How to lay laminate flooring

Modern laminate flooring is quickly becoming a popular option for homeowners. It's durable and long-lasting, with a wide range of styles and colours to select from. This sort of flooring is simple to maintain and is perfect for locations with a lot of foot activity. Although installing laminate flooring is quite straightforward, being cautious and thorough with your preparation is essential for if you want to avoid complications in the future.

So therefore, we will provide you with as much guidance and information as possible to make the process of laying laminate flooring much easier for you.

Laminate flooring brands and types

At Howarth, we offer a range of laminate flooring brands. Laminate flooring offers a stylish aesthetic combined with durability and a long-lasting lifetime, all at an affordable price, and our most popular brand, Quick-Step, does just that.
Quick-Step flooring is a well-known and popular brand that has been around for over 25 years, and all Quick-Step laminate flooring has an easy to use click fitting system, is scratch resistant and is available in a wide range of different styles, sizes, and colours. Quick-Step offer a variety of different types of oak laminate flooring in different colours, such as classic oak natural, old oak light grey, desert oak warm natural, and soft oak light etc.

an image of a bright white wall with laminate floors

@vertexflooringlimited

Herringbone laminate flooring

The herringbone pattern is not only a classic, but it is also one of the most popular. It has a very elegant look that will complement any hallway or living area. Typically associated with real wood, the laminate herringbone offers affordability and durability, as well as a very simple maintenance routine.
If you are interested in laying herringbone laminate flooring, it’s important to choose the right material first, and then prepare the area by installing a subfloor.

an image of herringbone laminate flooring in white kitchen

@homepoppylane

Do I need an underlay for laminate flooring?

Whether you're installing laminate flooring over concrete or an old wood sub-floor, you'll need a laminate flooring underlay. Noise reduction, thermal insulation, enhanced comfort underfoot, and a longer lifespan for your flooring are all advantages of using underlay.

There are several different underlays suitable for use with laminate flooring.

Fibreboard underlay is popular for installing over a timber sub-floor because it provides good heat insulation. It's also the greatest option if your sub-floor isn't completely level, because it will conceal any tiny protrusions up to 3mm in height.
If you're placing on a concrete subfloor, you'll need a damp-proof barrier membrane, such as foam. You can still utilise fibreboard, but a secondary damp-proof layer will be required.

Whatever underlay you choose, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for laying. Just like flooring, underlay benefits from acclimating to the room.

an image of a stripped floor with no laminate flooring applied

@dl_flooring_co

How much laminate flooring will I need?

To calculate the number of packs you need, work out the size of your room in m2 (length x width = m2) and check against the coverage of the pack. Add an extra 10-15% for cutting and wastage. Laminate flooring must be able to acclimatize to the room in which it will be installed. Allow at least 48 hours for the unopened packets to air dry. Avoid stacking the packs more than three high and, if possible, wedge something between each pack to allow air to circulate freely around them.

an image of a hallway with white walls and doors and laminate floors

@_oureastwoodbuild

How to lay a laminate floor

You may lay your floorboards in any direction if you're installing them on concrete or a new sub-floor and laying towards a light source makes the joins less noticeable. The perspective of the room will be influenced by whether you lay horizontally or vertically, making it appear bigger or longer. As a result, it's a good idea to 'plan out' your floorboards before setting them down, so you can work out how they'll be laid and how wide the last edge row will be. To allow the wood to expand and contract naturally over time, a 10-12mm expansion space around the borders is required.
To work out how many rows you need, measure the width of the room, and divide it by the width of a flooring panel. If the final row's width is less than 60mm, you'll need to cut your initial board lengthwise to make room for the extra width. The goal is to prevent having excessively thin edge boards. After that, start the first row in the corner of the longest wall and work your way back from there.
It's also important to remember that an expansion gap is always required with laminate flooring, as laminate can expand in different climates, so its important to allow the flooring space to do so. To do this, you can install laminate beading, or floor skirting, which is designed to cover the expansion gap that is left around the edge of a room.

an image of a modern looking laminate flooring in grey room

@onlineflooringstore

What tools do I need to lay laminate flooring?

