# Installing laminate in a room with one big curved wall (PICS)



## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

after carpet removal snap some chaulk lines on floor for reference to be parralel with bedroom/ living room wall and always start your run from curved wall. You can make a plywood template representing the arc of the wall using your snapped lines as a board edge reference. once you have the template away you go


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## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

I assume you are running the laminate perpendicular to the curved wall. In that case, Tpolk has the right idea ( you can use large pieces of card board also) just to get the arc right and cut the ends with a jigsaw. Be sure to leave 1/4" gap.

As far as the base trim goes...if your baseboard is already down you need to lay 1/4 round after the floor has been installed to cover the float gaps. If the curve is not too severe you should be able to use the box store stuff. If you require more curve, sometimes the vinyl trim works. I have used a cork-like 1/4 round (for bottoms of staircases, etc.) which flexes to virtually any circle without splitting.

The problem is finding the stuff...and it ain't cheap!  You need to go to a specialty lumber store.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

CLICK HERE for some thoughts on curved moldings.


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## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

4 to 6" pieces? :laughing:


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## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

Willie, we are just talking 1/4 round here lol.

As far as the pics go, I have been pretty successful in bending MDF moulding to suit those bends ...wouldn't want to think about using wood.


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## vu321 (May 17, 2010)

Hey guys, thanks for all the helpful advice. The vinyl trimming is gonna work perfect to cover the 1/4" gap and were exactly what I was looking for because I dont think I gonna even attempt to use wood for the base moudling/trimming on the curved wall. The rest should be pretty easy, I was mostly worried about being able to cover the 1/4 gap between the laminate and the curved wall. Ill upload pictures after I finished.


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

vu321 said:


> Hey guys, thanks for all the helpful advice. The vinyl trimming is gonna work perfect to cover the 1/4" gap and were exactly what I was looking for because I dont think I gonna even attempt to use wood for the base moudling/trimming on the curved wall. The rest should be pretty easy, I was mostly worried about being able to cover the 1/4 gap between the laminate and the curved wall. Ill upload pictures after I finished.


The radius of your wall looks to be pretty big. So I don't think you would have any problem getting wood moulding to go around that curve.

Have you got started - or maybe even finished - on the job yet?

I will be doing a medium size floor similar to yours, only with more curves and of differing radii. I too will post pics as I go along.

There are several pics on my Gulf Island Building thread regarding curved wood. I have put in hundreds of pieces so far.

One trick to bending a thick wood moulding is like so: On your tablesaw (or someone else's) rip the moulding vertically using a thick blade. The piece going directly up against the wall can be about 1/4" thick, or double the blade thickness, this should bend easily. 

Let's assume that your blade is 1/8" thick. This means that you will have wasted the next 1/8" thickness of your moulding. 

Next you adjust the saw to cut whatever the blade thickness is. So, if the blade is 1/8" thick, you will set the cut to 1/8".

Now you continue to cut 1/8" wide strips off the moulding until you are done.

Next you start with a fresh piece of moulding and cut the whole thing in 1/8" strips. 

What you are left with you re-assemble into one piece of moulding which will bend easily. This is then nailed and glued into place.

Since your radius looks quite large, I would think you could use at least 1/4" or even thicker strips, thus necessitating fewer cuts and fewer glue lines.

I believe there are mouldings you could find (and maybe you already have) which will manage that curve without any cutting and I think - guessing by what your apartment looks like - that this would be the better choice.

I will be most interested in what you came up with.


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## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

Yep, that works! I have used that technique on pine trim. If you are using MDF you can soak the back in water and it bends quite nicely too. Done that for crown mold around staircases..geez I hate staircases:thumbup:


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

canadaclub said:


> Yep, that works! I have used that technique on pine trim. If you are using MDF you can soak the back in water and it bends quite nicely too. Done that for crown mold around staircases..geez I hate staircases:thumbup:


I got that idea from a fine woodworking magazine donkey's years ago. Only ever had to use it once. And the one thing you need to be successful with that is a very sharp blade...and cut slowly and carefully.


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