How you prepare the room depends on the flooring and
subfloor you already have. If your existing surface floor is warped, broken,
or damaged, it's usually best to remove it first. Repair the subfloor below
if necessary. The chart below describes some common flooring situations. It
might help you decide whether laminate flooring is the right way for you to
go.
EXISTING FLOOR/SUB
FLOOR
WHAT TO DO ?
Wood flooring over concrete
Remove wood Clean and smooth concrete Test
for moisture Lay down vapor barrier and underlayment or 2-in-1
foam
Flooring other than wood over concrete
Test for moisture
Lay down vapor barrier and underlayment or 2-in-1 foam
Any floor over wood
Lay Down underlayment
Carpet over anything
Remove carpet—check with
manufacturer Clean and smooth subfloor Lay down vapor barrier, if
needed, and underlayment
GETTING THE FLOOR CLEAN
Dirt and debris on the floor create high spots that may telegraph
through the laminate. You may not notice them at first, but they can
eventually cause cracks or wear spots in the floor.
* On concrete, scrape off solid materials, such as adhesive remaining
from flooring you've removed, with a floor scraper.
* On a wood subfloor, scrape gently with the grain; don't dig in.
* Once everything is scraped off, clean the floor thoroughly with the
cleaning product that your flooring dealer recommends.
