- a fairly well-known material used for finishing floors. It is considered one of the best options, as it allows you to make floors not only beautiful, but also durable. But it turns out that this type of coating can also be used for, and designers have now begun to use this technique quite often, although just a few years ago the idea of placing a floor covering on a wall would have raised eyebrows. So, laying laminate on the wall – excellent design solution. Why is it considered such and how to lay this coating on vertical surfaces? This material is dedicated to the answers to these questions.
Laminate on the wall - what makes this covering option unique?
Previously, the walls in the apartment were either covered with plaster or covered with wallpaper. In rooms such as a corridor, a bathroom, or a bathroom, decorative panels or tiles could be used. But designers continue to look for more and more interesting and practical options for wall decoration. Surprisingly, now they have begun to attach a material such as laminate to vertical surfaces, which is known to everyone as a practical, beautiful and interesting floor covering.
If we talk about laminate flooring, it is worth noting that it can not only imitate natural wood or stone, but also serve for many years. Moreover, it is so easy to install that anyone can install it, even without the involvement of outside help in the form of master finishers.
What influenced the fact that laminate began to be used for purposes other than its intended purpose? Why did they start mounting it on walls, and not just on floors? It's simple - this material is distinguished by its beauty and ease of installation, and fixing it on the walls is considered an even simpler task than laying it on the floor. Walls finished with laminate look very interesting; they can visually enlarge the space, make it more original and comfortable. Sometimes it is even fixed on ceilings.
On a note! Wall decoration with laminate is very often used in small rooms.
So, the advantages of finishing walls with laminate can be considered:
- the ability to obtain a perfectly flat wall surface;
- a chance to achieve the ideal color combination of the surface of the walls and floor, as well as furniture and other elements of the room;
- laminate can be mounted by placing the lamellas both vertically and horizontally, which gives you a chance to choose the ideal wall design;
- laminate will allow you to perfectly zone the space and visually divide even the smallest and cramped room into several zones;
- laminate is much stronger and more reliable than traditional wall coverings such as panels; it will not break from an accidental blow to it, unlike PVC;
- By analogy with the previous point, laminate is much better than tiles - it does not break from impact and is much easier to install than the latter;
- This type of coating is very easy to care for – you don’t need to buy any specialized products to clean it;
- This is an environmentally friendly material that can easily imitate a wooden or stone surface due to the variety of colors and textures.
But laminated walls also have their drawbacks, which are important to consider when deciding on this option for wall decoration. For example, do not forget that laminate does not like water, which means that it should not be installed in a bathroom or on the floor or on the walls. This material will deteriorate quite quickly in conditions of high humidity. The exception is moisture-resistant lamellas, which have increased resistance to water, but are much more expensive than regular standard laminate.
It is also worth assessing your budget. Laminate, although considered far from the most expensive floor covering, is still more expensive than the same PVC wall panels. And one more feature that is important to know: laminate is a heavy material, and it must be securely attached to the walls, otherwise it may collapse. But it is important to understand that under the influence of humidity and temperature, the coating can slightly change its physical parameters (dimensions), which means that it is better to avoid a clear and rigid connection of the lamellas with each other.
Features of laminate wall finishing
Thus, it is quite possible to attach laminate flooring to walls. The main thing is to adequately evaluate all the pros and cons and make an informed decision. The recommendations below will help you make your choice.
- Laminate is a wear-resistant material, but it is still recommended to put one that has a good class on the floor. But you can fix the thinnest one on the walls - the impact on it will still be much less than on the floor.
- You shouldn’t hang laminate on the walls near radiators - in this part of the room it’s better to choose a different finishing option. Hot air during the heating season will negatively affect the condition of the lamellas and can render them unusable.
- In any case, the walls need to be leveled before installing the laminate if they do not have a perfectly flat surface.. However, here everything will largely depend on the method of fixing the coating. Craftsmen also note that this finishing option helps in some cases to hide defects and unevenness of vertical surfaces.
