Installing laminate flooring, quick sanity check requested

[Blanky]

Removing carpet and linoleum and putting laminate across both.

Sadly, it appears that the thin Luan subfloor put in place only for the linoleum goes underneath the counters. Thus, without removing the counters (which is absolutely not happening) the best I can do is cut the linoleum around the edges and leave the luan there, then I'll need to step into the kitchen and step down again elsewhere.

A neighbor recently installed laminate and I saw all their luan ripped up, but they said a professional did it and they didn't pay attention.

Any other ideas? I don't much fancy getting a saw to cut up against the edge of the counter and remove the luan only in the main walking area...

I am not going to get a toe kick saw because some say they are dangerous as hell, and I'd never find another use for it. Maybe I should get something like the fein multimaster? Or is this luan so weak I can score it next to the cabinet and bend it up and snap it?

Uh, I refuse to do it half-assed. I think I will have to cut the luan up. Maybe it does score nicely

Moved from OT

Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent

 

[steppinthrax]

Removing carpet and linoleum and putting laminate across both.

Sadly, it appears that the thin Luan subfloor put in place only for the linoleum goes underneath the counters. Thus, without removing the counters (which is absolutely not happening) the best I can do is cut the linoleum around the edges and leave the luan there, then I'll need to step into the kitchen and step down again elsewhere.

A neighbor recently installed laminate and I saw all their luan ripped up, but they said a professional did it and they didn't pay attention.

Any other ideas? I don't much fancy getting a saw to cut up against the edge of the counter and remove the luan only in the main walking area...

I am not going to get a toe kick saw because some say they are dangerous as hell, and I'd never find another use for it. Maybe I should get something like the fein multimaster? Or is this luan so weak I can score it next to the cabinet and bend it up and snap it?

Uh, I refuse to do it half-assed. I think I will have to cut the luan up. Maybe it does score nicely

Moved from OT

Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent

There are two ways you can go about doing this.

1. Use a heavy duty utility knife and make several deep cuts along between the floor and cabinet this will score the floor and cabinet. When you pop up the subfloor it will "break" along the score mark. I've done this with 1/4" plywood with laminate on top!!!!

2. Is that the original floor. My suspicion is no!! When you pull the dishwasher do you see the same floor underneath???? Remove all the drawers on a drawer cabinet, do you see the same floor underneath?

 

[Zivic]

take up the subfloor. just cut it along the cabinets. worst case you cant get it tight and have to run a piece of 1/4 round along the cabinets.

 

[steppinthrax]

take up the subfloor. just cut it along the cabinets. worst case you cant get it tight and have to run a piece of 1/4 round along the cabinets.

Yep,

That's done even in new installs. They run 1/2" cove molding along the toe-kick. They run 1/2" cove around the baseboard on hardwood installs as well.

 

[Blanky]

Alright, thanks, going to remove it! It is original, but I'm going to try and score it with a heavy utility knife. Saves me cost and scoring is awesome when it works.

 

[steppinthrax]

Alright, thanks, going to remove it! It is original, but I'm going to try and score it with a heavy utility knife. Saves me cost and scoring is awesome when it works.

On another note what is your future thought for the kitchen. If you plan on replacing the cabinets soon I would go ahead and pull the cabinets away from the wall and replace all the way underneath. You simply remove the wall screws and try to pull the entire cabinet units out in one piece. If caulk is used along the countertop you cut along the caulk line.

 

[Blanky]

On another note what is your future thought for the kitchen. If you plan on replacing the cabinets soon I would go ahead and pull the cabinets away from the wall and replace all the way underneath. You simply remove the wall screws and try to pull the entire cabinet units out in one piece. If caulk is used along the countertop you cut along the caulk line.

You know how it goes. You fight upgrades as long as you can. I don't want to give anybody any ideas about cabinets :awe:

 

[Greenman]

You might be able to cut it with a little vibrating cutter (forgot what they're called). Scoring and snapping is another possibility.

This is why I always run flooring up to the cabinets and not under them.

 

[Zodiark1593]

Score it or reciprocating saw. An undercut saw isn't necessary and is, in fact, difficult to use ajd easy to cut, or lop off certain appendages. When I worked for my dad, I saw a dude that lost a finger to the saw.

Edit: wrong name of tool above, Vibrating Saw, often lovingly called the Vibrator.

 

[olds]

http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-GMT15...&qid=1429441556&sr=8-1&keywords=vibrating+saw

 

[DrPizza]

Another possibility: use a good marker to trace around the edge of the cabinets, disconnect water supply and drain lines, remove countertop, remove drawers, and stuff from cabinets, then find the screws that hold the cabinets to the wall; remove cabinets.

