Laying laminate flooring in a hallway is a great way to add value and functionality to your home while still keeping things looking tidy. A hallway can often feel like an afterthought of a room, but it can actually be quite useful for organizing the rest of your household as well. If you have a large home or multiple stories that need access from one another, this might not be as much of an issue for you. But if space is at a premium, sticking to the essentials is probably your best bet. And that means keeping things as efficient as possible so you don’t waste any of your space either. Here are some helpful tips for laying laminate flooring in a hallway so everything looks clean and dust-free while still giving the room functionality and security it needs.
Plan Ahead
The best way to keep from wasting time and money is to plan ahead. Plan the layout of your flooring in advance. Lay out where you want the doors, walls, and windows that give access to the hallway. The use of a paper or pencil will make sure your layout looks accurate before you start laying down any flooring.
Planning ahead also helps you determine how much flooring you’ll need for the project. The last thing you want is to go through your entire shopping list only to realize there’s no where left on the floor for all of it! This said, leave a little bit of extra room around doorways and other hallways so that when larger pieces come in they can be fitted into place easily.
Get The Measurements Right
To lay laminate flooring in a hallway, you’ll need to get the measurements right. You’ll need to decide how wide and long your hallway is going to be so that you can pick out the appropriate size of laminate flooring. If you plan on installing extra-wide or double-wide boards, make sure that you measure the width and length of the entire hall for both side of the board. This will ensure that the boards fit perfectly without any gaps or spaces in between them. Laminate flooring isn’t particularly difficult to install and it doesn’t require tools like a saw or drill. In fact, most people can install it in less than an hour without any specialized skills at all. So, getting this part right is crucial if you want a clean installation with no mistakes made during installation.
Clear The Area
Always start by clearing the area of furniture or anything else that might impede your progress. This is a crucial step in laying laminate flooring in a hallway as it will be easier to get at the floor and make sure it’s level if there isn’t anything obstructing you from doing so. If you need to move something, try to do so in such a way that it won’t leave any noticeable marks on the floor.
If you have carpeted floors, you may have to remove this as well. This can be done with staples or more simply with a broomstick. If you don’t want to remove the carpet entirely, make sure you use a masking tape runner before laying laminate flooring in a hallway so no dust gets into your home while also protecting your carpet from any damage done while installing the new flooring.
Plan Out The Layout
It is important to spend some time planning out the layout of your hallway before you start laying laminate flooring. It will save you from unnecessary mistakes and headaches later on. The first step in creating a functional layout is to decide how many doors you want to include. In most cases, it’s best not to go over two if you want to keep things streamlined, but there are times when more than two can be handy depending on the size of your home.
Once you have decided how many doors you want in your hallway, plan for the type of surface that will be required for each door. For example, if one wall needs a door with a large window in order for it to function as an entrance, then that would require a larger patterned design or bigger color choice. If one wall needs an entryway that opens into an upstairs area, then a small patterned design or even just a solid color might work better in order to stay discreet while still providing the function needed. Once these key elements have been determined and planned out, then you can move onto laying laminate flooring in a hallway.
Install The Laminate Flooring
Before you lay the laminate flooring, make sure to measure it and cut it carefully. This is a big job that’s best done with two people so you don’t have to worry about cutting off too much of the flooring. The wood or vinyl pieces of your flooring should be nailed into place before application.
Put Up Walls Of Mirrors Or Backdrop
One of the best ways to make a hallway look more spacious is to put up walls of mirrors or a backdrop. These walls will give off the illusion that there is more space, and they can also double as a great wall to display artwork or other decorative pieces that you might have. You can also use these areas for storing things like shoes or other household items.
Add Handrails And Grab Bars
To Keep The Room Safe
One of the most important things to consider when laying laminate flooring in a hallway is ensuring that you maintain safety. As such, it’s vital that you place handrails and grab bars throughout the hall. This way, people can easily stay safe if they happen to drift off course and fall. It also makes it easier for people with mobility issues or those who have trouble seeing to find their way back to their rooms.
Wrapping Things Up
Take a moment to look at the layout of your hallway. There are many factors to consider, but ultimately you want to make sure you have enough space to lay the flooring without any interference from furniture or other things. You can break up the flooring with moldings on either side or use a border tile that is recessed in the wall so that it doesn’t overlap with anything else in the room.
The last thing you want is for your new flooring project to be an eyesore as well as a pain when it comes time to clean up! Keep this in mind when laying laminate flooring in a hallway and everything should go smoothly.
