I have a open kitchen /dining room and living room basically one big room.
I plan to cover all rooms with laminate (Surface Source). The kitchen/dining room has existing linoleum old but pretty good shape.The living room has carpet. When I pull out the carpet there will be a small step the thickness of the linoleum where the dining room transitions to the living room.
The sales person at Lowes said I could use underlayment under the living room laminate only and then put the laminate directly on the linoleum and that will keep the installation level.

Will installing it directly on the linoleum cause some type of problem later on?
I realize this would create warrantee issues although it states if you don't some how document the moisture content of the sub floor the warrantee is void any way. How many people actually do that?
What would be a good alternative to get this level without scraping up the linoleum?
Another thing I wondered about is why do they want the floor to run parallel to the external light source?

 

The advice was theoretically correct, but you should adhere to the manufacturer's requirements for installation. The underlayment has a certain "give" to it, and that "give" adds to the life by letting the flooring flex rather than being rigid. Whatever you install on the linoleum won't have the give and will seem hard to walk on. I did it in my small kitchen in my weekend rental cabin, but it was a large slate looking laminate, and I wanted a "hard" feel to the floor. I got it on a super sale and installed it in about an hour, so should it fail, not much loss. Since you are doing more than one area, you don't want that failure to take place, period.

 

My guess for why they want you to install parallel with the light source is to make it look better...most laminates are pretty cheezy in my book, and the line between each piece is the ugliest part. Having it in line with the light source will reduce the "standout like a sore thumb" nature of the edges.

I have seen many laminates and engineered floors look like crap after only a year or two...mositure from cleaning and day to day use (people do that now and then I'm told) causes the seams to enlarge and it mushrooms from there.

Laminates may be cheap and install quick, and work for "bandaid" type cosmetic improvements...but I like to build for the long haul...Tile and Real hardwood. If you plan to live there for 3 years or more the capital investment of "real" flooring might be your better option.

but, if you dont mind redoing it in a couple years (and filling a landfill with more plastic) then the 99 cents a sq foot might be for you.

 

Very interesting comments but I am hoping to find out how to get a good level install over the entire floor area. Please let me refer back to my original questions.

1) Will installing it directly on the linoleum cause some type of problem later on?
2) What would be a good alternative to get this level without scraping up the linoleum?
3) Another thing I wondered about is why do they want the floor to run parallel to the external light source?

 

I would not put it directly on the linoleum. Use the proper underlayment, and, if the transition is just the thickness of the linoleum, you can use roofing felt (using gradually smaller pieces as you approach the linoleum from the living room) to feather out the thickness difference.

Running the planks parallel to incoming light (whether real wood or laminate) looks better to most people. No other reason.

 

Was going to suggest a couple of layers of 30# roofing felt over the whole floor rather then taper it. What about two layers of underlayment. Would it be too thick.

 

Two layers of the underlayment would make it too squishy. The felt would be more solid.
csf56: 1) Yes
2) 30# felt over the bare subflooring or scrape the lino
3) Across the light beams. But if your room faces two directions via windows on different sides, it will be a moot point.

 

Putting down felt to even the floor sound fairly simple and better than scraping the floor.
Would you suggest using staples to hold the felt or would tape be better?

 

You will be installing your foam underlayment over it, so stapling will help hold it in place while you work on it.