Then, set the depth on a circular saw to the thickness of the luan, and cut along the lines. Then, set the cabinets back in place, etc. If you don't remove the luan from under the cabinets, then the holes should all still line up.

 

[Blanky]

Another possibility: use a good marker to trace around the edge of the cabinets, disconnect water supply and drain lines, remove countertop, remove drawers, and stuff from cabinets, then find the screws that hold the cabinets to the wall; remove cabinets.

Then, set the depth on a circular saw to the thickness of the luan, and cut along the lines. Then, set the cabinets back in place, etc. If you don't remove the luan from under the cabinets, then the holes should all still line up.

That's a good idea.

I just got to this thread after spending a while in the kitchen, though, and removed most of the stuff near the cabinets. Scoring worked quite well. I was surprised what a PITA removing all the ply is, with tons and tons of stables. Hundreds. I'll probably hammer them into the subfloor instead of taking them out.

That link to the tool above at Amazon looks great. I know the fein multimaster started this and its patent ran out, and I need some way to cut the bottom of all the door jams.

I've also decided to remove the baseboards and re-install, instead of doing quarter round.

Is there any chance using a multi-tool along the bottom of baseboards (I just need to trim the bottom to fit the laminate in) to cut them could be done cleaner/easier than replacing the baseboards? I expect at least half of them to be ruined during removal.

 

[Blanky]

Another possibility: use a good marker to trace around the edge of the cabinets, disconnect water supply and drain lines, remove countertop, remove drawers, and stuff from cabinets, then find the screws that hold the cabinets to the wall; remove cabinets.

Then, set the depth on a circular saw to the thickness of the luan, and cut along the lines. Then, set the cabinets back in place, etc. If you don't remove the luan from under the cabinets, then the holes should all still line up.

That's a good idea.

I just got to this thread after spending a while in the kitchen, though, and removed most of the stuff near the cabinets. Scoring worked quite well. I was surprised what a PITA removing all the ply is, with tons and tons of stables. Hundreds. I'll probably hammer them into the subfloor instead of taking them out.

That link to the tool above at Amazon looks great. I know the fein multimaster started this and its patent ran out, and I need some way to cut the bottom of all the door jams.

I've also decided to remove the baseboards and re-install, instead of doing quarter round.

Is there any chance using a multi-tool along the bottom of baseboards (I just need to trim the bottom to fit the laminate in) to cut them could be done cleaner/easier than replacing the baseboards? I expect at least half of them to be ruined during removal.

 

[Greenman]

That's a good idea.

I just got to this thread after spending a while in the kitchen, though, and removed most of the stuff near the cabinets. Scoring worked quite well. I was surprised what a PITA removing all the ply is, with tons and tons of stables. Hundreds. I'll probably hammer them into the subfloor instead of taking them out.

That link to the tool above at Amazon looks great. I know the fein multimaster started this and its patent ran out, and I need some way to cut the bottom of all the door jams.

I've also decided to remove the baseboards and re-install, instead of doing quarter round.

Is there any chance using a multi-tool along the bottom of baseboards (I just need to trim the bottom to fit the laminate in) to cut them could be done cleaner/easier than replacing the baseboards? I expect at least half of them to be ruined during removal.

Not worth the effort. Baseboard is cheap to buy and easy to install. Cut through the caulking bead at the top with a utility knife, rip it out and put down the floor.
The base in your picture is called "Coronado" and is available in wood or MDF.

 

[skyking]

Doing some of that today, re-using some I had removed carefully from another room to finish out a closet. Stuff is cheap, comes pre-primed. Do paint it before installation and just touch up nail holes after filling with ALEX.

 

[Blanky]

I ripped it out. I think using that tool would indeed be silly and maybe burn it out. I'm going to get one anyway for the bottom of the doors, though, as removing the trim around those I don't want to do.

Half the baseboards I removed were trashed. They were MDF and it is a pain to baby it to the degree necessary, at least the way the installer did it!

 

[Zstream]

I ripped it out. I think using that tool would indeed be silly and maybe burn it out. I'm going to get one anyway for the bottom of the doors, though, as removing the trim around those I don't want to do.

Half the baseboards I removed were trashed. They were MDF and it is a pain to baby it to the degree necessary, at least the way the installer did it!

Don't blame an installer for that. That's exactly how its supposed to be installed. Decorative baseboard just gets beat up on daily activities.

 

[tsiunltdus]

The oscillating saw is the way to go. Use it at Servpro all the time doing demo on jobs. It is a powerful little tool and so easy to use.