[0:01] Laminate flooring is a wonderful solution
[0:03] for when your floor needs a refresh.
[0:05] It's hardwearing, water resistant and excellent value.
[0:08] First, we'll need to work out how much floor you need.
[0:11] Measure your room and calculate your total metre squared.
[0:15] The total is your length times width, plus 10% for wastage.
[0:21] Think about which direction you want to lay it.
[0:23] Floor is best laid out along the longest wall
[0:26] or toward a big window.
[0:28] Before we get too carried away, it's important to prep.
[0:31] Leave your packs of flooring in the room
[0:33] to acclimatise for 24 hours.
[0:35] Make sure your subfloor is clean and free of debris,
[0:38] and ideally, remove your skirting boards.
[0:41] Now let's design our layout.
[0:43] Lay your boards in a staggered pattern,
[0:45] laying offcuts at each new row
[0:47] to minimise wastage.
[0:49] Try to leave at least half a board gap at the width edges.
[0:53] You'll likely want knee pads for comfy working.
[0:56] Before putting the floor down,
[0:57] you'll need to sort the underlay.
[0:59] These wood fibre square underlay tiles
[1:01] simply slide into place.
[1:03] But don't forget, before doing any cutting,
[1:06] grab your safety gear
[1:07] and use a sharp utility knife to trim around obstacles.
[1:11] Then use foil underlay tape to secure them,
[1:13] giving you a perfect foundation to work from.
[1:17] Now onto the flooring itself.
[1:18] Use spacers to create a 7mm expansion gap
[1:22] around all walls and ensure an even fit.
[1:25] These planks should easily slot together,
[1:27] but you can use a tapping block
[1:28] and a rubber mallet to tap the join.
[1:30] If it's not flush. Need to cut your edge piece to size?
[1:34] No problem. Just flip it around
[1:37] and mark the length you need.
[1:39] Then use a mitre saw for a quick clean cut.
[1:42] Just don't forget to keep the offcuts
[1:44] because you can use these offcuts on the next row
[1:46] to stagger the joints.
[1:48] Repeat this simple technique
[1:50] and you'll have a shiny new floor in no time.
[1:54] If you've got radiator pipes in the way, don't panic.
[1:57] This is simple. Just mark the location
[1:59] of the pipe on your plank.
[2:02] Then clamp down your plank with an offcut underneath.
[2:06] Ready for cutting? Drill a hole in the marked location
[2:08] using a spade bit.
[2:10] Then grab a jigsaw
[2:12] and cut along your marked lines towards the hole.
[2:15] Keep this offcut for behind the pipe.
[2:17] Slide the plank into place,
[2:19] add some glue to the offcut
[2:21] and pop it in behind the pipe for a clean finish.
[2:25] Then repeat the laying process across your floor.
[2:28] You'll almost certainly have to tackle at least one doorway.
[2:31] So let's show you how.
[2:34] Use an offcut as a height measure and grab a multi-tool.
[2:37] You can cut the door frame using this as a height guide.
[2:44] Measure Into the door jamb and mark it on your plank,
[2:48] and then measure along the width.
[2:52] This shows you how much you need to remove
[2:54] so it fits like a glove.
[2:58] You can use a pull bar
[2:59] to secure any pieces in hard to reach areas.
[3:03] Time for the finishing touches.
[3:05] Grab a threshold bar for a clean finish
[3:07] and make sure to use the appropriate bar type
[3:10] if you have carpet on the other side.
[3:12] Remove the handy spacers
[3:13] and reattach your skirting to the wall.
[3:15] Or if you decided not to remove the skirting,
[3:18] you can neaten up the edge with a stylish scotia trim.
[3:21] Consider some pipe coverings
[3:23] to give your room a really polished look.
[3:27] Now all you've got to do is make the space your own.
[3:31] Sit back and admire your handiwork.