Before beginning to learn how to lay laminate flooring, it is important to ensure you have all the necessary tools. We have split these into two groups. Essential items, the ones that you cannot install a laminate floor without. And nosotros have recommended items.  Products that volition make the job easier or aid with a more professional person finish.

Essential Items

  • Manus Saw
  • Pencil
  • Underlay
  • Measuring record

Recommended Items

  • Knee Pads
  • Wet Metre
  • spacers
  • Pull Bar
  • Electric Chop Saw (to supersede the mitt saw)
  • Jig-saw
  • 2m Long Spirit Level

Laminate Flooring Box

Before you Begin

It's important to inspect your laminate flooring before laying. If you find any defects at all, DO NOT INSTALL THE FLOOR. Beginning, speak with your supplier to determine the best way forward. Many manufacturers will not validate a warranty if lacking flooring is installed.

It is not uncommon to find what appears to exist very slight damage to the edges and peculiarly the corners of laminate floors. This will mostly exist superficial every bit the machining process tin create small imperfections forth the click system that will take no consequence on the quality or performance of the flooring. However large broken areas or large areas of damaged click systems are a cause for concern and yous should contact your supplier before proceeding with the installation.

Site Weather for Laying Laminate Flooring

Poor site conditions are the number one reason for a laminate flooring to fail. Learning how to lay laminate flooring is really only important after you have checked site conditions. The most of import checks to brand are for moisture and sub-floor levels. It is e'er the responsibility of the installer to determine if the site weather condition are adequate although you lot may wish to cheque this yourself before purchasing a floor. This essential testing should exist carried out as follows:

  • Humidity levels should exist between 45% and 65%. This can be tested with a hygrometer. We recommend reading our guide on Humidity and Wood flooring.
  • Concrete or timber Sub-floors should have a moisture content of no more than 12%MC on a surface prong exam, or beneath 3% on a more mutual concrete moisture metre. NB Different metres have unlike scales and then it is important to check their documentation.
  • Sub-floor levels should be no more than 3mm over a 1m altitude in any direction. This should be checked and measured with a long spirit level and ruler before commencing installation. Uneven floors should be leveled using leveling boards, plywood or self-leveling products.

Your supplier volition likely take no liability for problems with laying a laminate floor if they discover any evidence of incorrect job site conditions. If y'all are non certain virtually any of this, please contact us at Wood Floor Warehouse and we volition be happy to help.

Sub floor moisture content for wood flooring

How To Acclimatise A Laminate Floor

Only when the correct site weather condition are met tin can yous acclimatise laminate flooring. Store your laminate floor closed in the packaging and flat on the basis in the room of installation. Most manufacturers will insist on 48hrs acclimatisation but read the instructions to ensure y'all take the right fourth dimension period.

If installing laminate flooring onto under-floor heating, ensure that each pack of flooring is resting apartment on the ground separately. Do not stack the boxes. Also, check manufacturer's instructions for any specific requirements relating to nether floor-heating acclimatisation. Some manufacturers may insist on a longer acclimatising menstruum.

While acclimatising, living conditions should be normal in the room with the heating on. Your laminate floor will not acclimatize correctly if the room is common cold or if wet trades such every bit painting or plastering are being carried out around it.

One time acclimated your laminate may expand or shrink very slightly. Information technology is also not uncommon to see some bowing in each plank. Don't worry, this isn't a defect. It is but the laminate HDF core acclimating to the heat and humidity of the site.

For more than in-depth information on this, read our article on - How to Acclimatize Laminate Flooring.

Aclimatising laminate and wood flooring

How To Lay Laminate Flooring

Always read the manufacturers own recommended installation guides before installation. Learning how to lay laminate flooring is usually carried out in the same way but often some specific methods are needed on some types of flooring.

Ensure all existing flooring and underlay is removed to give a level base before offset your installation. As there is an expansion gap needed around the outside of any laminate floor, you accept the option of removing your existing skirting boards, installing your new floor and and so installing your skirting again. Or instead, utilize a beading to hibernate the expansion gap subsequently installation.

Laying laminate flooring is quick and easy and information technology can exist fitted into nigh areas of whatsoever home (usually with the exception of wet rooms). We do recommend click vinyl flooring or h2o resistant laminate floors in wet areas.

Floating using an underlay is the nearly common method every bit information technology can then be fitted over any type of sub-floor. It is very DIY friendly and won't need whatsoever training or experience. Laminate floor merely clicks together without the need for any type of agglutinative. Different floors will click in varying ways to ensure you are familiar with how the flooring clicks together before outset.

Laminate Floor Underlay

It is important to utilise the correct kind of laminate floor underlay. Onto a concrete sub-flooring you must employ underlay which has a damp proof membrane. Yous can run across our range at - Concrete Sub-Floor Underlays.  and over a wooden sub-floor check our range of underlay for wooden sub-floors. There are various features and benefits to each, such as leveling and insulating underlays.

wood-and-laminate-flooring-underlay

Installing The Laminate Floor

After installing the underlay brainstorm clicking the flooring together. Starting time at a straight wall and lay your start row joining all the edge boards. The first board should be a 1/2 board then keep along the row. Use spacers to ensure yous maintain a 10mm gap against the wall. If you don't take spacers some cutting-offs from your laminate floor will work.

Now outset the side by side row with a total board. This volition ensure you have well spaced out joints. You can apply offcuts to start futurity rows, provided the joints will exist more than 300mm apart. When the joints are too close it can often await poor and may affect the strength of the installation. Continue this process until you reach the other side of the room ensuring that you lot leave a 10mm gap around everything.

Expansion Gap for laminate flooring

This includes :

  • All Walls
  • Radiator Pipes
  • Door Frames
  • Skirting
  • Stairs
  • Other Floor
  • Kitchen units

Once the floor has been installed you tin hide the perimeter gap using beading (also known every bit scotia) or skirting that needs to be at least 12mm thick to allow for any shrinkage that may happen. In add-on, the expansion gap must be left at doors where the floor goes from one room to the adjacent and confronting any other obstacles such as stairs or radiator pipes.  A specialist laminate flooring shop like Woods Flooring Warehouse will carry a large pick of door bars and accessories to match your floor and hide expansions gaps.

Do non residuum extremely heavy-weight (in backlog of 200kg) on elevation of the laminate flooring, as this can restrict movement causing problems with peaking. Frequently the flooring can be installed nether a plinth or a rebate.  Ordinarily this would include :

  • Kitchen Units
  • Island units
  • Thousand Pianoforte
  • Stone fireplace & Surround

To empathise more about how European laminate Floors are tested and accredited, visit the website for European Producers of Laminate Flooring.

After installing a laminate flooring you can use it right away. I tin can highly recommend reading our laminate flooring maintenance guides to ensure that your floor will look fantastic for many years.