Measurements
When purchasing your laminate, always buy a bit extra – up to 15%. This will allow for miss-cuts. With odd-shaped rooms, it is difficult to work out the actual square footage, so buying extra will alleviate a shortage at the end of the job.
Expansion
Never nail the mouldings to the floor; laminate requires an expansion gap to allow for expansion and shrinkage. If nails are put through the laminate, you are blocking free expansion and this could result in buckling. This is also the case with installing laminate underneath kitchen cabinets.
Sealing
If you are installing laminate in wet areas, you must make sure that water does not get underneath the floor. Therefore you need to use a waterproof sealant or silicone around all the joints. This is also important around door jambs, pipes and stonework and gives a tidy finish.
Tapping
Modern laminate planks are designed to click together, so unless otherwise stated, never use a tapping block. Hammering planks together will damage the locking system and the planks will not fit together properly. Advice can be sought from an engineered flooring company such as https://www.woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk/engineered-flooring.html when fitting your laminate, and they will give you tips on any aspect of the job in hand.
Multiple
When laying laminate in multiple rooms, you need to work out a plan to find the best place to start and which direction to run the floor. Lay transition strips before you start laying the floor, leaving the necessary gaps.