The main advantage of the material that I would like to note is the possibility of its installation without the involvement of craftsmen. Most people are able to handle the task of fixing laminate flooring to walls themselves.
On a note! Laminate can increase the soundproofing properties of walls. Of course, perfect sound insulation cannot be achieved with it, but this figure can be partially increased, which is important in houses with “cardboard” walls, where audibility is very high.
The opinions of craftsmen regarding the possibility of laying laminate on walls are divided. Some believe that the arguments in favor of this option are far-fetched, and installation of the coating is pointless. Others believe that this is an excellent solution that can be implemented. In any case, the owner will have to decide on his own.
On a note! Laminate is not suitable for architecturally complex walls. It can only be used on flat surfaces.
Class, color and other factors
When choosing laminate for walls, you can relax a little. It is more difficult to choose for the floor, since the base is in any case exposed to much greater impact than the same walls. But, nevertheless, the class, color and type of coating must be taken into account when deciding to install it on the walls.
Table. Tips for choosing laminate.
| Parameter | Recommendation |
|---|---|
 | There are a lot of laminate colors, but the most popular ones are imitation wood and stone. When choosing the color of the coating, you need to take into account that all packages with lamellas must be produced within the same series - only then will it be possible to buy laminate of the same shade. It is also important to consider the overall style and color scheme of the interior. Only in this case can you choose the right color. The ideal option is to choose a color that matches the shade of the floor or furniture. |
 | There are several classes of laminate flooring, which can be divided into residential and commercial. So, the first includes laminate of 21-31 classes, and the second – 33-34 classes. They differ in strength characteristics and a number of factors. The thinnest and cheapest class can be mounted on walls without worrying about the further condition of the coating. |
 | There is a special type of laminate that is characterized by increased moisture resistance. Indeed, if a small amount of water gets on it, the material will not deteriorate (of course, we are not talking about radical flooding of the premises and final damage to the coating). This option is recommended for use in kitchens and bathrooms. You will have to decide whether to purchase such a coating depending on the conditions of use of the laminate. However, it is not recommended to install even moisture-resistant laminate on the walls in the bathroom, and especially on the ceiling. |
 | Lamels can have different types of locking connections. There is no need to emphasize here, since absolutely any option can be used for mounting on walls. It won't matter. But in general, it is better to take lamellas that are connected using the “click” type. |
How can I fix laminate flooring to the wall?
Now comes the most interesting part - how to fix the slats on a vertical surface? When installing the covering on the floor, the laminate is simply placed on a horizontal surface and secured to each other only by means of locks at the ends. On walls, such a connection will not be enough to keep the covering in a vertical position. So here you need to take other paths - there are 3 of them:
- fixation on frame, that is, on a wooden or aluminum sheathing;
- gluing for liquid nails or special glue;
- fixation with clamps.
On a note! Sometimes there are 4 types of laminate fixation on the wall, dividing the frame option into two types - installation on a wooden sheathing or fixation on an aluminum profile.
In any case, it is important to understand that laminate is not a lightweight material. Therefore, any option for fixing it on the walls must be reliable and of high quality.
Most people choose the adhesive fixation method, as it is much easier than others. In this case, the slats are simply glued to the wall surface using reliable adhesive components. For example, these could be liquid nails or silicone-based glue. It is important to understand that the surface of the wall in this case must be perfectly flat. Otherwise, there will be gaps between the slats. But if the walls allow, then it is easiest to use this option. And it is better to additionally glue the lock, due to which the slats are connected to each other.
Laminate on the wall in the kitchen interior - photo If the walls do not have a flat surface, then it is recommended to use the option with lathing. So, in this case, you will need to fix wooden blocks or an aluminum profile on the wall and attach the lamellas to them using nails or clamps. In this case, you will have to tinker with the finishing longer, but you don’t need to level the walls. And the sound insulation will be better. The slats are attached at a distance of 20-50 cm from each other.