To begin fitting laminate flooring, you will need the following tools:

Your choice of laminate flooring and underlay
Stanley knife
Hammer
Protective gloves
Drill
Tape measure
Gaffa tape
Spirit level
Clamp
Circular saw or hand saw
Flat wood drill bit
Pulling ledge
Threshold
Optional – beading/trim

@illawarratimberfloors

How to fit laminate flooring

Before you begin fitting your laminate flooring, make sure you have removed any doors before you fit the flooring, as you will need to cut into the architrave.

Step 1 - Line up a floorboard offcut

First begin by lining up a floorboard offcut with the architrave, and then trim the architrave using a panel saw so that the floorboard may fit beneath. Then remove the extra wood with a hammer and chisel.

Step 2 - Prepare floor and underlay

After that, ensure that the floor has been properly prepared, and that the underlay is in place. Begin by laying the first piece of laminate with its tongue edge against the longest wall's corner.

Step 3 - Placing in spacers

Then, between the wall and the board, add 10-12mm spacers to provide the expansion gap. Place a pair of spacers along the length and one across the breadth of the board.

Step 4 - Lining up the boards

Line up the end of the next board with the end of the first and click it into place. You want the first row to be precisely straight, so make sure the alignment is flawless. Maintain the expansion gap by using spacers and repeat this process until you can’t lay any more full boards.

Step 5 - Prepare the last board

The last board will need to be trimmed to suit the space at the end of the row, so next to the row you've just finished, lay a whole board down. Turn the board over so that the groove edge is facing you.

Step 6 - Mark the last board for trimming

On the bottom of the board, measure and mark a cutting line. Then secure the board in a workbench and cut with a jigsaw or panel saw. To finish the first row, place the board in place.

Step 7 - Starting the second row

You can start your second row from the same end as you started your first row if the offcut from the first row is at least 300mm long. Never start a second row with a full length board. You want to make sure that the board joints are staggered throughout all the rows, as this not only looks fantastic, but also improves stability. Remember to use a spacer at the beginning of each row, then continue the process to put down the boards.

Step 8 - Slotting the boards in

Place a spacer against the wall to begin the second row, then insert the tongue edge of a fresh board into the groove edge of the preceding row. From a 20-30 degree angle, slot the board in. Make sure the board's end is flush with the wall spacer.

Step 9 - Laying all the floor

To ensure that the tongue and groove system clicks into place properly, line up the next board and press it into place using the same way. Continue working your way down the row, repeating until you reach the edge row.

It's possible that you'll have to trim the boards to fit the gap in the last row, but this will have been decided when you laid up the plan. In that situation, take a measurement of the distance between the last full row and a spacer. Cut the board to size and lay it down as you normally would and remember to provide space for expansion!

an image of a dark brown laminate flooring in beige room with LEGO on floor

@prettyboyfloydconstruction

How to cut laminate flooring

Although installing laminate flooring is a doable task for the handy homeowner, trimming and cutting the laminate boards does require some expertise and practise. It’s good to note that if you’re wanting to cut laminate flooring and make straight cuts, you'll need a circular saw, but for a simple job, you might be able to get away with a handsaw.
If you’re interested in learning how to do it, scroll down to Step 1.

1: Use a circular saw or a handsaw with at least 18 teeth per inch to avoid chipping it

2: Mark the line on the laminate flooring

Make a small mark on the edge of the laminate, so you know where to cut or use a chalk pencil to draw your measurement line across the face of the laminate. You can easily wipe the chalk off the surface after you are done cutting. Make a small mark on the laminate's edge to indicate where to cut or trace your measuring line on the face of the laminate with a chalk pencil. After you've finished cutting, simply wipe the chalk off the surface.

3. Leave the laminate facing right-side-up and cut it with a circular saw or handsaw

Always remember when cutting laminate to always check your measurements multiple times throughout your project because rooms are usually not perfectly square!

an image of a modern looking kitchen with dark brown laminate floors

@torlys_flooring

If you have any more questions about laminate flooring, or wo uld just like to discuss your options, you can contact our customer services on the number 01472 907051

25th Jul 2022 Emily Green