Repair Design Furniture

The door frame is placed on the laminate. What comes first - laminate or doors: we are looking for the best solution. Installation of laminated coating, after installation of interior doors

Quite often there are disputes about the sequence of procedures - what comes first doors or laminate? For beginners in the construction business, this issue is especially important, especially if they plan to do the work with their own hands.

There are many opinions on this matter, but there is no unequivocal answer to this question, you can get an excellent result with any sequence of procedures, it all depends on the nuances.

Some options may be easier and others more difficult, so you need to study in detail the characteristics of each of them.

Features of installing laminate and door frame


If the height of the floor changes during the installation of the flooring, it is better to lay the flooring first

Keep in mind that quite often when installing the coating, the height of the floor changes. Sometimes the changes can be large and reach about 2 cm. When installing a laminate, the height of the floor increases by the thickness of the substrate and the coating itself.

Although the procedure for installing laminate flooring is simple, it can be difficult to fit the dimensions of the door frame.


There must be a gap between the laminate and the door for free opening of the doors

For the door frame, you will first need to determine the possible difficulties during installation. The first problem may be the size of the gaps. It should be noted that there must be a gap between the laminate and the door, which will ensure its free opening.

Some people forget about this and because of this there are problems when opening the door, which can lead to damage to the flooring. In addition, you need to take into account the height of the box and platbands. They will need to be adjusted in advance to the height of the floor, since after installation it will be extremely difficult and inconvenient to cut.

Thus, having determined the nuances that may affect the complexity of installing a coating or a door, you can choose a more convenient option for yourself.

First the doors, then the floor


The door frame must be installed on a rough base

If the doors are installed in the first place, you will need to take into account certain nuances. These include:

  1. First you need to complete all the roughing processes, these include leveling the surface, choosing a coating, working with slopes, and so on.
  2. Then they buy doors, and you will need to take into account that the floor level will be raised, for this measurements are taken. The main thing is to leave room for flooring. It is recommended to leave an additional gap of 2 mm so that the door can open and close freely.
  3. Please note that the installation of the laminate is made without fastening to the base. This means that the box is installed on a rough coating. Laminate is laid with separation between rooms up to and from the threshold.

Mount the architraves after laying the flooring

Installation of platbands is carried out after the flooring has been laid. Sometimes situations arise when it is necessary to lay a laminate floor already with the doors fully installed.

Here the procedure depends on whether the old coating will be changed or the laminate will be laid directly on it. Manufacturers assure that the laminate can be installed on almost any surface, as long as it is perfectly even.

To prevent future squeaks when walking, it is necessary to install a substrate. However, this will increase the height of the floor by another 1 cm.

It is extremely important to make sure that the door can open or close freely. If there are extensions, they can be filed a little.

The scheme of the door frame device is as follows.

Keep in mind that the laminate should go under the box, but should not fit snugly against the walls of the doorway. To do this, you need to make a space on both sides of the order of 0.5 cm.

The advantage of choosing such a sequence of work is the inability to damage the coating during the installation of the door frame. In addition, if the doors are not planned to be changed or they were installed before the purchase of the laminate, this procedure is the only one. The disadvantage can be considered a rather complicated process of fitting the door to the flooring. All the subtleties of installing doors, see this video:

First laminate, then doors

Many people think that it is better to lay the laminate first. To avoid damage to the coating during the installation of the box, you can pre-lay it with cardboard or other material. You will also need to pre-treat the door slopes with plaster.

The installation of the box is not so complicated and there will not be much pollution, so you should not worry too much about this. But laminate is much easier to lay when nothing interferes with work.

It is recommended to install the door in advance, only if there is a threshold in the configuration. For other cases, you can determine the location of the threshold and simply cut the laminate in the right place.

The main advantage of pre-installing the laminate is that the box will not put pressure on the flooring and this will prevent possible damage to it.


Correctly measure the opening for the box

After completing the work with the floor, it will be possible to accurately measure the opening for the box and determine the required size.

The finished product will be extremely difficult to shorten if the dimensions are incorrect.