Laying laminate: options
As for the laminate itself, just like on the floor, it can be laid vertically, horizontally or diagonally. In the first case, the slats will go from floor to ceiling, in the second - from one wall to another, in the third - from one corner to another, located diagonally. The last option is the most difficult, and therefore beginners in the repair business are recommended to choose the first or second method.
What will you need?
The work of finishing walls with laminate is not complicated, but may still require certain equipment. The required set, which may vary depending on the type of installation chosen, includes:
- perforator;
- mallet;
- jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- spatulas;
- measuring devices;
- building level.
You will also need the laminate itself and glue if the adhesive fixation method is chosen. In some cases, the need for spatulas can be avoided if liquid nails are used. They are usually packaged in a special tube, from which they are squeezed directly onto the underside of the lamellas.
Wall finishing with laminate - photo On a note! To increase adhesion when using the adhesive method, it is best to first clean the surface of the walls from dust and prime them.
Adhesive fastening of laminate
Let's look step by step at the easiest way to fix laminate flooring - adhesive.
Step 1. First of all, the wall needs to be prepared for this type of work, that is, leveled and then primed. Next, you need to wait for the surface to dry, and then you can begin further work.
Step 2. The laminate needs to be brought into the room in which it will be installed and left for a couple of days. During this time, he will “get used” to the conditions of further operation and will have time to acclimatize. Then the packs need to be opened and make sure that all the lamellas have the same color and texture. If necessary, the panels should be re-sorted by shade.
Step 3. In this case, installation should begin from the upper right corner, since the refrigerator will be on the left, and if something happens it will cover the cut and incomplete panels. In visible spaces it is necessary to use the most solid lamellas. You need to try on the first panel.
Step 5. On the underside of the lamella you need to apply liquid nails in a “snake” pattern along the entire length of the lamella.
Step 6. Next, the lamella needs to be glued to the wall so that there is a gap of about 5 mm between it and the edge of the wall. The lamella must be carefully pressed against the wall and even slammed with your hand to ensure the reliability of the surface connection.
Step 7 Then you need to measure the space under the glued lamella, which remains uncovered, and apply the resulting measurement to the new lamella. The markings must be applied using a pencil and a square to get a perfectly straight line.
Step 8 Now you need to use a jigsaw to saw off the excess from the lamella according to the applied markings.
Step 9 Using the same principle as in steps 5 and 6, you need to glue the lamella to the wall. It is important to align the locks of the new and previously laid lamella with each other. The first row is ready.
Step 10 The second row of laminate must be glued immediately, preliminarily, before gluing it to the wall. It is important that the joints of the lamellas in adjacent rows are not in the same place. The whole lamella and pieces of the required length must be assembled in one row and secured with tape on the front side.
Step 12 Then a series of lamellas with glue must be inserted into the locks of the previously laid lamellas and the laminate must be glued.
Step 13 This way you need to cover the entire wall. By the way, if you cut off all the end locks, then the lamellas can be glued, without first connecting to each other, one at a time on the walls.
Step 14 When installing laminate flooring on walls, it is sometimes necessary to bypass sockets. This can be done this way: you need to install the laser level so that the intersection of its two beams falls on the center of the socket box. Then you need to substitute the panel and mark the location of the outlet on it, focusing on the level. Next, you just need to cut a hole of the required size with a jigsaw and glue the panel.
Step 15 This way you need to cover the entire wall. The last row of lamellas will need to be adjusted to the width of the remaining space, not forgetting to leave a small gap between the edge of the wall and the outermost lamella.
Video - Laminate on the wall. Mounting horizontally
This is how laminate flooring can turn into wall covering. And this is not surprising - why not use this type of material for a purpose other than its intended purpose, if it can perfectly serve as a wall covering? So lamellas may well replace standard options for finishing vertical surfaces in any home. Moreover, there is nothing complicated about installing laminate on walls.
Reading time: 4 minutes. Published 10/29/2016
Decorating walls with wood allows you to create an extraordinary atmosphere and original interior of any room. Only the price of natural wood is very high, which reduces the possibility of its use for ordinary people. You can get out of this situation by finishing the walls with laminate, which combines low cost and excellent quality of finishing. Let's look at how to attach laminate flooring to the wall below.
