How to Lay Laminate Floor

Step 1
Vacuum the floor to remove any grit and fit either underlay boards or a purpose-made sheet underlay. This will dampen the noise when walking on the boards and give a cushioning effect to make the floor feel more comfortable.

Step 2
Place plastic spacers at 60cm intervals along the longest straight wall and lay the first row of boards with the groove side facing the wall, starting from a corner. The spacers must be wide enough to form the recommended expansion gap all round the edge of the floor. The ends of the boards are tongued and grooved which are joined by squeezing a bead of glue along the top of the tongue and groove - some boards don't even need adhesive. You will probably need to cut the last board of the row to fit. Mark it with a try square and saw, with the finished surface facing up.

Step 3
Begin the next row, starting with the off-cut of the board used at the end of the first row. Always stagger the end joints of adjacent rows by at least 30cm. Use the fitting tool to push the ends of the boards together as you work. Continue across the room, pushing the completed rows firmly together and adding more plastic spacers along the two side walls. Force each board together by gently tapping the edge block against the grooved side of each board.

Step 4
Make holes for central heating pipes by marking the position of the pipe on the board to be laid. Drill a hole about 5mm larger in diameter than the pipe. Make two angled saw cuts from the edge of the board to the sides of the drilled hole. Fit the board and carefully glue the small off-cut wedge behind the pipe. There must be an expansion gap all the way around the pipe.

Step 5
Either replace the skirting board over the new boards or fix a decorative quadrant moulding over the expansion gap around the edge of the floor. Pin the moulding to the skirting board and paint or vanish. Finally, fit a metal or wooden threshold over the edge of the flooring at all doorways.

Tips & Advice
- Boards are noisier than a soft flooring and the sound may annoy neighbours, especially in a flat.
- Never wash a laminate or engineered board floor with a mop and detergent. The water may penetrate the joints and discolour or distort theboards. Use a purpose-made laminate floor cleaner for heavier stains.
- Cutting the boards around door architrave can be fiddly. Instead, saw a piece from the bottom of the architrave, the thickness of the board.
- Take off any inward-opening doors before starting work to make the job easier.
- Remove your shoes when fitting the boards to avoid grit on your shoes marking the surface.
Leave the opened packs of flooring in the room for at least 24 hours so that the boards can acclimatise to the humidity before laying.