{"id":110,"date":"2019-11-14T10:19:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T10:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rightmove.co.uk\/home-improvements\/?p=110"},"modified":"2020-01-24T15:19:30","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T15:19:30","slug":"how-to-fit-laminate-flooring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rightmove.co.uk\/home-improvements\/flooring\/how-to-fit-laminate-flooring\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Fit Laminate Flooring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Laminate flooring remains a popular flooring option, thanks to constant innovation from its manufacturers. The early laminates might have been cheap and cheerful, but as time has passed, the quality has (ironically) gone through the roof. Now, good quality wood-effect laminate flooring is barely distinguishable from the floorboards it imitates, and new faux materials such as stone and tiles have added to its appeal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing laminate flooring has in its favour is its ease of fitting. Because it comes in lengths and all you have to do is cut them to size, it\u2019s very hard to mess up \u2013 and if you do, it\u2019s just one piece that\u2019s gone to waste. So if you like the idea of giving your floors an authentic, high quality wooden or stone effect, read on \u2013 we\u2019ll tell you exactly how to lay laminate flooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is laminate flooring?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word \u201claminate\u201d literally means layered, and that\u2019s exactly how to describe laminate flooring. It has a backing layer, then a tough fibrous core layer to keep its shape and strength. On top of that, there\u2019s the printed pattern (wood effect or stone, for example), followed by a top transparent coating to protect it. Some laminate flooring has a textured finish to make it look and feel even more realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Built into the core layer are the tongues and grooves that allow the pieces to slot neatly together and form a complete, draught-proof and spill-proof layer once it\u2019s all laid out in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Preparation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve done the prep, now once you\u2019ve decided you want to laminate your floor, here\u2019s what you need to do…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measure up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, measure up the room. Unless they are very big, it\u2019s probably best to ignore chimney breasts and treat the area as one big rectangle, corner to corner. That\u2019s because you will waste quite a bit of laminate as you cut it down to size. If you buy the precise amount, you\u2019ll find you end up with lots of unusable pieces and will need to go and buy some more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buy your laminate and underlay<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Laminate comes in packs, each of which can cover anything from 1\u202fm\u00b2 to 2.5\u202fm\u00b2 (it will say on the packaging) so you\u2019ll need to do a bit of maths to work out how many packs you need. It\u2019s best to buy slightly too much, however. (Some retailers will buy back unopened packs, but ask first.) Underlay is a bit simpler. You buy it in rolls or folded sheets, and simply cut it to size. Because you don\u2019t see it when it\u2019s laid, you can get away with chopping it up more liberally. Underlay is there to prevent moisture reaching the underside of the laminate, but some also gives a bit of padding, sound insulation and heat insulation, too, so buy a type that suits your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let the laminate acclimatise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to let the laminate flooring acclimatise in the room for a day or two before you lay it. Leave the packs in the room so they will get used to the temperature. You don\u2019t have to open them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get your tools ready<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n