Advantages
The following types of advantages can be attributed to laminate:
- low cost of building materials;
- practicality of using the product;
- environmental friendliness;
- excellent external features of the material, imitating natural wood material;
- ease of installation and fastening work.
When decorating walls made of laminate, the latter allows you to maintain the main features of functionality over a long period. Laminate is resistant to external factors and also minimizes wall loads.
Finishing walls with laminate allows you to be guided by the unlimited possibilities of the designers' imagination. If we compare laminate with other finishing materials, it is determined not only by durability and strength, but also by low cost.
How to fix and lay laminate flooring on a wall
Depending on the chosen option for laying building materials, this procedure should be performed very carefully. Laying laminate is divided into two methods:
Installing laminate flooring on a flat surface - glue installation, but it is important to take into account that the laminate should be laid on a perfectly flat surface. This building material is laid directly on glue or liquid nails, and the surface for installation is pre-leveled and dried;
Laying laminate on sheathing - installation on a special lathing, as a result of which the laminate is laid on a pre-prepared frame made of slats and bars. This option provides an additional opportunity to install insulating wall materials on the walls.
Tongue and groove laminate used for wall decoration, as it is equipped with a special lock in its design. When installing laminate, glue is applied to the reverse side, while the joints of the material remain dry and also have a beautiful appearance. When installed on a lath, this laminate is secured with small nails or staples.
Click view of laminate can be attached using an adhesive base to the sheathing. Laminate of this kind is determined by its strength and stability. You should choose it directly from such a factor as the installation position. When installed in a horizontal position, a click type with strong locks should be used. If you plan to install the laminate in a vertical position, then any type of laminate can be used.
Wall finishing with laminate can be done in several ways, both with a horizontal arrangement of panels and with a vertical one. Before moving on to describing the intricacies of technology, let’s get acquainted with the types of laminate suitable for wall decoration.
Which laminate is suitable for walls: adhesive, tongue-and-groove or click?
- For adhesive laminate The edges are smooth, without a lock. The adhesive laminate is laid on a flat surface using liquid nails or construction silicone: glue is applied to the back of the panel in a zigzag pattern, a strip is laid, glue is applied to the end, the next one is laid, etc. The glue drips that appear at the joints are immediately removed with a cloth lightly moistened with table vinegar. An adhesive laminate is not suitable for laying on sheathing due to the small contact area with the underlying surface. Floors are laid with adhesive laminate.
- Tongue and groove laminate panels equipped with a tongue and groove lock. It can be laid with glue without gluing the tongue and groove, so that the joints come out dry and always neat. When laying dry, the strips are secured into the groove of the tongue like lining: with small nails (only to wooden sheathing) or with glue brackets (to wood and metal sheathing). Tongue and groove laminate is suitable for all surfaces of the room: floor, walls, ceiling.
- Click laminate– improvement of sheet piling. The comb in cross-section is pear-shaped; the groove profile matches it. When laying it, the adjacent panel is tilted at about 20 degrees, the ridge of the lock is inserted into the groove, and, turning it towards the base, pressed - the lock snaps into place. Click laminate cladding has increased strength and resistance to warping. In addition to the glue, the click laminate is secured with nails into the grooves of the lock. Clayers cannot be used - the lock will not latch. Click laminate on the walls can be attached with glue to the wooden sheathing.
Laminate is also called MDF panels of the same size as laminate panels. This is a very good material, but expensive, so it is not discussed in this article. But all the working techniques and subtleties for laminates based on fiberboard and chipboard are also suitable for MDF. A more detailed description of working with MDF can be found.
Tool for work
To cover walls with laminate, you will need some tools used for laying floors. There is no point in using them on the ceiling, because... everything is done there by weight. Click laminate strips can be precisely adjusted when laying using just a tool. It will not be possible to move them with your hands - the comb sits very tightly in the groove.
