Lay laminate flooring through a room

A multi-day flooring project: clear the old floor, level and prep it, then lay laminate with neat finishing trims.

Guides in this project

01Remove old carpet and gripper rods 02Level a floor before laying new flooring 03Lay underlay for a floating floor 04Lay click laminate flooring 05Fit laminate around a pipe 06Fit scotia or beading along the skirting 07Fit a door threshold strip between two floors 08Trim the bottom of a door

LF-01Plan the job and buy everything firstMeasure the room and work out laminate coverage, adding 10% extra for cuts and waste. Buy laminate, underlay, scotia, a threshold strip and fixings in one go, and let the laminate acclimatise in the room for 48 hours before you start. Check the subfloor type (concrete or timber) since this affects which underlay and levelling products you need. Clear the room of furniture and set aside two to three days if working alone, or one weekend if you have help.

1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Moisture meter (hire or buy)

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2 each · Dust sheets

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LF-02Strip the old floor coveringFollow the guide 'Remove old carpet and gripper rods' to take up the existing carpet, underlay and gripper rods. Check for staples left in the subfloor and pull them all out, since any left behind will show through the new laminate as lumps. Bag the old carpet for collection or a skip, and sweep the subfloor thoroughly before moving on.

1 pair · Heavy-duty gloves

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1 each · Staple remover/pliers

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1 each · Rubbish bags or skip bag

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LF-03Level the subfloorFollow the guide 'Level a floor before laying new flooring' to fix any dips, bumps or loose boards. Before drilling or screwing into the floor, check for cables and pipes underneath with a detector, and still expect to find something unexpected, especially near skirting and old socket positions. If you uncover a sunk floor box or cable that needs moving, stop and call an electrician — altering fixed wiring is a job for a registered electrician, and some of it is notifiable under Building Regulations.

RULES

3 20kg bag · Self-levelling compound

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4 each · Plywood sheets (if needed)

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1 5L · Primer

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KNOW THE RULES

Moving or altering fixed wiring is a job for a registered electrician. Some of it, such as a new circuit or work near a bath or shower, is notifiable under Building Regulations.

LF-04Lay the underlayFollow the guide 'Lay underlay for a floating floor' once the subfloor is flat, clean and dry. Choose a damp-proof membrane underlay if you're laying over concrete. Leave no gaps between rolls and don't overlap seams, as this causes lumps under the laminate.

15 m² · Underlay rolls

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1 roll · Jointing tape

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LF-05Lay the laminate across the main floor areaFollow the guide 'Lay click laminate flooring' to lay the main run of boards, working away from the main light source and leaving an expansion gap at the walls. If a socket faceplate is in the way of a cut board, switch the circuit off at the consumer unit and prove it's dead with a tester before loosening or removing the plate. This phase is the longest single stretch of work — budget a full day for an average room.

16 m² · Laminate flooring packs

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1 pack · Spacers

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1 set · Tapping block and pull bar

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LF-06Fit laminate around pipeworkFollow the guide 'Fit laminate around a pipe' for any radiator pipes or stopcock pipes coming up through the floor. Do this as you reach each pipe during the main lay, not afterwards, so the surrounding boards sit correctly. Keep offcuts from this phase — they're often useful for the threshold and door-trim phases later.

2 pair · Pipe collars

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1 each · Profile gauge (hire or buy)

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LF-07Fit the scotia or beadingFollow the guide 'Fit scotia or beading along the skirting' once all laminate boards are down and the expansion gap is covered. Check for cables with a detector before pinning or nailing into skirting or the wall behind it, since cables sometimes run along skirting height. Let any adhesive cure fully before moving furniture back against it.

18 m · Scotia beading

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1 tube/pack · Panel adhesive or pins

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LF-08Fit the door threshold stripFollow the guide 'Fit a door threshold strip between two floors' where the new laminate meets another room's flooring. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before drilling or screwing the threshold track into the floor, even though a doorway seems an unlikely spot for either. This is a short phase and usually takes under an hour.

1 each · Door threshold strip

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1 pack · Screws

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LF-09Trim the door to clear the new floorFollow the guide 'Trim the bottom of a door' if the new laminate and underlay have raised the floor level and the door now catches. Check the door isn't a certified fire door before cutting it down — these are common in flats and some newer houses, and trimming one can void its fire rating. If in doubt, get a joiner to check the door label first.

1 each · Hand plane or electric planer

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1 pack · Sandpaper

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LF-10Final check and snaggingWalk the whole floor and check boards are flat with no visible gaps, and that skirting beading and thresholds are firmly fixed. Vacuum thoroughly, then move furniture back in using felt pads to avoid scratching the new surface. Common faults at this stage are a squeaky board (usually an unclipped joint) or a lifted edge where the expansion gap was too tight — both are easier to fix now than after furniture is back in place.

1 pack · Felt furniture pads

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1 tube · Silicone sealant (threshold edges)

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