Home Improvement Guide 101

Harmonics laminate flooring is one option you should consider for your floors if you want to get a good floor at a great price. No, it’s not real hardwood or hickory flooring, but as far as laminate goes, it’s pretty darn good. In this post we will take a quick look at the basics of Harmonic laminate flooring.

Products Available

There are several great types/styles of Harmonics laminate floor. Your options include the following:

• Hickory Oak
• Warm Hazelnut
• Golden Aspen
• Antique Hickory
• Skyline Maple
• Brazilian Cherry

Personally, I prefer a darker wood/laminate look and like the Antique Hickory and Brazilian Cherry the best (same reason why I like black walnut flooring) However, each one has its own look and feel and they all look great.

Moldings

There are also several different types of molding options that work great with Harmonics laminated flooring. These options include:

• 4-in-1 Molding
• Stair Nosing – can be put directly on the stair tread via gluing and nailing
• Quarter Round – Can be attached to baseboards that are already in place via nailing
• Skirting Board – This allows a spacing at the bottom for computer and other wires to run without being seen. It is also nailed to the wall, never to the floor

Installation

• Because the Harmonics website has great detailed instructions on how to install their product I will simply discuss some Harmonic laminate installation tips and tricks.
• There are two different methods for installation. One is what the company calls the ‘Angle-in-Install’ method, and the other is the ‘flat install’ method. While each works, you really do need to install as much of the floor as possible using the angle-in method.
• You will need several tools to do the install properly. You will need a hammer, saw, pencil, and a tape measure (i.e. your standard install tools). You will also need an underlayment system, and some type of installation kit. Of course, there is a Harmonics laminate flooring installation kit that you can purchase from the company that includes a pull bar, spacers, and their Uniclick® tapping block. Do you need to purchase the kit? That depends on you and your skill level and how confident you are in your installation abilities, as using the non-official tools can void your warranty. My suggestion would be to just buy the kit – it comes with some good tools that you really do need, and it’s worth the lack of headache with the warranty in case you do have any problems.
• Harmonics glueless laminate flooring allows you to install without any glue and allows you to walk on the floor during and after installation, which is a huge advantage and one of the reasons why it’s very easy to install this particular brand of flooring.
• You need to leave some spacing for the floor to expand and contract with the temperature and humidity changes. Optimal temperatures for the flooring are from 59 – 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and optimal humidity conditions are between 50 and 60% relative humidity levels (the company even recommends a humidifier be used in case the air is not humid enough…which I think is ok as long as you want a humidifier anyways, but you might be better off with a different flooring option if that is not the case).
• The company also recommends that you purchase a few extra laminate planks in case you damage one during installation, under guess how many you will need, or in case you need to replace one in the future. It’s very easy to replace as long as you have the extra planks.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The main point here is to never let water sit on the Harmonics floor surface, as it will damage it and void your warranty. Basically, the best way to clean the floor is either with a dry micro-fiber duster. If you need to it’s best to use the Harmonics laminate flooring cleaning products, since (much like the install kit) will make sure your warranty is not voided.

Summary

Overall, you are getting a good deal with the Harmonics pad attached laminate flooring – it’s decently priced, very easy to install, comes with a decent warranty, and with so many different options can look great in just about any room and any situation.