- Boss. Using a hammer, the strips are tapped through the boss as they are laid.
- Rule (emphasis on “and”), or hook. It is sometimes incorrectly called a clamp. The rule is to tighten the last strips, either by hand or by hitting the “flag” with a hammer.
- Spacer wedges maintain the indentation along the perimeter. You need at least two sets of wedges to work. Wedges are mainly used for flooring.
Technological subtleties
Where laminate is not suitable
The kitchen is not suitable for laminate finishing. Fiberboard and chipboard are inexpensive materials; the raw materials for them do not undergo complex processing. Therefore, the laminate swells and warps due to excess humidity and temperature changes. In the kitchen, fluctuations in temperature and humidity are not only large, but frequent and sharp.
For the same reason, basements, cellars, and closets cannot be finished with laminate. But the hallway is possible. Here, deviations of air parameters from sanitary standards do not last long and occur infrequently.
But for a balcony, even a very carefully equipped one, laminate is even less suitable than for a kitchen. On the balcony there are large seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Therefore, the balcony must be sheathed with plastic lining, eurolining or MDF.
Gaps
Due to the tendency of laminate to swell under high humidity, it must be laid with a gap (indentation) from the corners of 15-20 mm around the entire perimeter for any installation method. It is difficult to support it when installing it on a wall with spacer wedges, especially from below, so it is better to do this: lay a flat board or strip of the required thickness along the bottom. If installation is done using glue, we wrap this board or batten with one layer of thin plastic film. And from the sides you can already use wedges - here they are not loaded with the weight of the skin and will not slip off. Once the sheathing is finished, the gaps are closed with glued plinths.
Glue or lathing?
Most often it is recommended to lay laminate flooring on the sheathing. At the same time, the strength of the finish on any wall is guaranteed and additional sound and heat insulation can be made. But the artistic possibilities of finishing when laying on the sheathing are very limited. To obtain a cladding of an original design, the laminate is laid with glue (liquid nails, silicone) on a flat, dry wall without plaster.
About the nuances of forming wooden or metal sheathing.
Advice: Many flooring manufacturers, aware of the desires of customers, are already producing special systems for attaching parquet and laminate to the wall. An example of such a solution is in the video below:
How to check if a wall is level?
To do this, you need an even strip as long as the height of the wall without a plinth. Before checking, plaster, baseboards, door and window frames are removed. The rail is led vertically along the wall; protrusions and depressions are marked with a pencil. The protrusions are scraped off or knocked down with a chisel to a shallow depression. Then all the depressions are filled with starting putty and rubbed down.
How to check the “evenness” of the rack itself? Right on the wall. Place the batten flat against the wall and draw a line along it with a pencil. Then we turn the rail 180 degrees and apply the ends to the ends of the line. If the line along its entire length coincides with the edge of the slats, it is even. If a deflection/kink is noticeable, another one is needed. This method of checking a ruler is described in a school geometry textbook.
Where to start?
Most often it is recommended to start laying laminate flooring from the far left corner and proceed clockwise. There is nothing to object to here, but you can add: if you are left-handed, then it will be more convenient to start from the far right corner and go counterclockwise.
Horizontal or vertical?
Laying laminate on the wall is possible in both vertical and horizontal stripes. We’ll talk about the possibilities of vertical installation later, but for now we will describe the methods of horizontal installation.
At first glance, laying in solid strips is simpler and cheaper, but it only seems so. The joints, which are in one line, must be covered with plinths, and the plinths themselves must be attached to the wall with mounting nails (dowel nails). Fastening holes for nails are drilled directly through the joints of the panels. Even if the cladding comes in solid strips along the length of the wall, it still needs to be installed at least every 1.7 m.
Why such complexity and additional costs? The fact is that solid panels will only lock each other in one direction. Without additional reinforcement, such a cladding will tend to fold like an accordion. Mechanical stress on fasteners (glue, nails, gluers) will be concentrated in some places, and in general the cladding will be unreliable.
