How to Install Laminate Flooring

[00:00] hi guys i'm steve laminate florists have

[00:03] the same great look as hardwood floors

[00:04] and they're easy to install and today

[00:06] I'll walk you through the steps to

[00:08] install your own Lowe's has many styles

[00:12] of laminate floors to fit any home but

[00:14] today we're using pergo timber craft

[00:16] Plus web protect so protects against

[00:18] spills and pet accidents it's waterproof

[00:20] so you can even wet mop it and this one

[00:23] is antique barnwood style so it's gonna

[00:24] look great now before we begin we've got

[00:27] to make sure we have all the necessary

[00:28] tools to help you out you put a handy

[00:31] reference list in the description below

[00:32] also make sure to read the

[00:35] manufacturer's instructions they'll

[00:37] include helpful tips for installing on a

[00:39] variety of subjects specific to the

[00:43] flooring you're installing them as

[00:45] always if you're not confident about

[00:47] installing something yourself see a

[00:49] Lowe's associate for help the first step

[00:51] is to prep your subfloor pergo is pretty

[00:53] forgiving can stand up to 3/16 of an

[00:55] inch unevenness across ten feet but for

[00:58] more information on leveling your

[01:00] subfloor we put a link to that video in

[01:02] the description below now as you can see

[01:04] we have a door framed undercut to get

[01:07] the height of the cut stack a piece of

[01:09] underlayment and laminate next to the

[01:11] doorframe and use an oscillating saw to

[01:13] cut also you might have to install

[01:16] underlayment some flooring comes with

[01:18] pre-installed underlayment on the planks

[01:20] but again refer to your manufacturer's

[01:22] instructions for the product you're

[01:24] using I've also put spacers around the

[01:28] perimeter of the wall to provide an

[01:30] expansion gap I've taped them to the

[01:32] baseboards so they don't move around

[01:34] during installation for this pergo floor

[01:37] they recommend a 3/8 inch spacer but

[01:40] check your manufacturer's instructions

[01:41] to be sure meanwhile I've measured the

[01:44] square footage of the room with

[01:46] multiplied by length so I know how much

[01:48] flooring to get then I added 10 percent

[01:51] more just to count for any waste or

[01:53] mistakes

[01:54] next I brought the flooring in to the

[01:56] installation room to let the planks

[01:57] acclimate to the temperature and

[01:59] humidity you want to do this at least 48

[02:01] hours prior to installation so now that

[02:04] we're ready to install I've chosen to

[02:06] start along this wall based on the

[02:08] manufacturer's instructions you want to

[02:10] go from left to right along the

[02:12] August straightest wall typically

[02:14] exterior walls are more straight than

[02:15] interior walls also to make sure you

[02:18] don't end up with any tiny slivers for

[02:20] the last row measure the length of the

[02:22] room and divide by the width of the

[02:24] plank not including the tongue or groove

[02:26] so if you have a room like this that's a

[02:28] hundred eighty three point seven inches

[02:30] wide subtract three eighths inch from

[02:33] each side then divide by the width of

[02:35] the plank six point one two five and

[02:38] you'll get about twenty nine point eight

[02:40] seven planks take the remaining bit to

[02:43] find the width of the last row that's

[02:45] point eight seven and multiplied by the

[02:48] width of the plank six point one two

[02:50] five and you'll get a last row that is

[02:53] roughly five and three eighths inches

[02:55] I've inspected the planks and it looks

[02:58] great so now we're ready to begin the

[03:00] first thing you want to do is lay down

[03:02] the first row with a tongue side facing

[03:05] your starting ball the one thing I

[03:07] recommend is blending planks from

[03:09] various cartons to ensure a mixture of

[03:11] colors and shades when you're happy with

[03:14] the layout cut the tongue off the long

[03:16] side of the pieces don't forget to also

[03:21] cut the tongue off the short side of

[03:23] your first piece as it'll need to fit in

[03:25] the corner against the spacers now

[03:28] before we assemble row one and put it

[03:30] into place lay out a second row of

[03:31] tongue side facing the wall again make

[03:35] sure to offset the board's by at least

[03:36] six inches to avoid H joints then cut a

[03:40] plank at length is needed but save your

[03:41] trim sections because you can use these

[03:43] pieces to start other rows okay now that

[03:49] we've got a cut you're going to want to

[03:51] install the planks using this all

[03:52] turning pattern going to rows at a time

[03:56] all pergo floors have a click lock

[03:58] system to make it easy to do yourself

[04:00] just insert the tongue into the groove

[04:03] along the long side then rotate down

[04:05] locks into place do the same for the

[04:09] next two planks join in the short end

[04:11] first to close the gap in the long side

[04:13] lift the outside edge of the plank just

[04:16] about an inch and firmly push until the

[04:19] edges meet then rotate down to lock

[04:22] because this is a floating laminate

[04:24] floor we're not using any adhesive nails

[04:27] or staples so now we can simply slide

[04:29] the first two rows into their final

[04:32] position now that they're in their place

[04:36] measure and cut your final end pieces

[04:38] and corner pieces again accounting for

[04:41] the expansion gap then use your tapping

[04:45] block or pull bar to tighten repeat

[04:48] these steps using the same alternating

[04:50] plank technique to complete the floor

[04:57] if you encounter any obstructions like

[04:59] pipe or floor events use a jigsaw to cut

[05:01] the flooring to fit always maintain that

[05:04] expansion gap for the last row you may

[05:07] have to cut the pieces to fit measure

[05:10] the width needed subtracting the

[05:12] expansion gap and cut lengthwise

[05:17] when installing around the doorway slide

[05:20] the plank at least a quarter inch under

[05:21] the doorframe leaving concealed 3/8 inch

[05:24] expansion gap then with your tapping

[05:27] block or pull bar tap the long size

[05:30] closed first

[05:31] then tap the short side closed to finish

[05:34] up measure and cut your final corner

[05:36] plank insert the tongue into the long

[05:38] side align the short side rotate down

[05:42] then use your pull bar and hammer on the

[05:44] long side to lock into place then tap

[05:47] the short side closed next remove all

[05:51] spacers and for wall the wall waterproof

[05:56] protection fill all the expansion gaps

[05:58] with compressible PE 3/8 inch chrome

[06:00] backer rod and covering with 100%

[06:02] silicone sealing coat the perimeter

[06:05] including any door frames or other fixed

[06:07] objects making sure the silicone

[06:09] connects from the edge of the floor to

[06:11] the wall but only a light coating is

[06:13] needed so wipe away any excess then

[06:16] install any baseboards transitions and

[06:20] shoe moldings to the walls make sure not

[06:23] to drive any nails into your new floor

[06:25] now you have a gorgeous affordable

[06:28] waterproof floor that replicates the

[06:30] look and feel of real hardwood and you

[06:33] did it yourself

[06:34] [Music]

[06:46] you