How to Fit Laminate Flooring: Scotias, Sinks, Toilets, Bathrooms, Steps

These days, many people are installing laminate flooring in their homes and offices, mainly because it is more affordable than most other flooring options. It is also easier to maintain compared to hardwood floors or carpets. Those who choose laminate flooring prefer to install the flooring themselves, because the installation process is quite easy.

To find out how much laminate boards are required to cover a certain room, it is necessary to get a correct measurement of the floor space of the room. The combined area of the laminate boards should be about 15% to 20% more than the area of the room. The laminate boards have to be left in the room for more than two days before they are installed, so that they can acclimatize to the humidity and temperature of the room. Other than laminating boards, the things that are needed for installation are underlay, drill, hole-saw, handsaw, straight edge, knocking block, hammer, spacer wedges, and tape.

The old flooring has to be removed first before laminate flooring can be installed. Make sure that the sub-floor is clean, dry, and perfectly level before the new flooring is laid. The underlay has to be placed on the sub-floor first. If the sub-floor is concrete, a sheet of plastic has to be laid first. Then, tape the underlay on the plastic sheet.

The laminate boards should be laid starting from the perimeter of the room. Make sure that the groove sides of the boards are facing the wall, and a gap of ¼ inch is left between the wall and the boards. The first board on the first row should be a full board, and the second row should start with a 2/3 board. The first board on the third row should be a 1/3 board, and the fourth row starts with a full board again. This pattern will go on until the entire floor is covered with laminate boards. The end joints of one row should be about 8 inches away from the end joints of the next row.

After all the boards are laid, start to join them together row by row. Laminate boards come with a tongue and a groove that can be locked together. Use a hammer and a knocking block to tap the boards until they join together. After all the boards are joined, the installation is complete.