Laminate Flooring - Installation Guide

An excellent alternative to solid or engineered wood flooring, laminate flooring provides beautiful aesthetics with minimal maintenance. If you have chosen a laminate floor for your home, read on to learn how to successfully lay laminate flooring at your home – from preparation to aftercare…

Preparation

1. Ensure the subfloor is completely level and free of any debris.
2. Remove the skirting boards and scrape off any glue or paint using a putty knife.
3. Check over the area with a spirit level.
4. If you are unsure, consult the manufacturer’s specifications.
5. Measure the length and width of each plank and then measure your room to find out how many planks you will need to lay.
6. Be prepared to cut at least one board down to size. When cutting boards, it is important that none of them are cut to less than 2” in width.
7. Finally, allow your laminate flooring to acclimatise for 24 hours by leaving it in the room it will be installed in. Time needed to acclimatise may vary between suppliers.

Underlay

1. Roll out your underlay from one side of the room to the other and cut to size.
2. If using multiple pieces of underlay, ensure they do not overlap.
3. Leave space for any pipes that will intercept the floor, and tape the underlay down

Fitting

1. Start to lay the first row and check to see how long the last piece on the row will be. This piece should be no shorter than 12” so trim the first piece as well if necessary.
2. Leave room for expansion by using spacers all the way around the wall. Once you have all the pieces of your first row laid out, attach each piece together end-to-end by slotting the tongue into the groove.
3. Begin the second row with the piece you cut off from the first row, making sure that the seams are staggered. Continue across the room, ensuring each row is pushed firmly together. If you reach a point with a pipe, draw around the shape on the underside of the board and cut around, allowing an extra 16mm for expansion.
4. Once you have finished laying your floor, remove the spacers and attach beading to replace the skirting board.

Aftercare

• Once installed, laminate flooring is easy to maintain. Regular sweeping or hoovering will remove any dirt and avoid scratches.
• The floor should also be cleaned regularly using a well rung-out mop and an approved cleaning solution.
• Although laminate is more water resistant than solid wood, it is still important to wipe up any spills quickly as water left on the surface may cause damage.

View our laminate flooring accessories selection and our full range of laminate flooring.