Lay Laminate Flooring – Do-It-Yourself
The following is a list of supplies and directions that will take you from the floor you have now to a floor you will love for years to come:
Measure your room first and then, it’s time to go shopping! The supplies you will need are as follows:
Safety goggles
Tape Measure
Circular Saw
Laminate Flooring
Underlayment
Moldings or Trim (you can replace your original baseboards if you choose not to replace them)
Knee Pads
Level
Hammer
Pry Bar
Ã?¼” Spacers
Room separator (t-molding or reducer strip)
Before beginning your project make sure the existing floor is free of dirt, debris and dust. Then it is time to begin laying your floor.
Step One: Carefully remove any existing baseboard or trim along the walls. This will be reinstalled later and will be a key factor in securing your floor in place.
Step Two: Lay underlayment flat on your floor. Some manufacturers call for sealing tape and some do not. Be sure to follow instructions as directed. While some may advise you that it is okay to admit this step, I would not recommend it. Underlayment provides soundproofing and keeps the room from having a hollow feel or sound to it when you walk.
Step Three: Measure the room with a measuring tape and find the halfway point so you will be able to determine how wide the first and last rows of laminate should be to ensure your layout will look even when completed. Be sure to use your safety goggles at all times when cutting the wood.
Step Four: Cut the tongue side off of the first piece of laminate flooring you will be using (again remembering to wear your safety goggles). This will be done for each piece of wood that is facing the starting and finishing walls.
Step Five: Place your first sheet of laminate (tongue removed because it is against starting wall) against wall with side that used to have a tongue pressed against the wall. Before laying this sheet remember you may have to cut it to size to ensure even laying (as noted in Step Three).
Step Six: Place one-half sheet of laminate flooring in the second row sliding tongue into groove of existing sheet (the sheet you have placed in the first row) and snap into place like a jigsaw puzzle. Carefully tap into place with a hammer. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 only use a half sheet for the second piece in the first row (remember tongue removed and cut to size because it is the first row) and a whole sheet for the second piece in row 2. You will continue this alternating pattern for the entire room.
Step 7: Place Ã?¼” spacers between wood and wall. These allow for expansion later, which happens naturally with temperature fluctuations within the room. It is important to be sure you are putting these spacers in as you work your way around the room.
Step 8: When putting in the very last piece of the room you will have to nudge it into place with your pry bar.
Step 9: Install T-molding where room opens up into another space/room or reducers if the space entering is carpeted.
Step 10: When the flooring is all in place it is time to put in your moldings or trim, or to replace your baseboards. We used trim that matched the new floor color: It was easy to install and gave the room a sleek and finished look. If reinstalling baseboards, do not secure them to the laminate flooring. The baseboards will be sufficient to hold the floor in place, as these floors are specifically designed to be floating by nature. Directly securing them with anything at all will produce unwanted results.
You are now finished and can enjoy your new floor for years to come. The only care required is dusting or damp rag mopping as needed or as manufacturer instructions indicate.
Congratulations on a job well done!
