Things You'll Need:
- brat nailer, hammer, saw, tape measure, measuring square, mallet and pull bar
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Step 1
The first thing to do is clear the floor of any nails, tack strips or any other old materials that might be left over from removing the old floor. carefully remove your base trim, (that is if you want to re-use it) Next check to make sure you have enough materials, most all flooring is bought by the SQFT (square foot), simply measure the length and width of your room then multiply them together. Example: a room that is 10' by 15' would be 10'x15'=150-SQFT. Note: 1 standard roll of 3mm flooring underlayment should come in rolls that cover 200-SQFT.
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Step 2
roll out the underlayment pad. Connect the pieces together with duct tape. How your laminate flooring connects depends on the brand you buy but they are all very simple, most simply snap together, some need nails, some need glue. The easiest to lay for a 1st timer would be the snap together floating floor. (Remember to stagger the joints)
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Step 3
Lay the laminate, the first roll of floor boards go against your starting wall, groove side towards the wall. If you do need to cut the first row of boards to width, be sure that you cut off the groove side and place the cut side on the wall. Use spacers if needed to ensure you leave a 1/4" gap between the wall and the flooring. This 1/4" gap needs to be between the flooring and the wall all around the room. As you lay the flooring you will need to use a mallet and pull bar to snug things up. A few gentle taps is all that is needed. Once the flooring is all installed down, reinstall your baseboards and moldings, making sure you nail them to the wall where there is a wall stud behind it and not the laminate flooring. This will cover that 1/4-inch gap you left around the perimeter of the room. Keep in mind that most laminate floors are floating floors. If you find you have cut some boards too short and the baseboard will not cover over it, don't worry, just install quarter-round trim at the floor line to the baseboard problem is fixed.
Comments
ucandoit2 said
on 7/7/2009 You make this sound so easy. My husband and I are researching flooring. I'll let you know how it goes