In addition, the cost of installing a door after laminate flooring will be much less. Also keep in mind that you will need a special tool to reduce the size of the box.

When joining two different coatings or varieties of laminate in a doorway, it is necessary to take into account the gaps between the coating and the wall, which can be arranged using a special profile.


Door opening device

The advantages of this procedure are:

  • the ability to accurately measure the desired dimensions of the box;
  • ease of work;
  • labor cost will be reduced.

The disadvantages include the possibility of damage to the laminate.

Thus, it is rather difficult to unambiguously answer the question of what is the first laminate or a door. The procedure will need to be determined independently, based on factors and preferences.

However, the easiest and also cheapest option is the initial installation of the floor. This procedure will allow you to perform all procedures quickly and accurately, especially if a builder is working.

It is always very important to be able to decide on the procedure for carrying out repairs in an apartment or house, because the planning of construction and installation processes, the aesthetic appearance, as well as possible financial expenses depend on this.

Yes, today the purchase of building materials is not a cheap pleasure, especially if you want to make your home as cozy and comfortable as possible. And the most unforeseen situations can happen when expensive materials need to be replaced, and the money has already run out. So what, freeze the whole process?

To prevent such incidents, you need to have an idea of ​​​​the order of work. Especially when it comes to installing doors and laying flooring.

Many argue about the order in which such work is carried out. And the problem is that it's hard to say what came first laminate or doors? It all depends on what end result you are most interested in, and what you are willing to sacrifice.

N.B. You can install both interior canvases and lay flooring first, BUT you must follow a few rules.

What do the experts say?


Many experts argue that installing doors is the final stage of repair and there are no exceptions to this rule. Such canvases, as a rule, are already installed on the finished floor, because if you install them first, then it is almost impossible to bring the floors at the junction with the box perfectly. After work, gaps will remain that will need to be covered with sealant. At the same time, it is quite difficult to calculate correctly from the subfloor. If you also install architraves, you will need to file them or even dismantle them. And this is a rather long and laborious process.

In many cases the box is already installed. Then you need to make a cut so that it does not put pressure on the laminate, and that there is no rigid attachment to the base.

Remember that after laying the floor, the floor level becomes higher, which means that the already installed door will have to be dismantled and filed. If we are talking about glass structures, then this is generally impossible and it will be necessary to increase the height of the opening.

Laminate first


So, if you chose the latter option in the question of what doors or laminate first, then it will be much easier to install the box later. It is put on the cover and that's it. But, the problem is that then all the dirty work that will be carried out during the installation of slopes, as well as their fine finishing, installation of extensions with platbands, etc. will take place in the finished room. Agree, because none of us wants to clog a beautiful floor immediately after it has been laid?

In addition, you will need to leave a strip of wallpaper to the right and left of the doors, and later start sticking them. Since this is very inconvenient, many people first install doors, stick wallpaper, arrange slopes, and then lay the coating.

Doors first

In a dispute that laminate or doors used to be, the latter option often takes the upper hand. If you decide to install interior structures first, and then start laying the flooring, then you need:

  1. level the floor
  2. remove slopes;
  3. choose the material and substrate for it;
  4. buy a canvas, given how much the floor level will rise after laying the coating.

Install the box in the opening so that it does not rest on the floor. Shorten the bottom ends of the box by the thickness of the laminate, the substrate, and another couple of millimeters so that they do not press on the coating.

When hanging the canvas, consider the height to which the floor will rise in the room, and leave a couple of millimeters of free space between the canvas and the floor.

Before laying directly, you will need to very carefully file the box and put a laminated panel under it. Note that it should enter the slot freely, and the racks of the box should not put pressure on its surface.

Laminate or PVC doors? About the benefits.


The last queuing method described has its advantages:

  • Pricing: Covering and installation costs will be lower than when you have to shorten the box at random or push flooring under it. There are certain risks here. At the same time, it is almost impossible to file the canvas without a special hacksaw with an offset handle.
  • The canvas will not put pressure on the laminate, nor will it interfere with its free "swimming".
  • After installing the finished floor, you can take accurate measurements of the opening, as well as order the desired door. Unlike the box, it is not so easy to shorten the finished canvas, especially if the canvas is not from the array.

