Doors & floors for dummies compressed

Murphy Larkin’s Quick Step Guide on Everything You Need To Know About Doors & Floors.

E R O M & S R O O L F , S DOOR

Learn: How to lay laminate flooring.

How to hang an internal door.

How to Install an Attic Stairs

murphy larkin - doors & floors

Contents 3

How to lay a laminate floor Step to step guide on laying a laminate floor.

How to hang an internal door A guide to hanging your internal doors.

6 9

How to install a sliding door Save space in your home by installing a sliding door.

How to install an Attic Stairs Open That Hidden Storage Space above Your Ceiling and Install one of our Pre-Assembled Attic Stairs for Easy Access

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How To Lay a Laminate Floor

Laminate flooring is suitable for most areas of the home, such as, living areas, hallways and in many cases, bathrooms and kitchens.

1 MEASURING UP Measure the width of your room at the widest points, then measure the length. Multiply them together to give you the area of your room in m2 . Add 10% for wastage. Example: width 5m x length 4m = 20m2 + 10% = 22m2 of laminate flooring.

To work out how many packs you need, check the pack size - say it’s 1.243m2. Then divide your room size by that number. Example: 22m2 divided by 1.243 = 17.6 packs. Round this up to 18 packs. Alternatively you can use the box calculator on the Murphy Larkin website.

2 PREPARING THE SUB-FLOOR You can lay laminate flooring on any smooth, flat sub-floor as long as it’s dry, firm and level. Make sure floorboards are firmly screwed down and flatten all nails with a hammer. If you have a newly laid concrete floor it must be completely dry.

If you have an old, uneven concrete floor use a self-levelling compound. This is a free-flowing, self-smoothing material that dries flat and level. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Before fitting boards over concrete always put down a damp-proof membrane (DPM) to stop moisture coming through.

3 PUTTING DOWN AN UNDERLAY Polyfoam underlay This is the thinnest type of underlay used under laminate flooring and is good for any firm, dry and level sub-floor such as chipboard, plywood or hardboard.

Prepare the floor and lay a combined underlay and DPM if necessary. Lay the underlay over the entire floor area and trim to fit. Cut a 16 mm gap around pipes.

Lay lengths side by side and secure them with masking tape.

Foiled Back Underlay Resiliant super, high density underlay with integrated backing fleece and aluminium vapourstop barrier. Makes your floor warmer, quieter and softer. The vapourstop barrier eliminates the need for moisture protection such as polythene sheeting. Provides an excellent subfloor masking minor surface imperfections, prolonging the service life of any floor covering.

Underfloor Heating Underlay The perforated holes facilitate the transmission of heat and with heatmate underlay you are sure to reach top efficiency of your flooring heating system and it also ensures sound reduction of your flooring. The underlay is easy to lay and has a 20db sound reduction and a tog value of 0.35. This underlay is 2mm thick and comes in rolls 1 metre wide and covers an area of 12.5m².

4 PLANNING THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARDS Lay your boards in the same direction as the longest straight wall. But if you have matching flooring in a next-door room, it’s probably best to lay them in the same direction.

In a square room, lay the boards in the direction of incoming light.

5 LAYING THE FLOORING Remove skirting boards so they can be refitted over the top of the new floor. If this isn’t possible, fit the new floor and use thin timber mouldings (sometimes called scotia or quadrant) to hide the edges. Vacuum the floor to remove grit and dirt.

Start in a corner and lay the first row of boards along the longest straight wall. The tongue side of the board should face the wall.

Place plastic spacers between the board and the wall at 60cm intervals.

Make sure the spacers are wide enough to form the manufacturer’s recommended expansion gap all around the edge of the floor - usually 12mm.

The ends of the boards will be tongue and groove. Join them by using adhesive on the top of the tongue locking mechanism. Many boards use just click systems that don’t need adhesive.

You’ll probably need to cut the last board of the row to fit it in. Mark it with a try square and saw it with the finished surface facing up.

Begin the second row, starting with the off-cut from the first row. Always stagger the end joints of adjacent rows by at least 30cm.

