HOW TO INSTALL LAMINATE

Laminate flooring is relatively easy to install compared to other types of flooring. You don't need any grout, mortar, glue or nails. You just place it down and it snaps together into place.

What you need:

Utility knife
Hammer
Tapping block or pull bar
Rubber mallet (optional)
Tape measure
Straightedge
Speed square
Pencil
Circular saw, jigsaw, or handsaw
Table saw (optional)
Chalk box
Laminate flooring
Underlayment and tape
Scrap wood spacers

Laminate is a floating floor material that doesn't need to attach to a sub floor or underlayment. It's similar to putting a puzzle together where the pieces fit snugly into place. Before you begin, make sure the surface that you are installing it on is flat and clean. You can usually install it over any floor covering as long as it's not soft or cushioned. If the floor underneath has any damage, you may need to remove it and lay down some thin plywood before adding the laminate.

After you have gathered your materials, the first step is to test out the flooring layout. You can do this with the actual planks to see where things fit and how much you actually need. Make you don't step on anything since the planks aren't actually attached yet.

Once you have a general idea of how things are going to look, you can install the underlayment or vapor barrier. This is done to absorb sound and moisture, also acting as a thermal insulation. It also smooth over any bumps that would effect the levelness of the laminate. You can attach the underlayment with adhesive.

You can begin by laying down the first layer up against the wall with a 1/4 inch gap for spacers and the groove edge facing out. Trim off the tongue on the other side to allow it to lay flush against the spacers. Proceed to add planks by locking each piece together with a hammer until everything is tight and snug.

Once you reach the end of the first row, you're probably going to need to cut the last piece so if can fit. When cutting make sure to account for the tongue and gap between the wall. The off cut can be used for the next row.

The rows should be staggered with the off cuts of the last pieces used for the next rows. This adds structural stability to the flooring keeping everything in place. If you find that the remaining pieces are too small, you can re figure and cut the other ones to have something of acceptable length.

You can lay down the rest of the planks by holding them at a 45 degree angle and then inserting the tongues into the grooves. Once you are about to install your last, you will probably need to rip cut them to fit along the wall with the edge gap. Once you cut the pieces with a circular or jig saw, you can install them. This might be a bit tricky since its right against the wall. Once that's done all you need to do is remove the spacers and install the baseboard moldings. This should get you started on how to install laminate flooring.