How to Install Laminate Flooring

Shopping & prep checklist

Required tools

Tape measure & pencil · Utility knife · Jigsaw or circular saw (or laminate cutter) · Tapping block & pull bar · 1/4" spacers · Rubber mallet · Knee pads · Level or straightedge (6 ft)

The steps

1. 1. Estimate and acclimate

   Run the estimator above with your room's dimensions and pattern, buy the boxes, and stack them flat in the room for 48 hours before installing. Laminate expands and contracts with humidity — acclimating prevents gaps or buckling after installation.

   Tip: Buy from a single dye lot — check the batch numbers printed on each box while you're still at the store.

2. 2. Clear and check the subfloor

   Remove everything including baseboards (score the caulk line first; label the pieces). Sweep, then check flatness with a 6-foot level: anything over 3/16" of dip or hump needs sanding or floor leveling compound first. Flatness is the whole ballgame for floating floors — the click joints break over voids.

3. 3. Handle the old floor

   Laminate floats over most hard surfaces: tile, vinyl, wood, concrete. Remove old carpet, pad, and staples completely. On concrete, tape a 2×2 ft square of plastic film down for 24 hours — condensation underneath means you need a vapor-barrier underlayment.

4. 4. Roll out underlayment

   Lay foam underlayment perpendicular to your plank direction, seams taped, edges butted not overlapped (unless your product says otherwise). If your planks have pre-attached padding, skip this — doubling padding voids most warranties and makes joints spongy.

5. 5. Plan the layout

   Planks should run parallel to the longest wall or the main light direction. Divide the room width by the plank width: if the last row would be under 2 inches, rip the first row narrower to balance. Stagger end joints at least 12 inches row to row, and never let joints line up in adjacent rows.

   Tip: Dry-lay the first three rows without clicking to preview the stagger and check your math.

6. 6. Lay the first row

   Start in a corner with the tongue side facing the wall, 1/4" spacers between plank and wall. The first row must be dead straight — it's the foundation every other row references. Check it with a string line or straightedge before continuing.

7. 7. Click and tap rows together

   For each plank: angle the long edge into the previous row at about 25 degrees, drop it flat, then tap the end joint snug with the tapping block and mallet. Use the pull bar for the last plank in each row where there's no swing room. Cut end pieces with the finished face up (jigsaw: face down) to keep chips on the hidden side.

8. 8. Cut around doorways and vents

   Undercut door jambs with a hand saw laid flat on a plank scrap so flooring slides underneath — it looks factory-finished and skips the fussiest scribing. For floor vents, trace the opening and cut with the jigsaw, keeping the 1/4" gap rule.

9. 9. Trim and transitions

   Remove spacers, then reinstall baseboards (or install quarter-round) nailed to the wall — never to the floor, which must stay free to move. Install transition strips at doorways and where laminate meets other floor types. Vacuum, damp-mop, done.

Budget lines