Laminate flooring is beautiful, durable, and very easy to work with. This type of flooring is an inexpensive, but very functional type of flooring. In recent years, laminate floors have become more popular as they have improved in quality, functionality, and cost. Sales of laminate flooring are predicted to maintain a steady upward trend over the next five years due to its popularity in new construction and remodeling.
Laminate floors first came on the market in 1977 as an affordable option. The Swedish company Perstorp recycled waste wood using high pressure and heat to create a durable and easy-to-install floor covering. The most common manufacturers of laminate flooring today include Shaw, Armstrong, Mohawk, and Dupont.
Laminate flooring panels consist of a particle board wood base with a design over layer and a final transparent seal layer. They mimic the look of wood, but at a fraction of the cost of real hardwood floors. They are water resistant and durable and come in different finishes and thicknesses, which impact the cost and lifespan of the floor.
Aesthetically, they have become popular as an inexpensive and durable alternative to natural wood floors. Since each plank has the appearance of real wood, they give the look of wood flooring without the cost or installation requirements of hardwood.
While laminate flooring is durable enough for everyday use, it does have some disadvantages. These include not being able to refinish the surface and being prone to water damage. Laminate that is peeling up, is mounding in areas, has excessive scratches, or has water damage should be replaced. You can expect laminate flooring to last about 15 to 25 years on average before needing to be replaced. Learning how to remove laminate flooring it relatively easy with only a little challenge.
Laminate flooring is known for its ease of installation, and tearing each plank back out is an easy flooring project as opposed to removing hardwood floors. This guide will help you get those planks pried up in no time and with minimal hassle and save you a headache.
Continue reading this guide to learn how to remove laminate flooring and complete your DIY job.
You can purchase these tools at your local hardware store. Tools can also be rented.
Check out our Ultimate Guide to Interior Demolition for more demo ideas.
There are a few things you should do prior to the job. Before you start your project, first remove all the furniture from the room so they're out of the way. It'll make the job way easier.
If there are any wood transition strips covering the change from the flooring to another flooring type such as vinyl flooring or carpet, the laminate strips should be removed first.
The transition strips molding can be removed easily with a sturdy putty knife or a mini pry bar. If they are screwed down, use an electric screwdriver to remove. Remove any additional decorative molding from the edging of the laminate. Unscrew any molding tracks and remove them from the floor.
Pull up any in-floor heating duct covers. Then remove the baseboards from the area of the flooring in the room. Cut through any paint connecting to the wall at the top of the baseboard and baseboard trim with a utility knife. You can also use a chisel. Insert the pry bar between the wall and the baseboard and pull the baseboard away. Remove any protruding nails. If you’d like to reuse the baseboards, label them on the backside, indicating what area of the room and wall they came from. This will make it easier to replace them after reinstalling your floor.
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Most laminate flooring planks are installed as a floating floor system. This makes it fairly easy to remove this type of floor in the room. Once the trim is removed, you can easily lift up the first laminate panel to remove the planks from each other. Start removing the planks at a wall and insert the pry bar into one of the gaps between the laminate and the wall. Slide the pry bar underneath the panel and tilt the board back and forth to begin to remove it. Tip the board to a 30 to 45 degree angle to allow it to wiggle free. Remove the laminate floor one row at a time. Once the first one is out, the rest will follow easily. The thin foam underlayment can be rolled up for easy discarding. It's usually not glued down on a floating floor.
However, if the laminate flooring is very old, it may have been installed with adhesive. In this case, it will be more difficult when removing laminate flooring panels. Use a heat gun to loosen up any glue. Directing the heat at the edge of the panel, lift each panel up, again to a 30 to 45 degree angle, and pull it away from the adjoining boards. If the boards prove difficult to remove, you can make some strategic cuts using a circular saw to help separate the floor planks.
If the floor has any rough spots or any glue remaining, you can sand it down at this step in the process. Once the laminate floor is completely removed, use a shop vac to clean up any dust and adhesive debris.
For more information, read our guide to removing floors.
If the laminate floor was installed over existing flooring, you will have to decide if you want to remove it as well. Take care removing old vinyl or linoleum flooring, as it could contain asbestos. Karol Johnson, construction manager for Neighborhood Housing Service of Baltimore, advises that older flooring may have asbestos in the tiles themselves or in the lining or adhesive of the floor. “Unless there’s some compelling reason to take it up, it should be left in place and new flooring installed on top,” says Johnson.
Laminate flooring planks, baseboards, the foam cushion, and most other content are safe to dispose of in your regular household waste collection. However, if you have a large floor to demo, or the floor removal is part of a larger remodeling project, then renting a dumpster container may be more convenient to have on site. Laminate flooring cannot be incinerated due to the chemicals present from the manufacturing process. With newer laminate, there are some options for recycling. Up to 85% of the flooring material can be recycled, mainly into wood chips that can be returned to the production process or used for different purposes.
Once your laminate floors are removed, this is a good time to inspect your subfloors and boards for any damage and make any necessary repairs. Then you are ready to install the replacement flooring of your choosing.
Good luck on your DIY home improvement project!
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