How To Start Laying Down Laminate Flooring

Lay out the unopened boxes of laminate planks in the room.

How to start laying down laminate flooring.

You will see a gap on the long side joints when the plank is rotated down. Doing so enables you to slide the new planks underneath the casing. Next cut strips of underlayment to size and lay the strips down across the exposed floor. You ll also want to tear up any carpet in the room and remove the leftover tack strips.

Directly onto the subfloor lay down a layer of plastic sheeting to create a moisture barrier. They should acclimate for at least 48 hours. Next rotate down until the joints lock image 1. Insert the tongue of the second row plank into the groove of the first row plank at a slight angle until the laminate edges meet.

How to install laminate flooring. Flooring manufacturers always recommend putting down underlayment before laying the laminate. Fill any low spots in the underlayment greater than 3 8 inch with floor leveling compound. For the next plank join the short end of the plank first image 2.

If you are installing the flooring below grade or in a room like a basement with high humidity or moisture lay down a vapor barrier before you install the flooring. To lay laminate flooring first clear out any furniture in the room you ll be laying the floor in. Lay moisture barrier thoroughly clean the subfloor so that there is no debris on the floor and that it is flat and smooth. This will allow them to acclimate to the room s temperature and humidity.