How can you have almost zero waste when you install laminate or engineered wood flooring? How about saving the time? The laminate flooring salespeople recommend allowing for at least 5% waste. Still, when I installed the flooring from left to right, often I found the right plank was too short and I had to undo the whole row and start all over again (wasting time). Thus even figuring I will waste 5% of materials (thus money), I can not guarantee I will not also waste time. This video not only save you money but also save you the time. If you think my method does not save you the time, watch it again (specially the part about “8 inch rule” and “the wrong way to save time” section).
The optimal solution I presented here is:
1. Money: almost zero material waste (professional says 5%)
2. Time: 1-second template compare check (I really doubt anyone else can come up with less time than this).
In this video, I will show you a very easy simple 4-step process that will not only allow you to save the material (the money) but also the time. In fact, the layout of the whole room can be predicted before the actual installation.
Note that this video uses the classical installation from left to right. Even though the left piece is shown placed at right end for measurement, it is just for measurement, you should not install the left piece at the right end, you should not cut the left piece again. The installation is as follows:
A. place the left piece at the left end.
B. place a new standard length plank next to the left piece.
C. if the new standard length plank reaches the right wall, then cut this new standard length plank to fit the current row. This cutting would yield one right piece for the current row, and a new left piece for a new row. (The video showed the equation new_left=old_left-custom to compute the new_left length, it does not imply you obtain the new_left from actually cutting the old_left. The new_left is obtained by cutting the new standard length plank).
D. the video focuses on predicating waste, if you need to know the new left length, then see the equation below
if old_left＞custom, then new_left=old_left-custom
if old_left＜custom, then new_left=old_left-custom+standard