For good strength, the cladding is laid with a “comb”: a number of strips equal to half the horizontal rows are cut exactly in half. If, say, 10 rows are laid along the height of the wall, we cut 5 strips. We carry out the laying, starting the rows alternately with a whole strip, then with a half. Joints spaced halfway across the length of the strip will evenly distribute the load on the fasteners.
In some cases, laying laminate flooring diagonally looks interesting. To do this, it is better to use a coating of two colors. Naturally, such work will require certain skills and experience.
Variations of vertical laying
The possibilities of showing your creativity in wall coverings increase immeasurably if you lay the laminate on the wall vertically, with glue on a flat, dry surface. The tedious and dusty work of cleaning and leveling the walls is offset by the cost of lathing.
For examples, we will use panels of only two types: long (or solid, if the height of the room exceeds 3 m) - the main ones, and pieces the size of the remaining height of the wall - complementary. Let's take the main and complementary panels of contrasting tones, say, dark and light. Let's see what can happen:
- We will lay out a strip of complementary panels 60-80 cm long along the bottom; We will sew the main ones up to the ceiling. Place a plinth on the horizontal joint. Vertical joints at certain intervals (say, after 3-4 joints) can be additionally secured with pieces of the same plinth, and the same can be run along the ceiling, also lined with laminate. What happened? A romantic, medievalist (medieval-looking) room with imitation ribs and ceiling beams. Instead of torches, linear fluorescent or freon lamps can be installed on the ribs instead of torches.
- We will sew only the bottom with the main panels, and leave a clean bleached strip along the top. For what? Or at least as a screen for LED strips. Who said that lighting design is only possible on the ceiling? There is no such law, and that’s it.
- We will place a strip of dark complementary panels in the middle of the light wall and decorate it with plinths. We will place paintings, photographs, decorative plates, souvenirs, straw appliqués, macrame, a collection of decorative weapons, etc., etc. on it. Aesthetic and original.
As an option, cover the wall at the head of the bed with a laminate that matches the tone of the floor.
- We cut the complementary strips to length in a ratio of 1:3 (cut in thirds). We will lay them out along the top and bottom with a comb, and between them there will be the main ones. The result is a light (or dark) surface between two combs - minimal in labor intensity and economical in material, but quite a decent design solution.
- We will purchase the main and complementary strips in equal quantities and cut them into squares. The idea is clear: the walls are in the form of a chessboard. It is not so trivial if you stick flat symbols of chess pieces made of thick sheet plastic onto some squares. You can depict a collection of chess studies.
- Let's cut both the main and complementary strips in a 1:2 ratio, and lay out a pattern from them, or simply scatter them in artistic chaos. The result is complete freedom of expression.
There is a stumbling block in the last option: if you lay it as you please, then there will not be enough space for some fragment at the top, or there will be a gap. Therefore, the pattern (or artistic disorder) must be laid out on the floor in advance just like that, without fastening, and transferred to the wall in pieces.
What if the room is narrow? In this case, you need to simulate the pattern on a computer in any computer design program, at least in the well-known CorelDraw, number the real fragments accordingly and arrange them in numerical order horizontally.
If you only have basic computer skills, then perhaps it will be easier to cut pieces of thick multi-colored paper to scale, lay them out on the table, and then transfer the numbering from there to the “living” pieces. Numbers, of course, need to be applied to their back side.
Conclusion
As you can see, covering walls with laminate is not only possible for almost anyone. Laminate also provides ample opportunities for the manifestation of creative abilities for people who do not have artistic education and skills. Even the cheapest laminate of only two tones allows you to express the individuality of its owner in the design of an apartment.
Video: example of complex laminate cladding of a loggia
Despite the fact that in the video the balcony is completely covered with laminate, we remind you once again that such a solution should be resorted to only if you are deeply confident in the good microclimate of the room, or use more serious laminated panels based on MDF.
Decorating walls with laminate is an unusual way of decorating, since it has long proven itself as a strong and durable floor covering. However, laying laminate on the wall is increasingly replacing wall decoration with plastic or MDF panels, lining or plasterboard. In addition, the technology and installation methods are quite simple; you can do them yourself if you follow photo examples and video instructions.
