An important consideration that often gets overlooked is how long you need to keep your flooring before installation. You cant just take your flooring home from the store and put them in. Laminate flooring needs to acclimate, to adjust to the temperature and humidity where its going to be installed. This usually takes about 3 days, and the boxes should be open during this time.
Now its time to install your floating floor:
Remove baseboards and trim. Use caution if you need to reuse these. Cut caulk lines and mark the pieces so you can get them back in the right place. If youre going over an existing wood floor, screw down any loose and squeaking boards. Watch for dips in the floor and use a floor leveling compound to get rid of these. If youre going over concrete, youll need a layer of plastic to protect the floor from moisture. Over this goes the underlayment, which is rolled out and butted side to side without overlap. Duct tape will hold it in place.
Using an appropriate-sized spacer, lay the first row, tapping the pieces gently until they lock, or click together.
On the final row, or to go around cabinetry and corners, youll need to make careful cuts. You need to be close enough to the wall that your baseboard and shoe mould will cover the gap when reinstalled. This can be done with a circular and/or jigsaw, but if you have access to a tablesaw and a miter-saw, youll find it goes more quickly and with greater precision.
Heres a tip for cutting your finished laminate without getting scratches on the surface.
There are two problems with cutting pre-finished pieces for flooring or cabinetry. First is the risk of scratching it. (Jigsaw shoes are notorious for this.) Before cutting a notch out as for a flooring vent or around a cabinet edge, cover the area to be cut in masking tape. This prevents scratching the piece as you work it and it also allows you to completely draw out the shape of the piece to be removed.
The second problem with cutting pre-finished wood is simply seeing your mark. Take a small strip of tape and stick it to the edge of the plank where it will cover your mark. Then, using a tape measure, make a pencil mark on the tape.
