Yes, you should always seal your laminate flooring once it has been fitted. Sealing your floors will avoid moisture being sucked through the joints while protecting against scratches.
Laminate flooring that has not been sealed against moisture will start to swell at the joins which will become noticeable after a few months.
Pros of Sealing Laminate Flooring
- Protects against scratches
- Protects against cleaning
- Seals joints and edges against moisture
- Bathrooms & kitchens
- High traffic areas
- High and low sheen
How To Seal Laminate Flooring?
Once you have chosen your laminate floor sealer you need to be sure you are correctly applying the seal.
Be sure to remove any dust from the flooring because once you seal your floor this dust/sawdust will become stuck in the seal.
Give the room a good hoover, brush and then wipe the flooring down with a degreasing agent.
Leave the room to dry and start applying your laminate flooring seal.
- Hoover or sweep the flooring
- Use anti-grease wipes and clean the floor
Apply the seal with a radiator roller never use a thick painting roller because you will apply to much and ruin the floor.
You want to apply as less sealer as possible so it does not bubble or flood the V groves, tape out the skirting boards and roll in the direction of the floor.
Do not go across the flooring because you will apply excess sealer due to moving the roller over more groves.
- Tape any skirting boards to avoid excess coverage
- Fill a roller tray with a small amount of sealer
- Gently fill the radiator roller with the sealer
- Start in the furthest corner from the door
- Make sure you plan your exit
- Gently run the roller longways across the boards
Do not walk over the sealer because you “WILL” leave footprints.
Once you have covered your floor leave the room and do not enter until the laminate flooring sealer is dry.
Leave it overnight or around 3/4 hours in a well-ventilated room.
Conclusion
Laminate floor seal is key to prolonging the life and appearance of your flooring. We seal every laminate floor we fit and would highly recommend you do the same.
You can also use a floor seal on hardwood floors with the same method.
At last! It’s 2021 and I’ve tried to discover if laminate flooring should be sealed – (since 2016) and to no avail. Result: rain blowing through dog flap onto laminate kitchen floor has caused the planks to lift. And now my ageing dogs have taken to pee on the inside of the door – when it’s raining. Ouch!! Also the fridge freezer leaked water onto the floor during very hot weather. I now need to repair my 4 years old flooring and seal it. Had anyone in the trade been able to advise me earlier, I would have saved a lot of work, time and money. THE LAMINATE LAID IN THE SITTING ROOM IS STILL PRISTINE BUT NO ONE WARNED ME AGAINST USING IT IN THE KITCHEN – WITHOUT SEALANT! and yet it was professionally fitted at the time.
At last! It’s 2021 and I’ve tried to discover if laminate flooring should be sealed – (since 2016) and to no avail. Result: rain blowing through dog flap onto laminate kitchen floor has caused the planks to lift. And now my ageing dogs have taken to pee on the inside of the door – when it’s raining. Ouch!! Also the fridge freezer leaked water onto the floor during very hot weather. I now need to repair my 4 years old flooring and seal it. Had anyone in the trade been able to advise me earlier, I would have saved a lot of work, time and money. THE LAMINATE LAID IN THE SITTING ROOM IS STILL PRISTINE BUT NO ONE WARNED ME AGAINST USING IT IN THE KITCHEN – WITHOUT SEALANT! and yet it was professionally fitted at the time.