Speaking in percentage terms, more than 70% of specialists, when deciding whether to choose doors or laminate first, tend to choose the primary laying of the floor material, because it is very difficult to cut the laminate to the frame profile. In this case, for thermal expansion, a gap is needed, and this, again, is a gap.

After laying the material, place a plastic lining (1 mm) under the box. So it will be much easier for you to install it. Try to use smooth plastic so that it can be removed more easily after application. From below, draw the box to the wall with galvanized strips. Do it at a stretch. Wedged to the required width and foam.

What came before doors or laminate? Basically, it's up to you to decide. Now that you are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the existing options, it will be much easier to do this. If you are not completely sure, consult with a specialist and plan the work correctly.


Repair is a serious process that affects all elements of the interior, where each action has its own sequence. This applies to finishing surfaces, windows, filling the room with furniture and decor items. In order to avoid problems in the process, you need to know when to install interior doors during repairs. It is with this question that the greatest number of hitches in the work is connected.

When performing repairs, the correct sequence must be followed.

Features of flooring

To begin with, you should consider the features of some floor coverings. In most cases, when installing a new floor, its level changes. The difference in height between the draft and the final version can be several centimeters, this is especially noticeable when laying tiles, parquet and most carpets take about a centimeter.

The most popular material today is laminate. Naturally, when laying it, the height of the floor changes upwards by the thickness of the substrate and the fragment itself. Despite the ease of installation, with the door already installed, there may be problems with fitting the end units.

When installing the door, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the floor covering.

The question is what to install first: doors or linoleum, it is not as sharp as in the case of other coatings. This is due to the small thickness and ease of installation of linoleum. All joints and folds can be easily hidden with the help of a plinth and platbands, and you can cut off the excess with a simple knife.

Door frame device

Understanding the structure of the door frame will help you decide when to install doors during repairs, namely, factors that can complicate the process of installing flooring:

  1. Gap size. There should be an opening between the floor and the door, if necessary, a threshold is installed. When laying the floor, the height may change and then everything will shift.
  2. Height of the box and platbands. These elements are adjusted to the height of the floor, cutting them after installation is quite difficult.

The master must understand how the door frame is arranged

Installation after laminate

The solution to the question - what to install first: laminate or doors, can have two options.

According to building standards, first of all, you need to finish the ceiling, walls and floor, and only then proceed to everything else.

This is done so that the opening can be prepared for installation work.

First you need to get rid of the old structure, level the walls and make perfectly even slopes. Then the floor is prepared: a screed is made, a substrate is laid. You should take care of the heating system in advance. Then the laminate is laid. A small gap is left between the extreme elements of the coating and the walls, which is then closed with a plinth. After that, the required height of the nut, loot and architraves is determined without any problems.

Arguments in favor of this type of installation:

  • the ability to remove the exact dimensions for the door system;
  • ease of installation;
  • lower repair cost.

The only downside is the risk of damage to the coating when installing the door, but professional installers do the job neatly and without excess dust. In general, it is recommended to purchase a door after laying the floor and finishing the slopes, then you can order a product exactly to your size.

Regardless of the order of work, the installation of the handle is carried out at the end of the procedure.

Installation before laminate

And what will happen if the answer to the question - what comes first, laminate or doors, turns out to be diametrically opposed? First of all, it should be borne in mind that the laminate will take part of the floor height, in which case you can try to approximately determine the amount of the required margin. Platbands should not be installed yet. The need for a threshold and its height should be judged after the completion of all repair work, that is, after laying the floor.

The advantages of such a solution:

  • the floor is not threatened by dust and damage during the installation of the door;
  • this is the only solution when old doors do not need to be replaced.

Flaws:

  • difficulties in laying the laminate, as it must go under the elements of the door frame;
  • requires a special hacksaw.

