How to Install Laminate Flooring

So, you want to know how to install laminate flooring on your own. Unlike hardwood floors, laminates can be installed by do-it-yourself homeowners.

Being mechanically challenged myself, this is not a step by step how-to article about flooring installation, but a note to let you know that it can be done and to give you a few ideas to mull.

Decide what color, pattern, style, brand and grade of flooring that you want to buy. Buy the highest quality flooring that you can find and at the best possible price. Laminate flooring looks like wood but is easier to install, durable, easy to care for and less expensive than the real thing. You can buy laminate flooring at home improvement stores, construction and flooring outlets, and online. Name brands that you will read about include Pergo, Armstrong, Finsa, Balta, Rustic Elegance, Old Homestead, Mannington, WilsonArt, Alloc and BHK. Buy all of your materials at the same time, ask the supplier for advice and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Believe it or not, the installation instructions come right in the box. When we did our floors, we also found the sales people very helpful in giving advice on what tools to buy.

To figure out many boxes of laminate you need, measure your floor by multiplying length and width (remember high school math?) and then multiply this number by 1.1 (this gives you 10% margin for error and allows for special cuts). If math isn’t your forte, draft out your room with all of the measurements and let a professional double check your square footage.

Read the manufacturers' directions (some manufacturers require that you follow their directions in order to make their warranty valid). Laminate is laid as a floating floor which means it is not fixed in place. Laminate flooring comes in three types: glued-down, glueless, and pre-glued floating floors. We did glueless when we installed our floors, and I that was fairly painless.

In addition, manufacturers generally agree that the ‘click systems’ or glueless floating floor is the best choice for do-it-yourselfers. The planks click, or snap together without glue and are easy to unlock if you need to move or replace them.

When it's time for the actual install process...

Prep your floor.
Remove all flooring, staples, nails and debris.
Remove vent grills, moldings and baseboards.
Lay down the underlayment that is recommended by your flooring manufacturer. (The underlaying acts as a moisture barrier and as a shock and sound absorber. Poly Foam underlay is the thinnest available and can be anchored with masking tape. Wood fiber is the thickest underlay and gives good heat and sound insulation. Both of these are laid over a plastic film moisture barrier.)
Lay your boards, click them together and continue clicking the planks together until your floor is completely assembled.

It isn’t that simple of course but it is doable. You need a tape measure, hammer, electric saber saw, power stapler and an installation tool kit.

For a site with pictures and more thorough instructions, visit Hometime .

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