Continue across the room, pushing the completed rows firmly together and adding more plastic spacers along the two side walls as you go.

Fit each board together by gently tapping the edge block against the grooved side of each board with a mallet or hammer. But see fitting instructions to check this method applies.

6 GOING AROUND THE PIPE If you need to go around any pipes, mark the position of the pipe on the board you’re laying.

Drill a hole about 16mm larger in diameter than the pipe and make two angled saw cuts from the board edge to the sides of the hole.

Fit the board and carefully glue the small off-cut wedge behind the pipe. Check there’s an expansion gap around the pipe.

7 FITTING AROUND ARCHITRAVES It can be very tricky to cut boards to fit around architraves (the moulding around a door or cupboards) while leaving an expansion gap.

Instead, saw out a piece from the bottom of the architrave. This will need to be cut 15mm into the architrave. Work out the height by the thickness of the board, plus the underlay, plus about 2mm extra to allow freedom of movement for the flooring when laid. Then simply slot your boards under the bottom of the architrave.

8 REAL WOOD FLOORING Laying real wood flooring is very similar to putting down laminate. You’ll need spacers and expansion strips to fit real wood flooring - as you’re creating a floating floor you have to leave room for expansion.

Solid wood will require a little more expertise, but with care anyone can do it! For solid wood, you’ll want to use tension straps, as you’ll be pulling together the glue between each slat.

If you feel gluing each individual slat will be just too messy, we sell very handy self-adhesive underlay. It glues each slat automatically simply by you pressing down.

9 FINISHING UP When you’ve finished laying the boards, remove the spacers, insert cork expansion strips and put the skirting board back over the new boards. Alternatively, fix a scotia or quadrant moulding over the expansion gap around the perimeters of the room. Pin the moulding to the skirting board and paint or varnish as needed. Fit a metal or wooden threshold over the edge of the flooring in all the doorways. When you’ve finished laying the boards, remove the spacers, insert cork expansion strips and put the skirting board back over the new boards.

REAL WOOD FLOORING Laying real wood flooring is very similar to putting down laminate. You’ll need spacers and expansion strips to fit real wood flooring - as you’re creating a floating floor you have to leave room for expansion.

Solid wood will require a little more expertise, but with care anyone can do it! For solid wood, you’ll want to use tension straps, as you’ll be pulling together the glue between each slat.

How To Hang an Internal Door 1. REMOVING THE OLD DOOR Unscrew your old door. Take out the screws from the bottom hinge before the top hinge. If hinges or screws have been painted over, simply chip away the paint with an old screwdriver.

Make sure the door is well supported when you take the last screw out.

2. CUTTING THE NEW DOOR TO SIZE Hold the new door in the door frame to see if it needs adjustment.

If the old door was a good fit, use it as a template by laying it on top of the new door and marking where to plane or cut. Take an equal amount of wood from both the top and the bottom of the door to keep it in balance.

Use a panel saw if you need to take more than 6mm off the height of the new door. Then sand it smooth. If you’re trimming off less than 6mm, a hand or power plane is fine.

Ideally, there should be a 2mm gap on either side and at the top, between the door and the frame, when the door is in place - a two pence piece is a handy way to gauge this.

Allow 5mm-10mm at the bottom of the door if you have a thick carpet. If you’re sawing or planing wood, wear safety goggles and use a dust mask.

3. FIXING THE HINGES ON THE DOOR FRAME Check your new hinges fit against the old ones on the frame. If they don’t, rest them on the bottom of the existing hinge recess on the frame and mark along the top of the new hinge.

Cut out the excess wood with a chisel and mallet. Check the new hinge sits comfortably and flush to the door frame.

Screw each hinge to the door frame with a single screw and open the hinges. The hinge pivots (edges) should stick out from the frame edge.

Prop the door in the door frame, resting it on wedges so there’s the correct gap at the bottom.

With a pencil, mark where the top and the bottom of the hinges sit on the door.