When installing the door to the laminate, it may be necessary to file the door frame

If, due to circumstances, it was necessary to install the door first, even before finishing the walls and laying the floor, the professionalism of the repairmen should be at a high level, they will have to do delicate painstaking work. To facilitate the task when installing the door, you need to approximately calculate the gaps for puttying and installing a finishing coating. In order not to smear the door, cover it with a film, and glue all the extreme elements with masking tape.

The final decision on the question of what to do first: take the floor or the door for you. Of course, it is better to follow the generally accepted rules and first complete all the finishing work and only then proceed to the final design of the entrance.

If you are interested in this question, you, of course, look for the answer on the Internet. However, many people, faced with this problem, absolutely also ask this question on various repair and construction forums.

Answers often mislead the questioners, according to one simple fact, how many people, so many opinions.

Helpful information! In general, what you will initially do, laying a laminated coating or installing doors, does not make a huge difference. However, all preparatory work must be done before installing the laminate and doors.

Installation of laminated coating, after installation of interior doors.

There are two ways, one of which you will use anyway. You make a complete decoration of the room and then put the doors, or maybe you just decided to change the floors in the apartment in which the doors are already installed.

The structure of work in these methods is slightly different from each other.

How to install doors to the finished floor.

Being engaged in repairing the premises with your own hands, you came to the conclusion to install doors initially, rather than laying a laminate. What do you need to know for this?

  1. First of all, you must complete all the rough work, be sure to level the floor under the laminate and remove the door slopes.
  2. Choose a color solution, texture, thickness of the substrate and laminated coating.
  3. Take measurements, understand how much higher the door will need to be installed, taking into account the fact that after laying the laminate, the floor level will rise. Consider all options for door sizes to purchase.

After that, it is already possible to put a door frame in the doorway, however, in such a way that it does not put pressure on the floor, does not rely on it. Also, the lower part of the door frame is sawn off taking into account the dimensions of the substrate and laminate.

You can take it with a margin of a few millimeters, so that the box does not press on the floor in the future.

When installing the door leaf, it should also be taken with a margin of several millimeters, given the height of the future floor. In any case, only after the installation of the laminated coating, door trims are mounted.

Important information! Laminate installation is carried out in the style of a "floating floor" in simple terms, the coating should not be fixed at the base.

It is because of this that when installing doors with a box, the latter is installed directly on the subfloor. And the laminated coating is not installed as a continuous sheet, but up to the threshold and further from it.

If the doors are already there.

Think what you want. A complete change of the floor to zero or the installation of a laminate flooring already on an existing floor.

The instructions for installing a laminate allow laying a coating on another, in particular: linoleum, cork, solid board, ceramic tiles, fiberboard or chipboard, etc. The main thing is that the floor surface is even.

And the use of a substrate under a laminated coating will increase the height of the floor by at least 1.5 centimeters. However, it will eliminate the noise from the contact of the old floor with the new one.

Important information! Be sure to check in advance that the doors close and open well, with a higher floor location.

Do not hurt and do not leave scratches on it. If you don't, you have two choices. This is to remove the old coating or shorten the door leaf if possible.

With such a problem, with laying the coating in the doorway, you should carefully cut the door frame in order to create an opportunity to insert the laminate there.

note whether the box puts pressure on the laminated panel, this is unacceptable.

Use the laminate itself as a measure, so you can make the most accurate cut.

  • In the case of slopes with completed extensions, they definitely need to be shortened, taking into account the thickness of the future floor.
  • However, if you decide to remove the old floor and then lay the laminate, then trimming the door frame is most likely not needed, it depends on the thickness of the coatings.
  • When adjusting the laminate flooring, remember that it must go under the rack of the box, but it does not have to touch the wall. It is better to leave a small gap between it and the wall on each side.

And in each of the above methods, the platbands are removed from the doors and then adjusted in height.

Installation of laminate flooring prior to installation of doors.

People who initially do not support laying the flooring before installing the doors explain this by the fact that during their installation there is a risk of damage to the flooring.

