Introduction

Laminated boards are usually produced in the form of tongue-and-groove planks or tiles, which may require glue to fix them to one another but more often simply interlock into one another to form a glueless and often highly water-resistant joint.

Because this method of construction does not include any real wood, it is often the cheapest wood-look flooring available. This laminate product is also often presented with surfaces other than a 'wood look', for instance ceramic tiles or stone.

A laminate floor’s ability to withstand wear and tear is denoted by it's AC rating. This is a standardised measure adopted by the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF), which assesses a floor’s resistance to abrasion, impact, staining, cigarette burns and swelling at the edges.

• AC ratings below 3 are only recommended for light residential traffic, for example in bedrooms.
• AC ratings of 3 or more are suitable for heavy domestic use, where AC5 is appropriate for heavy commercial purposes.

Additional accessories

Most commonly these boards are laid as a 'floating floor' on top of an existing surface. With this is mind various accessories are required to disguise where the laminate boards meet the skirting boards, in order to produce a good finish.

• Insulating underlay
• Edging trim
• Pipe covers
• Door bars

The underlay is very important as it not only insulates for noise and heat (critical if not laid on the ground floor), but it also protects the laminate planks from small undulations in the sub-floor surface.

At a glance

• Convincing ‘wood-look’ using fewest trees to produce
• Relatively easy to install
• Easy to maintain
• Resistant to colour changing through sunlight
• Can withstand humidity of kitchens
• Forms a floating floor
• Often inexpensive
• Scratch-resistant

• Edges require finishing
• Significant surface damage cannot be repaired
• Least durable of ‘wood’ surfaces

Tools required to fit laminate flooring

To fit laminate flooring you will need the following tools;

Installing laminate flooring

• Allow boards to acclimatise to the temperature of the room (which should be at least 15 degrees) for 24 hours prior to fitting.
• Ensure the sub-floor surface is flat, clean, firm and damp-proof. Ensure any nail heads are flush with the surface to avoid damaging the laminate boards.
• Level out any uneven surfaces by either;
  Screeding a concrete surface (check there is a damp-proof membrane).
  Nailing down hardboard panels, smooth side up, over floorboards. The panels should be brushed with water 24 hours before installation to allow them to be laid flat, and they should be pinned to the floor with a annular ring nail every 150mm (6in) round the edge and through the centre of each board. Board joints should be staggered to create an even surface.
  Smoothing a self-levelling compound over ceramic tiles to hide grouted joints.
• Lay underlay over whole sub-floor surface to insulate noise and heat, and cover any small undulations.
• Begin by laying boards against the longest straight wall, trimming them if necessary, to maintain straight lines. If your walls are not parallel, start against the wall that is seen first on entry to the room. Use wedges to keep a 10mm (⅜in) gap between the planks and the wall or skirting board.
• Offset the joints between rows by beginning with a whole plank, then start the next row with a ⅔ plank, and the third row with a ⅓ plank. Repeat this pattern over subsequent rows.
• If your boards are not the interlocking variety, achieve a close fit between rows of glued tongue-and-groove planks using the shaped knocking block and a mallet.
• Cut planks that meet the edges of the room such that there is a 10mm (⅜in) gap that will allow the floor to expand with changes in humidity and temperature, without becoming buckled.
• Create a cardboard template that fits around tricky shapes and corners. Draw around this template on the plank and jigsaw this line.
• To accommodate a moulded architrave of a doorframe, use a handsaw to cut a thin layer of the doorframe off from the bottom, which will allow the flooring to slide beneath it.
• Having cut and fitted all planks, cover the 10mm gap at the walls with matching edge moulding. This should be fixed to the skirting board, not the laminated boards, with adhesive. Use mitred corners at joints of moulding.
• Alternatively, avoid using edge moulding by removing the skirting boards before laying the laminate boards, and then replace them once the floor is laid.
• A damaged plank can be replaced by dismantling the floor and rebuilding from the replaced board.

• Be sure to check that any doors opening over the newly laid floor can still swing freely. If not, take them off their hinges and plane the bottom of the doors, repainting and re-hanging them afterwards.

Further information and useful links

• Stripped floorboards
• Engineered wood flooring
• Hardwood flooring
• Parquet flooring
• Measuring up for a wooden floor
• More floors topics

• Find a Wood Floor supplier near you
• Find a Wood Floor Fitter near you