How to Install Laminate Flooring

When remodeling a home, learning how to install laminate flooring is a common topic. Laminate flooring is a great way to spruce up any room and is an easy job for the do-it-yourself homeowner. Although one person can do this alone, a second person makes the job much easier.

To install laminate flooring, you will need:

• Laminate flooring
• Underlayment (unless it is attached to the flooring)
• A rubber mallet
• A towel
• A miter saw (a 10-inch saw works great; Smaller saws work well too, but the boards will need to be cut, then turned around and cut again from the other side)
• Quarter round trim
• A tape measure

1. The first step to installing laminate flooring is to measure your room to calculate the square footage. Add 10% to that figure to ensure you have enough. When your purchase your flooring, you will need to buy underlayment unless it is attached.
2. Once your flooring is purchased and you are ready to install it, clear everything out of the room. If necessary, remove any existing flooring and check for stay nails or staples that may be sticking up.
3. Decide which direction you want the flooring to run. Install underlayment in the opposite direction of the boards. This helps prevent the underlayment from moving and pulling apart. Overlap each row by one-half to one inch.
4. Lay the first row approximately one-quarter to one-half inch away from the wall to allow for expansion. Cover the board with the towel and tap with the rubber mallet to get a snug fit.
5. When starting on the second row, be sure to stagger the seams of the laminate flooring. Measure for any necessary cuts twice to ensure accurate results.
6. Repeat the above steps until the flooring is complete. Install quarter rounds or baseboards to cover the ends of the boards.

Laying laminate flooring may very well be the easiest remodeling task for a homeowner to complete. A medium-sized room can easily be completed and furniture replaced in a single day.