Tools
- Pull bar, tapping block, mallet (laminate install kit)
- Table saw or jigsaw for crosscuts and notches
- Spacers for expansion gap
- Pencil, tape measure, utility knife for underlay
Install sequence
- 1. Acclimate flooring; prep subfloor
- 2. Roll underlay perpendicular to plank direction; tape seams
- 3. Start first row along longest wall or most visible wall — tongue toward wall with spacers
- 4. Stagger end joints at least 12 inches between rows — randomize for natural look
- 5. Click each plank: angle tongue, drop, tap seam closed
- 6. Last row: rip width if needed; pull bar engages tight against wall
- 7. Install transitions; reinstall baseboard or quarter round — nail to wall, not floor
Cutting tips
Measure twice at door jambs — undercut jambs with a handsaw on a scrap plank so flooring slides under for a clean finish.
Keep factory cut edge at the wall when possible; cut edges face the wall hidden by trim.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
Order 10% extra via the laminate calculator before your first miscut stops the job.
- Forgetting expansion gap — floor buckles in summer
- Stagger joints too short — weak rows, looks busy
- Nailing baseboard into floating floor — locks planks
- Skipping underlay seam tape on concrete
- Starting crooked — first row sets the whole room