How to Install Laminate Flooring in Your Home

Are you looking into putting new flooring down in your home but are just not sure what type is the best? Are you tempted by the beauty of ceramic tile but the cost is just way out of your league? Then you may want to consider laminate flooring which will give you the look you want without the hefty price tag. Laminate flooring mimics almost any material you might choose to put down on your floors and it works as well in your living areas as it does in the bathroom. You can install laminate flooring over just about any other flooring, except carpet. And its easy, snap together, assembly installation takes the minimal amount of time and investment. The installation of basic laminate flooring requires only a few carpentry tools and specialty items. A pry bar, putty knives and putty will be necessary. When getting ready to install new laminate flooring remember that most manufacturers recommend that you remove existing baseboards before installing your laminate flooring. This is best done with a pry bar and putty knife to keep from putting holes in your walls. Use putty to fill in any nail holes in your trim. Other items you will need include, a tape measure, compass, a rubber mallet and tapping block, handsaw, miter box, hacksaw, utility knife, scissors, a circular saw, a screwdriver, cordless drill, driver and bits. There are also a few specialty materials you will need including, underlayment and seam tape to install on the floor before you begin laying the laminate flooring. Rolls of foam are the most common and its very important to select the right type of underlayment for your sub floor. 2. The laminate flooring of your choice. The core of the flooring is made of wood so manufacturers recommend that you purchase your laminate flooring prior to installation and place the unopened carton in the room where you are going to install it, at least 72 hours in advance. This allows the flooring plenty of time to acclimate to the room. 3. Transition moldings and trims. You'll need a transition strip for every place that your laminate flooring meets any other type of flooring. 4. An installation kit.

Before you begin the installation of your new flooring you'll need to prep the old floor. Prepping the old floor is relatively easy and can be done in just a few steps. 1. Remove your old baseboards with a wide blade putty knife and a pry bar. Slip the putty knife behind the baseboard and insert the pry bar between the knife and the trim. Pull off the baseboard. The knife should prevent the pry bar from damaging your wall.
2. Undercut the door casings by placing a scrap of laminate flooring on the existing floor to use as your guide. Lay your handsaw down on the scrap and cut through the trim. This creates the perfect gap to slip the new flooring under.
3. Use a vacuum to thoroughly clean the floor making sure to get every small piece of sawdust and dirt because even a small piece of something can cause problems in your new flooring down the road.
4. Install the foam underlayment by placing the foam roll in one corner of the room and unrolling it. Cut it to length with a pair of scissors.
5. Tape the seams of the foam together making sure that they don't overlap.
Now that you are done prepping the old floor it's time to lay the new tile.

Laying your laminate flooring is a moderate to hard job that be accomplished in a few steps with a minimal investment of time and effort.
1. The first step is laying the laminate floor tile in strips. You do this by connecting all the planks in a row together end to end and then snapping the long edges together.
Starting at one wall, snap the planks together until you start to get near the opposite wall. Measure the gap, cut a partial piece of flooring and snap it in place. Which should bring your flooring to the edge of the wall.
2. Position the first strip of flooring by sliding the long strip against the wall, placing spacers every 8 to 10 inches and at the end of every plank.
3. Follow the manufacturers instructions for staggering the joints of the flooring.
4. Mark around any obstacles by using your compass. You do this by placing a plank as close as possible to the wall, open the compass so that it spans the space between the plank and the wall. Set the pencil on the plank and press the point of the compass against the wall. As you guide the compass along the wall any irregularities onto the plank.
4. Cut the planks as needed by clamping the marked plank to a sawhorse and cut to size with a handsaw. To fit the planks around any obstacles in the room you'll need to cut the plank in half at the center of the obstacle ( a drainpipe for instance) then fit each half around the obstacle. Remember that laminate flooring needs gaps around its perimeter so it can expand as the seasons change. Make sure and use spacers to get the desired effect. Your new laminate flooring is now ready to be enjoyed and admired. It will add beauty, style and sophistication to your home. For more information on installing laminate flooring in your home visit www.diy.com.