Lay laminate flooring

A quick way to give a room a fresh, modern makeover is to lay laminate flooring. While not as hard wearing as a solid timber floor, laminate is long lasting if properly maintained.

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Most laminate flooring materials are made from plywood, MDF or chipboard covered by a thin melamine finish. This is similar to the material used for kitchen benchtops, although the finish is much harder, making it very scuff-resistant and stain proof. Some manufacturers use layers of real timber precoated with UV-cured acrylic urethane. Whatever the material, laminate flooring is laid on top of a firm, dry sub-floor that has been covered with underlay to smooth out any irregularities. Since all timber products expand and contract, a 6–12mm expansion gap must be left around the perimeter of the room.

Tools: Tape measure; chalk line; claw hammer; panel saw; utility knife; circular saw with carbide-tipped blade; jigsaw; eye, hearing and breathing protection.

STEP 1
Prepare a timber or plywood base by punching any protruding nails. To confirm all the nail heads are below the surface, lightly run a metal spatula over each one – if the blade ‘ticks’, you need to sink the head a little further.

On a concrete base, you may need to lay polythene sheeting to keep out damp. If possible, remove the skirting. Alternatively, leave a 6–12mm gap up to the skirting which can be covered with a small timber moulding later. Finally, lay the underlay over the entire floor, taping and butting edges.

	STEP 2 Snap a chalk baseline 600mm from the wall where you are going to start laying. Measure distances to cabinets and walls from the baseline to ensure the flooring will run parallel to them. Avoid bad angles and thin rows in areas that are highly visible.
	STEP 3 Tap the first three rows together without glue, align them with the baseline and trim the first row as necessary to fit the wall. Use spacers to maintain the maker’s recommended clearance (6–12mm) along the walls. If you are using interlocking boards, there is no need to tap them into place with a hammer.
	STEP 4 Examine each board for chips or other surface flaws. Board edges are brittle and fragile before laying, so check when you buy and reject any damaged by rough handling. Even a small chip can be irritating. Often, you can cut off damaged ends to fit the beginning or end of a row.
	STEP 5 Undercut jambs and architraves so that the laminate can be tucked at least 6mm beneath them. A flooring scrap placed on top of the underlay, plus the thickness of the saw teeth, should provide enough height under which to fit the flooring.
	STEP 6 Make sure that any sections of flooring outside the main body of the room – such as those in doorways – are already in place before you start the main installation. With interlocking boards, it will be impossible to insert them later.