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How do you lay laminate flooring?

Lay laminate on a flat, dry, firm floor by putting down the underlay the maker specifies, planning the rows so the first and last are not slivers, and clicking boards together with the expansion gap the instructions ask for. Finish with trims at the walls and thresholds at the doors.

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By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

Is this a job you can do yourself?

Laminate is one of the more forgiving floors to lay, because most boards click together and float on underlay rather than being nailed or glued. A rectangular bedroom with a flat floor and one door is a reasonable first room. A hallway with a stair, several doors and a radiator is harder.

The work is the same in a flat in Crewe, a semi in Nantwich or a bungalow near Sandbach. If you would rather not do it, QuoteZila lets you post the job to flooring fitters in Cheshire, and anyone in the UK can post. Laminate flooring costs explains what changes a fitter's quote.

Call a professional instead if the floorboards are loose or rotten, if the concrete has a large dip or a damp patch, or if the room is a kitchen or bathroom and you are not sure the boards are meant for water.

What do you check before you start?

The floor. Walk over it. Floorboards should not bounce or creak badly. Screw down loose boards and replace any that are split or soft. Floorboard repair covers that job if it is more than a few screws. Concrete should be flat, dry and free of loose bits.

The boards. Read the instructions in the pack before you open the rest. They tell you which underlay to use, how big an expansion gap to leave, whether the packs need to sit in the room first, and whether the boards are suitable for the room.

The doors. Laminate and underlay usually sit higher than carpet or vinyl. Check that each door will still open over the new floor. If not, the door will need trimming after the floor is down.

The tools. A tape measure, a pencil, a square, a saw suited to laminate, spacers, a tapping block and a pull bar are the basics. A jigsaw or a multi-tool makes cuts round door frames and pipes easier.

How do you plan the rows?

Measure the width of the room across the direction the boards will run. Divide it by the width of one board. If the last row would be a thin strip, trim the first row down so that the first and last rows are similar widths. Thin strips are hard to fit and look poor.

Plan the end joints too. The joints in one row should not line up with the joints in the next. Most instructions give a minimum stagger. Start each row with the offcut from the end of the row before, if it is long enough, to waste less.

Sketch the room on paper with the rows marked. It is quick, and it saves boards.

How do you lay the boards?

  1. Clear the room and vacuum the floor. Grit under underlay can creak for years.
  2. Lay the underlay in the direction the instructions say, with the edges butted or taped as shown. If the floor is concrete and the instructions ask for a damp-proof layer, put that down first.
  3. Set the spacers along the starting wall.
  4. Lay the first row with the tongue side facing the wall, unless the instructions say otherwise. Click the end joints together.
  5. Lay the next rows, angling each board into the row before and pressing it down. Use the tapping block, never a hammer straight on the board edge.
  6. Cut round obstacles as you reach them. For a radiator pipe, drill a hole slightly larger than the pipe, cut the board through the centre of the hole, fit both pieces and glue the small piece back in place.
  7. Fit the last row by measuring each board individually, allowing for the gap, and using the pull bar to close the joint against the wall.
  8. Remove the spacers and fit the skirting, beading or scotia over the gap.

How do you finish door frames and thresholds?

At a door frame, it is neater to cut the bottom of the frame and architrave so the board slides underneath than to cut the board round the moulding. Lay a spare board and underlay on the floor against the frame and use it as a guide for a flush cut.

Where the laminate meets another floor in a doorway, fit a threshold strip. It covers the expansion gap and protects the board edge. Choose a strip that suits the height difference between the two floors.

If a door now catches, take it off and trim the bottom. Measure carefully, because a door that is cut too short leaves a draught gap.

How do you keep dust and waste under control?

Cutting laminate makes fine dust. HSE's woodworking guidance says wood dust can cause serious health problems, and that settled dust contains the fine particles most likely to damage the lungs [S1]. It also warns against sweeping up or using compressed air, because that disturbs the dust, and says a suitable face mask should be worn for very dusty jobs [S1]. Cut outside or in a garage if you can, and vacuum rather than sweep.

Old carpet, gripper and packaging need to go somewhere. GOV.UK's waste code says you can take household waste to your council's household waste and recycling centre if it accepts it, or check whether the council offers special collections [S2]. If a business offers to take it, you have a duty to take all reasonable measures to make sure it is an authorised person [S2].

When is it time to call a fitter?

Stop and ask for help if the floor still moves when you walk on it after you have fixed the obvious loose boards, if the concrete is damp, or if the boards will not click together without gaps however carefully you work. Those are signs of a problem under the floor, not a problem with your technique.

Citizens Advice suggests trying to get written quotes from at least 3 different traders [S3]. Send photos of the room, the floor underneath and every doorway.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

  • "I have laid most of a bedroom in laminate but cannot finish round the door frame and the radiator pipes. Please quote to finish the room and fit the beading."
  • "Laminate bought for a living room. Floorboards squeak and two may be cracked. Please quote to fix the boards and lay the laminate."
  • "Hallway laminate, three doors and a threshold to a tiled kitchen. Please quote to fit, including trimming the doors."

QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1]. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2].

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

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Questions about laying laminate flooring

How big a gap should I leave at the walls?

Use the gap printed in the instructions for the boards you bought. Makers differ, and this guide does not print one figure for every product. The gap lets the floor move with the seasons. Spacers keep it even while you work, and skirting or beading hides it afterwards.

Can I lay laminate straight onto concrete?

Only with the right layer underneath. Concrete can hold moisture, so many makers ask for a damp-proof membrane or an underlay with one built in. Read the instructions for your boards. If the concrete is uneven or crumbly, fix that first or ask a flooring fitter to look at it.

Which way should the boards run?

Most people run them along the longest wall, or towards the main window, so the joints are less obvious. In a hallway, running them down the length usually looks better and means fewer cuts across doorways. Choose before you start and plan the first and last rows from that choice.

What do I do with the old carpet and offcuts?

GOV.UK's waste code says you can take household waste to your council's household waste and recycling centre if it accepts it, or use a business that collects waste. If a private business takes it away, check it is an authorised carrier with a valid registration.

Does QuoteZila check flooring fitters?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.

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Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
  3. S1: Wood dust, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/wooddust.htm
  4. S2: Waste duty of care: code of practice, GOV.UK (Defra). Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice
  5. S3: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/