Can I Use Laminate Flooring On Walls? (Installation Guide Included)

Yes, you can use laminate flooring on walls. The installation process on the wall is similar to the floor, but you have to include construction adhesive and brad nails in the budget. Furthermore, the walls should be climate-controlled and non-sloping.

Installing laminate flooring on the bumping walls will cause the laminate to bulge outwards, making it both problematic and ugly on the walls. If you want a traditional and wealthy-looking finishing that provides a rustic, coastal, and accent feel to the space, then wood laminate is your best option.

Recently, this style has become hugely popular in farmhouses and is known as shiplap. Most importantly, this style is a much smoother and budget-friendly alternative than using hardwood or wood pallets on the walls.

Hopefully, this article will answer all your questions or what you are looking for once you have finished reading this article.

Table of Contents

Things to Consider Before Installing Laminate Flooring on Walls

Width and Thickness

Wood laminate is available in different styles and patterns depending on installation mechanism, thickness, and sizes. Because of this, it is advisable to opt for a wood laminate that will work better in vertical applications depending on the size of the room and coverage.

Therefore, you have to consider the width and thickness of the plank. That’s because the thickness and size of the plank positively or negatively affect the aesthetic and coverage of the space. Thus, the best laminate flooring for walls is lightweight and without padding.

Furthermore, it would be best if you hadn’t underneath-padded planks because on the wall, there’s no foot traffic and ground element impact to withstand.

Purpose of the Space

Before using the laminate flooring on the wall, you should mind the purpose of the space/room where you intend to install it. It also requires you to check the style of the space in general.

For instance, if you intend to enhance the space’s aesthetic, you should consider the texture, style patterns, and color of the laminate flooring.

However, if the room’s purpose involves moisture or frequent temperature change, installing laminate flooring on the wall would be useless. Because laminate flooring is sensitive to moisture and temperature variations, it affects its resilience with time.

The Wall Dimensions

The wall dimensions are crucial as they provide the overall budget insight to ensure your project is successful. From the wall dimension, you will know the installation cost and how many planks would be enough for the entire project.

To avoid falling short on budget and the number of planks required, always add 10% more to the length and width of the room because there is always some loss during installation while cutting the boards.

Therefore, ensure you measure the wall, calculate how many square feet are needed, add the 10%, and then round up to make full packages.

Installation Mechanism

Not all types of laminate flooring installation can effectively work better on the wall. The tongue and groove edge laminate provides a straightforward installation process and perfectly works on wall application.

Even if you reverse the pieces, the installation process is still simple. An interlocking plank system can also work, but you must be careful while arranging them because it does not work well if the pieces are reversed, unlike the tongue and groove system.

The Condition of the Wall

The elegance of the laminate flooring on the walls is more precise when the wall is both flat and smooth.

Therefore, before installing the planks on the walls, ensure you get rid of unevenness or bumps on the walls. Furthermore, check for any water damage and ensure you carry out necessary repairs to eliminate future damage from water seepage into the wall.

Lastly, the wall should be clean and free of flaking paints, paneling, and wallpaper.

How to Install Laminate Flooring on Walls?

Installing laminate flooring on the walls is easy and quick, like on the floor, provided you have all the necessary tools ready. If you are not ready, below is a list of the necessary tools and materials for this project.

Supplies Needed:

Brad’s nails
Pry bar/Trim

Thin laminate planks
Table Saw
Construction Adhesive

Caulk Gun
Nail Gun
Measuring Tape

Stud Finder
Pencil
Air Compressor

Safety Glasses
1/4″ shims (for expansion gap)
Utility Knife

Laser Level

Step 1: Acclimating the Laminate Planks

Before installation, you should acclimate the planks for about 48-72 hours to familiarize planks with the temperature and humidity of the room. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s acclimating guide period.

Also See: How to Choose Laminate Flooring: A Buyer’s Guide

Step 2: Prepare the Wall

While awaiting the acclimating period to end, prepare the wall you intend to cover with wood laminate.

Wall preparation involves checking if the wall is flat and smooth, arranging ¼” expansion gaps around the entire wall perimeter, and locating wall studs in the wall. If you cannot locate studs on your wall, use a stud finder to find them and then mark their locations with a chalk line.

Step 3: Getting Visual Insight on Plank Arrangement

Before you start arranging the plank on the wall, lay out the planks on the floor however you feel are visually appealing. It will help you get a visual insight into how they will look on the wall.

Step 4: Loading both the Nail Gun and Caulk Gun

Once you have the insight on how to arrange them on the wall, load your nail gun, cut off the tip of the construction adhesive and then load it in the caulk gun.

Step 5: Installing the Planks on the Wall

Start by applying construction adhesive in a repeating letter S pattern to the back and then arrange it starting at the bottom left of the wall. Ensure you leave a ¼-inch gap above the floor or above the expansion gap you had initially placed and a ¼ inch between the wall and the edge of the laminate.

Next, press firmly onto the wall, face-nail, and blind-nail the plank through the groove at the end of the stud while ensuring the nail is low for enough trim coverage. Repeat this process until the bottom row is complete, and make sure you leave ¼ between the wall and the laminate end.

Step 6: Continue Installing the Adjacent Rows

For the second row, it is advisable to start with either longer or shorter planks than the first plank in the first row. It will help you create more secure structural stability and an attractive pattern arrangement that is not lining up in adjacent rows (angle-angle installation).

Follow the step 5 installation procedure when arranging the adjacent rows until you reach the ceiling. When you get to the top row, split the laminate horizontally if the plank is big, and then leave a ¼ inch (Expansion gap) between the laminate and ceiling.

Make sure you also blind-nail through the groove at the stud location for the rest of your installation.

Step 7: Trim

Lastly, use brad nail to add trim work along the base of the wall and around the windows and doors to hide plank edges and create a smooth finish.

Once you are done with the installation, clean your wood laminate walls with lint-free clothing that is damp, and make sure you regulate room temperature and humidity. Do not drive nails into the laminate wall.

Video Representation of How to Install Laminate Flooring on Walls

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Can I Use Laminate Flooring On Walls? (Installation Guide Included)