Tool List
- Router (Plunge or Fixed)
- Router Bit
- Table Saw or Miter Saw
- 10" 60- or 80-tooth carbide-tipped ATB or triple chip saw blade
- Splines
- Hammer
- Power Drill
- 6d Finish Nails
- Construction Adhesive
- Beginning at the riser, measure and cut a piece of laminate to fit flush with
the subfloor.
- Glue in place by applying a 3" serpentine bead of construction adhesive to
the back of the flooring.
- Press in place.
- Begin by cutting Armstrong flush stairnose to the appropriate length.
- When more than one length of stairnose is required, each subsequent piece
should be cut on a 45° angle.
- End-glue to the next adjoining piece
using laminate floor glue.
- Adhere the stairnose to the subfloor using
a high-quality, construction adhesive.
- Apply a 3/16" bead of adhesive in a 3"
repeating serpentine pattern to the back
of the stairnose. Carefully read cautions
on container and follow the manufacturer’s
recommended instructions on the adhesive label.
- Predrill holes in the moulding and anchor with finish nails.
- Install underlayment next to the installed stairnose.
- Begin installation of laminate flooring from the stairnose.
- Match the factory tongue on the length of the plank to the factory groove in
the stairnose.
- When installing laminate perpendicular
to stairnose moulding, cut the boards
in the row to maintain the desired
staggered visual appearance.
- When cutting locking laminate, cut
both the stairnose and laminate
beyond the tongue and groove to make
a blunt, flush edge, and then use the
router bit to create a groove in both.
Setting the Router Bit
- Set the depth of the router bit by placing two pieces of flooring on a flat, sturdy
surface with the factory grooves facing each other.
- After the bit has been installed into the router, place the router on the surface
of the flooring and adjust the bit height visually to match the groove position.
- To check the accuracy of your router bit setting, rout a groove on the tongue
edge of a piece of scrap.
- If there is a slight scrap of the tongue left above or below the groove, adjust
the bit depth accordingly and recheck your adjustment.
Glueing Splines
- Use splines when glueing groove to groove.
- Apply a bead of glue to both sides of one edge of the spline and insert it into
the groove of the stairnose.
- Apply another bead of glue to the top of the exposed portion of the spline.
- Apply a bead of glue to the bottom lip of the groove of the piece of flooring
to be installed.
- Place the piece of flooring into position and gently tap the pieces together
using the tapping block.
- A small, continuous bead of glue must ooze to the surface to ensure a waterresistant
joint.
- Remove the excess glue with a damp cloth followed by wiping with a dry,
cotton cloth.
Expansion Zone
All expansion zones between the edge of the laminate flooring installation and all
vertical surfaces parallel to the stairnose should be increased per the chart below:
| If distance between nosing and vertical surface is |
Expansion zone should be |
| 5' - 9' |
1/4" |
| 10' - 14' |
3/8" |
| 15' - 19' |
1/2" |
| 20' - 24' |
3/4" |
| 25' - 29' |
7/8" |
| 30'+ |
1" |
|
