these simple rules will ensure the long life and excellent appearance of your laminate flooring.