Lay click laminate flooring on a concrete floor — HomeGraft

Lay click laminate on a concrete floor: check for damp, fit a membrane and underlay, then click boards together with expansion gaps.

FL-01Clear the room and check the subfloorRemove furniture, old flooring and, if you're refitting it, the skirting. Check the concrete is flat and free of debris; a gap over 3mm under a 1m straight edge needs grinding down or filling with a levelling compound. Sweep and vacuum thoroughly before you go any further.

1 bag · Floor levelling compound (5kg bag)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · 1m straight edge (hire or buy)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-02Test the concrete for dampUse a damp meter on a few spots across the slab. High readings, or a floor that feels cold and has never had flooring on it, mean you must fit a damp-proof membrane. Even an old, dry-looking concrete floor should get one — concrete can carry moisture for years without it showing.

1 each · Damp meter (hire, per day)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-03Lay the damp-proof membraneRoll out 0.2mm polythene DPM sheeting across the whole floor, overlapping joins by at least 200mm and taping them with waterproof tape. Run the membrane up each wall by about 50mm — you'll trim this once the skirting or beading goes back on. Don't skip this on concrete; it's the main thing stopping the boards swelling.

1 roll · DPM polythene sheeting (25m² roll)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 roll · Waterproof jointing tape

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-04Lay the underlayRoll out laminate underlay in strips, butting edges together without overlapping, and tape the joins. Trim it to fit neatly against the walls with a sharp knife. Combined foam-and-DPM underlay can replace steps 3 and 4 in one go — check the packaging before you buy separate DPM.

1 pack · Laminate underlay (15m² pack)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-05Plan the layoutMeasure the room's width and divide by the board width to check how wide the last row will be. If it's under 50mm, trim the first row narrower so both end rows look balanced. Fit 10mm spacers all round the room's edge to hold the expansion gap while you work.

1 pack · Expansion gap spacers (pack of 20)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-06Lay the first rowStart in the far corner with the tongue side against the wall (it gets trimmed off) and the groove facing out into the room. Click each board's short end into the next, keeping the 10mm spacer gap against the side wall. Cut the last board of the row to length, keeping any offcut over 300mm to start the next row.

4 pack · Click laminate flooring (pack covering 2.22m²)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Tapping block

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Pull bar

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-07Lay the remaining rowsWork across the room row by row, staggering the short-end joints by at least 300mm so the floor doesn't line up in a brick pattern. Use the tapping block on long edges and the pull bar against walls to close gaps without damaging the boards. Keep checking the 10mm gap at every wall as you go.

FL-08Cut boards around doorways and pipesUse an offcut as a template to mark awkward shapes rather than measuring each one from scratch. Cut curves and pipe cutouts with a jigsaw using a fine-tooth blade, and straight cuts with a handsaw or circular saw. Cut face-up with a handsaw and face-down with a jigsaw or circular saw to stop the top layer chipping.

1 each · Fine-tooth jigsaw blade (laminate)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-09Fit the door threshold barCables and pipes can run almost anywhere under a floor, not just in obvious straight lines, and a cheap detector can miss ones that are deep or shielded. Before you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. Scan the area with a detector, then drill a small pilot hole first and stop straight away if you feel resistance change, see the dust change colour, or notice any dampness — if in doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit and turn the water off at the stopcock before going any further. Once you're confident it's clear, drill 6mm holes to about 40mm depth, fit masonry wall plugs, and screw the threshold bar down over the expansion gap between rooms.

1 each · 6mm masonry drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Masonry wall plugs (pack)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Door threshold bar (900mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Fixing screws

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-10Fit skirting or scotia beading to hide the gapOnce the whole floor is laid, remove all the spacers. If you took the skirting off earlier, refit it now so it covers the 10mm gap. If you left the skirting in place, pin scotia beading to the bottom of the skirting itself — not the floor — with a pin hammer, so the floor can still move underneath it.

4 each · Scotia beading (2.4m length)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 box · Panel pins (box)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

FL-11Clean up and check the jobVacuum the floor and wipe over with a barely damp cloth to lift dust. Check the door still opens and closes freely over the new floor height, and press down along a few joints to make sure nothing rocks or sits proud. Bag up offcuts and packaging for disposal.

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides