Entiat, Wash.—Necessity may be the mother of all inventions, but for Jeff Van Horne it was frustration that led him to create the Lam-Hammer, a patent-pending tool designed specifically to help installers with laminate and engineered hardwood floors. A 35-year general contractor, Van Horne was working on “a beautiful home” two years ago when his frustration finally boiled over as he neared the end of installing one of the floors.

“I was using the pry bar and pull bar like you should, and damaged the drywall. I finally had it and said, ‘there has to be a better way.’ “Installing laminate floors is easy,” he explained, “except for the last piece in each row. It must be cut to fit and then clicked into place where there is very little space to work. Clicking the long side into place is simple, but butting the short end into the previous board without damaging the wall is much trickier, especially with the traditional tools and methods.”

With that, Van Horne retreated into his basement around 11:30 p.m. and before the sun had risen a prototype was created. The product was built on the principle of a car dent remover. The Lam-Hammer latches on the end of the board and, using a two-pound slide and moderate force, pulls the plank into place. The only part of the tool that actually touches the surface of the floor is the stabilizer ring, meaning no dirt or grit can be caught underneath to cause scratches.

Another feature of the Lam-Hammer is that it is notched so that it can be pushed into a 1/8-in. space between the end of the board and wall. The handle provides both safety and control because the installer’s hands are kept away from the impact area. “It allows you to take up the existing base and use it again,” he explained. “This can be very important in cases when the base is older and finding an exact match is impossible.”

And, on commercial jobs involving engineered wood, the tool can be turned over to lay flat while the next piece is being set into position. This not only keeps the floor clean of glue, it allows for a faster installation since installers do not have to deal with gluey pounding blocks and hammers. “The main thing about the Lam-Hammer is that it can save the installer time and money,” Van Horne said.

“First, it makes the overall installation quicker, which in itself saves money.” More importantly, it:
• Aids in the installation of the last board on a run—against the wall or under the cabinet toe kick;
• Puts an end to nail pops on the wall from conventional pry bar pressure;
• Eliminates crushed plasterboard which cannot be covered by the baseboard, and
• Ends costly plasterboard and cabinet-base repairs.

And, at $100 for the Standard #500 model, the last item alone can pay for the Lam-Hammer in one shot, he pointed out. “An unfinished cabinet door is $75 to replace, so the tool practically pays for itself. It not only saves the money, but protects your reputation which, in itself, is priceless as we all know how upset the consumer can be if you damage anything. Even if it gets fixed properly, she will have in her mind how bad the process was because her cabinet or wall was damaged and it took more time than needed to finish the job.”

Those who have used the Lam-Hammer agree with Van Horne. Jeff Cummings, president of Commercial Interiors in Redmond, Wash., noted, “The time and money saved using this tool to speed the installation is substantial. However, the real value is the savings from not having to repair damaged boards due to the block and hammer method or the damage to toe kicks and dry wall from using pry bars. This will result in fewer re turn trips, material shortages and many more immediately happy customers. This should lead to more referrals for our firm, and we all know that is the best business you can have.”

Sam DiMaggio of The Floor Guys in Monroe, Wash., said that using the LamHammer on a 28,000-sq.-ft. laminate job “improved our efficiency and quality by 30%. It outperformed all the other tools used for the job, including pull pars and crowbars. The other tools helped, but they were too slow and caused some damage to the drywall and cabinets. “With the Lam-Hammer,” he continued, “my crews completed 290 condos with zero damage. I would recommend it to anyone who is a laminate or engineered wood floor installer.”

Van Horne has created two other models besides the #500, all of which are produced and assembled in the state of Washington: The $110 Atlas #600, uses a three-pound slide and is better suited for engineered floors which have longer and heavier planks, and the $115 Titan #700, which uses a four-pound slide. While it is too heavy for general use, it works for the occasional time when a gap is discovered several planks back. It can close the gap without taking up and relaying the whole section.

The Lam-Hammer also has three extension units—6-, 9- and 12-in.—that retail for $25 each. These are for reaching under unusually low places such as radiators, electric baseboards and even dishwashers. While the Lam-Hammer is currently being sold through a handful of locations that are listed on its Web site—www.lam-hammer.com —as well as directly from Van Horne, he said the company is seeking full-line floor covering and accessory distributors to represent the product. For more information on the Lam-Hammer or to inquire about distribution rights, contact Van Horne at 888/687-2421.