How to install hardwood laminate

For a more economical option you can use plastic as well. However, the laminate floor may already have underlayment, and has a bit of give to it. And therefore, adding an underlayment that has cushion may not be required.

But, first a quick summary so you have a good idea of the overall process…. After that, you lay the hardwood boards on top of it. Whereas, with the other kind of hardwood boards, you need to nail the underlayment to the laminate flooring. The main goal of preparing the laminate flooring is to make it level, dry, and clear of any debris. Debris such as dust, or wood chips will create an air pocket that can make your floor boards creak when you walk on them. And can create small bumps in the underlayment, which overall makes it uneven.

Start by giving it a good vacuum or sweep. Then remove any existing nails, screws, and staples from the laminate flooring if there are any.

Finally, use a scraper to remove any tape, plaster, or epoxy that may be sitting on the surface of the laminate floor.

Next, you should check that the laminate floor is level. Then secure the seams with tape. Some underlayment will have a peel-and-stick adhesive attached to their edges which you can use to stick them together.

Make sure to cover the whole floor, spreading it flat, and to trim off any excess using a utility knife. Start by preparing the first row of laminate planks by cutting of their tongues using your utility knife or any of your power cutting tools. This side of the planks will be the side that will be placed against the wall. Starting from the right side with 1 whole plank work your way slowly towards the left. Use your pieces of scrap wood to maintain a constant gap between the edge of your laminate and the wall or baseboard.

The gap is necessary to provide the laminate flooring room to expand with changes in temperature. Snap together the ends of the planks, making sure that they are tight.

You can use the rubber mallet, tapping block, and pull bar to keep all the planks tight. As you get to the other end on the left, the last plank would be most likely too long for the space left, so you would have to cut it short.

Cut the last piece with any of your cutting tools. Use a combination of your mallet and pull bar to get the last piece nice and tight with the rest of the plank row. Doing rows 2 and 3 is pretty much the same with the exception of the first piece, on the right, being shorter than the 1st row. You can go back to step 6 and follow the suggested staggered pattern. From this point on, it pretty much is repeating the same staggered pattern of rows 1 — 3.

Just make sure that you maintain the constant expansion gap between the floor and the wall or baseboard. Use your laminate scrap wood as spacer to help you keep the gap constant. If you end up on a side of a wall with a door trim that goes all the way to the floor, you can use an oscillating tool or a dovetail saw to cut it short.

The last row of planks will most likely not fit the space that is left for it. You would have to cut it thinner along its width. You would need to measure the amount of plank you need for the space left, again taking into consideration the amount of gap between it and the wall or baseboard.

Use a straight edge to mark a line on the plank to be cut. And then cut it using any of your cutting tools. Use your mallet and the pull bar to help you to keep everything snug and tight. The molding will make the corner of the wall and floor look neater, and it will also hide the expansion gap.

Install a transition strip where the end of your laminate meets an existing floor. This normally occurs on a door way. Since your new floor will be a bit higher than the original flooring, it is possible that it will also be higher than the adjoining flooring. Transition strips will make the joined flooring look neater. It will also add protection to the edge of the new laminate flooring. There are several types of transition strips you can choose from and not all are installed the same way.

Make sure to get the right kind of transition strip that will work well for your specific situation. The video below will show you 2 types of transitions trips you can use and how to install them.

The transition strips shown on the video may or may not be the exact type you need, so you might have to ask help with the manufacturer to tell you which transition strip type you have to use for your specific needs. Otherwise, you would have to cut it down again.

The final step is to fill any of the connecting joints in between the laminate flooring and the molding and trims. Just fill in the gaps with a caulking just to make everything look cleaner. This step can actually be skipped if your connections were done very cleanly, the gaps are very small, and will most likely not become an eyesore in the future. Below are two good video references for beginners to follow showing how to install laminate flooring. The videos show the laminate being installed over different flooring materials though so follow step 1 of the list above first and then the rest of the steps are pretty much the same as how it is written from steps 2 — For an average bedroom size, around sqft or around sqm, you can probably finish the installation in about hours.

This does not take into account the time to acclimate the laminate flooring and the cutting down of the doors and trims. He is an architect for more than 20 years.

He is passionate about design and architecture and enjoys sharing his knowledge and information with people as well. Basements are one of the areas in our homes that can be used for just about any function. It can be used as a bedroom, a lounge, an office, a gym, or a laundry area. Being located below grade, Our floors can sometimes be subjected to heavy beating. The next step in this tutorial on how to install laminate flooring is to prepare your underlayment.

The underlay usually comes in rolls. So roll out as many sheets of underlayment that you need to cover the entire floor. Make sure that they do not overlap. Instead, butt their edges together and secure them with masking tape. Some underlayment comes with adhesive edges. If yours does, you may use this to stick the pieces together. Otherwise, use masking tape. It is essential to make sure that the underlayment fits against the walls. Once it lines up with the wall, trim off the excess with a utility knife.

This space is called an expansion gap. This expansion gap is essential because laminate flooring expands and contracts with humidity.

So, to avoid warping, ensure that you leave this allowance. This is where the spacers come in. You put the spacers between the first row of planks and the wall. Next, trim off the tongues of the laminate planks that will go along the edge of the wall. Note, trim the tongues and not the grooves. You may use a sharp utility knife, or better still, a table saw.

The best way to install laminate flooring is to start the first row on the longer span of the wall work from right to left. Use the spacers to keep the gap sizes accurate and ensure the groove edge faces outwards. Connect the next piece of laminate plant to its neighbour at the joints. Lock each piece to its neighbour with a tapping block to make sure that the joints are tight. You may also use a rubber mallet to close up the end joints. Remember, you are working from right to left.

Once you reach the left end of the first row of planks, it is more than likely that the last plant will be too long. Measure the length that is remaining and transfer that measurement to a full-size. Next, cut the plank with a jigsaw. Next, install the final piece into the first row of laminate planks and secure it.

You can use a hive tool to help you fit in the very end. Retain the cutoff from the last plank as it will form the first plant in the second row on the right side of the room.