How to lay a laminate floor

Laminate flooring can be less expensive, more suited to areas where water is a problem and it can also act as a form of sound proofing. Even better, it is so easy to install, even a DIY novice shouldn’t find it too difficult!

It’s all in the planning.

Good planning at the early stages of laying a laminate floor can save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. Early decisions about what type of laminate and underlay you want, the direction you want the laminate to lay and whether you will need new skirting boards will keep the process stress free.

Preparing your floor

Before laying the laminate make sure you clean the floor and check the floor is level. It is also a good idea to leave the laminate laid out horizontally in the room you will be installing it for a couple of days to acclimatize the wood.

Laminate Flooring Underlay

Providing your floor is relatively even, most laminates can cope. If your floor is very uneven you will probably need to level your floor. If you are laying laminate over a level wooden floor and you are not concerned about sound or water insulation then foam underlay is suitable. If the floor is uneven or concrete then choose a thicker fibre underlay and if you are concerned about moisture choose underlay with a moisture barrier. Finally if you are concerned about noise then an acoustic underlay is most appropriate.

Installing your laminate  floor

Once your planning and preparation are complete the laying of your laminate should be fairly simple.

Most manufactures recommend leaving an expansion gap around the edge of the room, this allows the laminate to expand in the heat and prevents the floor from lifting. To get your expansion gap just right make sure you measure and re-measure. It might be an idea to buy some off the shelf spacers designed specifically for this job. Place these at 60cm intervals along the walls.

Choose your starting point, usually near the door and opposite the window. Install laminate floor with the long joints facing the main window. This makes joints harder to see and the room appear larger.
Laminates use tongue and groove joints, some laminates will require glue, others, simply click into place. You will lay the first few boards fairly easily, using a fitting to tool to help you push the boards together as you work. You will probably need to cut some of the boards to size using a circular or jigsaw, (making sure you take into account the 8mm or 10mm extension gap). Use the remainder of the cut board to start the next row, this will cut down on waste and make sure your laminate is staggered. Try to stagger end joints by at least 30cm for a professional looking finish.

Tidying up the edges

To cover the edges of your laminate floor and extension gap, you have two options, either, hide the edges with new skirting boards or you can install some beading if you do not wish to replace your existing skirting boards.

Protecting your laminate floor

To keep your floor in tip top condition; install knock glides to the bottom of your furniture, they will stop your furniture from scratching the laminate. They cost pence and are available from most large DIY superstores.