4. FIXING THE HINGES ON THE DOOR Unscrew the hinges from the door frame and lay them on the edge of the door, making sure they’re lined up with your pencil marks. Draw around the hinge flaps. Use a straight edge to mark the width of the hinge onto the door. With a chisel and mallet, tap around the outline of the hinge shapes. Make sure the ‘bevel’ (sloped edge) of the chisel is facing towards the waste wood. Make a series of cuts across the wood at 5mm intervals to the same depth as the flap.

Check the hinges fit flush and fix with one screw per hinge. For this, use a screw or a bradawl a bit smaller than the screw to make a starter hole.

Helpful hint...

When you place the new door in the door frame, fix the hinges both top and bottom with just one screw. You can then check the new door opens and closes properly and make any adjustments before securing the other screws.

6. HANGING YOUR NEW DOOR With the door supported on wedges and at right angles to the frame, fix the hinge flaps to the door frame. Use only one screw so you can make adjustments.

Check the door opens and closes easily. If it does, you’re ready to fix the rest of the screws.

7. FITTING THE DOOR HANDLE Drilling a hole for the latch First, fit the latch. The latch is usually set into the middle of the side of the door about 1m from the bottom of the door to the bottom of the latch plate. Mark this on the edge of the door.

Hold the latch in place in the centre of the edge of the door. Draw around it with a pencil to mark its position on the door. Choose a flat wood cutting drill bit that’s slightly bigger than your latch so there’s enough room to fit the latch in the hole.

To measure the depth of the latch hole, hold the latch against the drill bit. Use masking tape to mark the depth of the latch on the bit.

Wedge the door open and drill the hole into the side of the door to this depth. Use a chisel to scrape out any debris.

Fixing the latch Insert the latch. Make sure it’s level and mark around its position.

With a chisel, make a series of cuts on the edges of your pencil outline. Then chisel out the rest of the recess.

Check the fit to see if the latch plate lies flush with the door.

Making a hole for the spindle Hold the latch in position but on the outside of the door. Put your pencil through the hole in the latch and make a mark. This is where the handle spindle will go. Mark this on both sides of the door.

Choose a drill bit 2mm wider than the spindle and start drilling. When the drill bit begins to emerge through the other side of the door, start drilling from that side to stop the wood splitting.

When you’ve finished drilling, remove any debris from the hole.

Slide the latch back into the door. Place the spindle into its hole and then screw the latch into place.

Attaching the door handle Place a handle onto the spindle. Use one hand to hold the handle in place. With the other, drill in the screws for the back plate.

Give the handle a quick test. Repeat the process on the other side of the door for the other handle.

Fixing the latch plate on the door frame The latch plate is the piece of metal that slots into the door frame.

Close the door so the latch touches the frame. Mark its position on the door frame. This gives you the height of the latch plate.

To find the horizontal position of the latch plate, measure the distance between the edge of the latch and the edge of the door. Transfer this measurement to the door frame and mark with a pencil at the height you marked. Draw in and around the latch plate.

Following your marks, chisel out the recess for the latch plate so it fits flush with the door frame. Screw the latch plate onto the frame.

For any extra information dont hesitate to contact one of our expert team here at

How to Install Sliding Doors Sliding door’s make the most of your room’s available space as they slide neatly behind each other rather than opening up into the room.

The whole point of sliding doors is to make the most of your space, so no matter the size of your room you can tailor it to your needs.

1 FIT THE DOOR TO THE OPENING (a) Consider the space where you would like to add a door. Is there room next to the door equal to the door opening itself for the door to slide over? Is the sliding area clear of light switches, outlets, air vents, windows, or doors? (b) How often will you use the door? Much like a pocket door, these doors function best when they’ll remain open or closed most of the time. Otherwise, a swinging door may be a better choice. (c) Determine the best sized door to fit into the opening. For a standard single door, first account for any casing around the opening. The door width should be 2 inches wider than the opening, or at least as wide as the full opening plus any casing. For the height of the door, measure from the finished floor to the top of the opening, or to the top of the casing. (d) For openings where you are going to use two doors instead of one, divide the new calculated door width by two; the height remains the same as for a single door.