Laying laminate on the wall
If you are wondering what arguments exist for laying laminate on walls, it is worth listing its advantages:
- Modern laminate is an environmentally friendly material without harmful fumes.
- It is durable, strong, and has a service life of more than ten years.
- Laminate will hide any unevenness in the walls, so it can be used both in an apartment and in a private house.
- As a floor covering, laminate should be chosen of the highest strength class. But, using it as a wall covering, you can save significantly on this by choosing low classes, since the material on the walls is not exposed to the same influences as on the floor.
- Thanks to the wide variety of textures and shades, you can bring any design idea to life in your apartment.
- Antistatic – dust will not accumulate on the walls, and the ceiling can be washed.
- Working with this material is quite simple; you can do it yourself.
However, there are some disadvantages:
- The material is sensitive to high moisture.
- Sensitivity to temperature changes, which can have a negative impact on the appearance of the material.
Choosing a laminate
There are three types of laminate: tongue and groove, click and adhesive.
You can use it to cover a wall, but only if it is perfectly flat.
Laying methods
Before choosing a method for laying laminate flooring yourself, you should understand two questions:
- Glue or lathing?
- Vertical method or horizontal?
lathing for laminate The first question reflects the methods of fastening - using glue or by arranging lathing on the wall. The adhesive method is quite simple, it is suitable for all types of laminate, but it places high demands on the quality of the wall surface - it must be uniform and even, otherwise gaps and joints will be visible, and the panels on such a wall will not be able to last for a long time. But this method is very simple, installation is easy to do with your own hands. The method of creating sheathing has advantages in that there is no need to spend time and money on leveling the walls, and it also creates additional sound and heat insulation of surfaces. If, when decorating the walls with laminate, the ceiling is additionally decorated, this will serve as good sound insulation from neighbors above.
vertical installation of laminate flooring on the wall The second question reflects how laminate flooring is laid - in vertical or horizontal stripes. The horizontal method, at first glance, seems to be the simplest - the panels are laid in horizontal rows on top of each other. But all joints must be covered with skirting boards, which are attached to the wall with dowels. They need to be installed every meter and a half, otherwise the entire cladding, without additional fastenings, will fold like an accordion. To give strength to the laminate with this installation method, you need to alternate half-sections, i.e. shorter panels, with longer ones, stacking them on top of each other (see photo). Shorter panels will allow the load to be evenly distributed across the mounting points.
The vertical method of laying laminate will allow you to create an original wall design, the design of which will also affect the ceiling, if, for example, you combine different shades or sizes of panels (see photo).
What will you need to install laminate flooring on walls?
When laying laminate flooring on walls and ceilings with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
To make the installation process and technology more understandable, you can watch the video at the end of the article for clarity.
laying laminate on the wall Step-by-step instruction
- Preliminary calculation of the required amount of material. At the same time, do not forget to count the excess material for fitting and trimming.
- Preparing the surface for installation - first clean the wall or ceiling, level it, and dry it if the adhesive method is used. When creating the sheathing, wooden or metal slats with a width of 20–40 mm are used, fastened with self-tapping screws with a width between them of 30–40 cm. The location of the slats should be perpendicular to the location of the slats.
- Selecting the starting point for laying. If the entire wall is laid out, laying begins from the top left point, unless part of the wall reaches the ceiling - from the floor from the same point. You should mark the distance of one strip and start laying the cladding from this border, regardless of the method of laying the laminate.
- Installation of laminate panels. When using the adhesive method, the adhesive is applied to the back side of the panel and pressed tightly to the surface; you can also glue the locks. It is not recommended to rigidly fix the panels butt to butt. When creating the sheathing, the fastening technology is carried out similarly to working with lining and plastic panels, using clamps or small nails
- Installation of skirting boards. After the laminate is laid on the wall or ceiling, the joints with the wall or floor must be covered with baseboards and corners.
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