In reality, it turns out that if you cover the slopes with plaster in advance and then lay the laminate, after putting some kind of protective coating on it (you can even use cardboard), then you will most likely not get any damage to the material.

Installing doors is not such a dirty and difficult job to pay attention to. And laying a laminate is much easier when nothing causes inconvenience to you.

If, nevertheless, the door is installed first, make sure that it has a threshold. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to determine where it will be, and, accordingly, accurately trim the flooring.

Advantages of this kind of work.

  • The laminate can be placed independently of the walls, and the door frame will not exert any pressure.
  • Having completed the installation of a clean floor, you are given the opportunity to more accurately measure the opening and buy a future door. Because shortening a finished door is still more difficult than a box. And if the door is not made of wood, then it is almost impossible.

3. The cost of installing doors and laminate flooring will be significantly lower if workers do not have to take the risk of randomly cutting the box or fitting the flooring to it. Yes, and without a specialized hacksaw it is difficult to do.

You can find information on the correct laying of laminate flooring from the video below.

This does not cause any particular difficulties, the main thing to remember about the gaps. And if you use two different types of laminate, then you must definitely leave a gap, having issued it specially for such a prepared profile.

From the above, it is clear that initially it will be better to lay a laminate and only then proceed with the installation of doors. Yes, and this way looks more neat and beautiful, even if you are not a master.

Therefore, most workers in this field choose this method. However, if the doors are still standing, you should not dismantle them, just read our tips.

When doing repairs on your own, one of the most important questions is what to do initially - lay the laminate or put the doors. As it turned out, there is no single answer to it. One thing can be said: each method in skillful hands will bring a positive result.

Which way to choose?

To carry out work in the repaired premises, choose one of two options:

  1. laying laminate, then mounting doors;
  2. installation of the door frame, hanging the door, then laying the laminate.

Regardless of the method chosen, first of all, rough work must be completed.

These include the following:

  • dismantling of the old floor;
  • dismantling of old door slopes, platbands;
  • garbage collection and surface cleaning;
  • leveling the floor (concrete screed, laying OSB or chipboard);
  • preparation of door slopes.

First you need to carry out all the necessary measurements, depending on what work will be carried out and what materials. The installation of a new floor usually entails raising its level compared to the old floor covering. So, by choosing, for example, linoleum, this complexity can be avoided due to the fact that it is thin, but in the case of laminate or parquet, care will not hurt.

themselves the panels are quite voluminous, their installation also requires the presence of a substrate having its own thickness. As for the doors, there are also some nuances when choosing them:

  • Gap between floor and door: some options suggest the presence of a certain threshold, some do not.
  • The height of the platbands and the box itself: they directly depend on the floor and its height, it is very difficult to adjust them after installation, it will require a lot of time and money. In general, the choice of a sequence of actions is not so important as the correct preparation for them, this should not be forgotten.

Laying laminate and only then installing doors

Laying laminate before installing doors is an option that allows you to choose a door so that you don't have to worry about whether it will fit, whether it will cling to the flooring when opened or not. Do not forget that after laying the floor, you will need to cover it with cardboard or film to prevent damage during further work. Preferring this option, floor repairs are done in the standard order:

  • leveling the old floor;
  • preparation and pouring of the screed;
  • installation of underfloor heating (if planned);
  • laying the substrate;
  • laminate installation.

When performing the last point, do not forget about the gaps between the wall and the floor covering, they are subsequently closed with a plinth. Lay the laminate so that the expansion gap is 1 cm or more. At this stage, slopes and sills are installed.

Proper markup is also important. It is also necessary to carry out careful laying of the laminate near the door, avoiding gaps that cannot be closed. To do this, the lamella must be marked so that it partially runs along the wall and partially along the threshold, the corners must be made as rounded as possible (a jigsaw can help with this). You also need to prepare the door frame by sawing it to the required height for convenient laying of the future coating.