2 FIT THE TRACK (e) Most installations will require a hanger board or ledger on the wall to mount the door track; it also creates space for the new sliding door away from the wall to clear the trim. Cut a board twice as long as the door width will work for most homes, it should be at least as thick as the trim. (f)The track comes in stock lengths, if you choose; you can leave the track full length or cut it to the desired length with a hack saw. If you choose not to cut the track, the hanger board will need to match its length. (g) Mount the board 2 inches above the door opening or above the top of the door casing check the hardware manufacturer’s instructions for additional requirements. Secure the hanger board to wall studs with flathead screws driven slightly below the surface of the wood.

2 FIT THE TRACK cont. (h) Fill the screw heads with wood filler and paint the hanger board to match the wall color. The board can also receive a clear finish, or be stained to match the door. (i) Purchase a track the length of the hanger board. When hanging a double door, use either one continuous track or two equal lengths with the joint centered over the door opening. (j) For the hangers, you will install a hanger bracket that connects the two rails, or use two hanger brackets. Install three brackets for a single door, five for a double door, or six if there’s no connector bracket. Slip the brackets onto the track and then hang the track with the bottom of the track even with the bottom of the hanger board. Fasten the brackets with the manufacturer’s recommended hardware. (k) Adjust the hanger hardware to level the door in the opening. The door should have 1 inch of clearance between the bottom of the door and the finished flooring. (l) Mount the roller hardware on the door and place the rollers into or on the track.

At each end of the track install the roller stops, then adjust the stops to align the operation of the door with your opening. (m) Add handles for sliding the door. On the track side, a full handle works best.

On the other side, drill for a recessed cup pull that will clear the door opening or trim when you slide the door open.

How To Install Attic Stairs Open That Hidden Storage Space above Your Ceiling and Install one of our Pre-Assembled Attic Stairs for Easy Access.

STEP 1 Position the Opening in the Ceiling to Allow Stairway Operation Determine the optimum ceiling location for the pre-assembled stairway to unfold in a convenient spot while clearing obstacles.

STEP 2 Transfer Coordinates for the Location to the Ceiling Use a plumb bob to transfer the coordinates from the garage floor to the ceiling, marking a four-cornered rectangle for the pre-assembled stairway. Insert a wooden dowel at each corner through the attic floor to mark the position above.

STEP 3 Adjust Location to Avoid Electric Cables and Obstacles Clear insulation from the attic side to determine if the opening marked by dowels conflicts with electric cables or other obstacles. Consider pre-assembled stairway convenience for people carrying boxes or other unwieldy items. Relocate the hole if necessary.

STEP 4 Cut the Ceiling Opening with a Wallboard Saw Use a hand saw such as a wallboard saw to open the ceiling along the marked cutlines. For this pre-assembled stairway, the opening should fit exactly between ceiling joists that will support the unit.

STEP 5 Attach a Header at Each End of the Opening Nail a two-by-four header between the joists at each end of the opening. Nail through the joists into the ends of the headers. Use a carpenter’s square to ensure the opening is square and will fit the pre-assembled stairway.

STEP 6 Attach Temporary Ledgers to the Headers Just Installed Clamp temporary ledgers into position on the ceiling side of the pre-assembled stairway opening. Attach the ledgers by driving screws through the ledger and ceiling and into the headers installed earlier.

STEP 7 Cut away the Wooden Brace That Spans the Opening Use a handsaw to cut away the wooden brace that spans the opening for the preassembled stairway. The headers installed earlier will provide support in its place. Your project may not require removal of a brace.

STEP 8 Set the Pre-assembled Stairway into Position from the Attic Position the pre-assembled stairway in the hole, working from the attic side of the ceiling. The temporary ledgers installed earlier will support the heavy unit while to find the optimum position.

STEP 9 Shim the Pre-assembled Stairway and Secure It with Nails Insert wooden shims between the pre-assembled stairway frame and the joists to hold it in position. Secure the unit by driving nails through the stairway unit shims into the joists. Trim off the excess shim length.

STEP 10 Trim Pre-assembled Stairway Rails to the Correct Length Extend all but the last ladder section on the pre-assembled stairway and measure the distance to the garage floor. Trim the last section to length, cutting the rail ends at an angle to rest squarely on the floor. Add molding.