Repairs carried out in only one room can be complicated by difficulties in joining the flooring in the doorway. So, the junction of tiles and laminate will be easiest to close with a conventional aluminum nut screwed with self-tapping screws, but there is also a T-shaped profile. It is more expensive and is usually made of solid wood, then it is attached with glue.

The junction of laminate and linoleum can be closed with rigid metal or wooden profiles in the absence of a strong difference in height, or you can prefer a flexible PVC profile that can withstand a difference of up to 2 mm.

Choosing this method allows you to choose not only the correct size of the door and door frame, but also the color of the door that matches the color of the floor, so that the interior is more harmonious. Modern materials for finishing doors allow you to find perfectly matching colors. For example, quite often now there is a coating called "laminatin" - a synthetic material in the form of a film, on which color and texture are clearly preserved. Due to the peculiarities of production, it is more durable, is not afraid of moisture, cold and does not change under the influence of temperatures.

Installation of doors and only after that laying the laminate

Laying laminate after door installation is carried out due to several factors:

  • an expensive type of flooring was purchased;
  • the door frame has already been installed;
  • doors are not changed and not dismantled.

Preliminary calculations and work, as in the first option, do not lose their significance. Many choose a door, install it without thinking about the fact that the floor height will increase, and then have additional difficulties with their adjustment during the laying of the flooring.

It is worthwhile to calculate the height of the laminate and the substrate in advance and install according to them. The door frame is installed just above the floor level, the hinged door leaf is also adjusted in height, taking into account the results of the calculations. Having installed the doors, you need to take care of them by covering them with a film or removing them before the end of the work.

Interior doors are available with or without threshold. Having chosen a door with a threshold, it is placed directly on the subfloor, and the laminate sheet is not made solid, it is laid to the threshold. Changing the flooring in the hallway has one significant feature - it is the presence of an entrance door. It is not so easy to remove and dismantle.

In this case, near the front door, you will have to do painstaking work on cutting out the laminate.

Laying laminate flooring with doors already installed is generally not difficult, it is most convenient to start work from the door. The first lamella must be brought under the door frame, having previously filed the frame with a hacksaw to the desired height (about 3 mm). This is done so that during temperature changes or changes in humidity levels, the door jamb or trim does not press on the laminate and does not deform it.

The floor covering must fall under the door frame posts and not rest against the wall. Additionally, you need to determine in advance whether the door will cling to the new coating. If the door touches the floors, you can shorten the canvas or choose another option as a new cover. After installing the doors and laying the laminate, you can install the trim, adjusting them to the desired parameters.

Advantages and disadvantages of each method

It is necessary to consider in more detail the advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods of work.

Main advantage initial door installation– laying speed, since there is no need to file the door frame and trim. After laying the floor, you need to install the door jamb and hang the door. Laminate panels do not need to be figured out and cut off part of the outer lamella to fit it under the door frame. There are also purely visual advantages: when the floors are laid on a large surface, the space looks new, it remains possible to change the decision on the choice of doors: style, color and design.

However, there are also disadvantages. A threshold should be set between rooms, for example, to distinguish between the color of the coating. It should lie strictly under the door leaf. You can still make a mistake and cut the laminate at the door at the wrong angle. For example, the corner may not be completely closed by the casing due to its rounded shape. This is quite solvable if you remove the maximum layer of plaster in the area of ​​​​the casing and the box and bring the laminate as far as possible while maintaining the desired gap.

Laying the plinth will also be complicated, since it will have to be divided into two stages: first - the main perimeter, after - the space at the door.

The second way (installation of doors, then - laying the laminate), on the contrary, it is not as fast as the first one, but it has a significant plus - the new floor will definitely not be damaged. This is important if you have to change the front door or change the width of the opening. In the course of such work, debris can accumulate in the form of small and large stones, the use of cement and other mixtures. Getting them on the laminate will definitely ruin it.

The disadvantage of this method is additional difficulties in carrying out repairs: it is necessary to adjust a lot, remove the doors. This can be problematic, especially in older homes. Laminate is not easy to get under the platband and door frame, especially if the connection of two panels falls into this place or passes nearby.