Laminate Flooring

Mrs H has tasked me with flooring our front room. Never done it before but it looks pretty straightforward. One thing I need to know is do I need to put any kind of underlay down? The floor already has some very old floor tiles under the carpet.

I put down a plastic sheet (but this was on a concrete floor), a roll of thick card/paper stuff for insulation, and some thick tiles that help with insulation and noise reduction. You don't need all of that but it was very cheap and easy so it seemed silly not to. Laminate flooring is very easy to put down, but can be quite fragile around the edges of the boards. They'll take a big whack without damage on the flat surface, but can easily chip if they got knocked on the ends while you're fitting them. After the first couple of rows, which you'll probably end up pulling up and doing again, you get the hang of it and then it goes really fast.

Yes, put underlay down. What you put down depends on what the floor is made of and its condition. Useful link here. http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/laminate_flooring/underlay.htm

You should think about putting good quality insulation board down because it not only saves on fuel bills but makes the floor a lot warmer and comfortable underfoot. I used this http://www.just-insulation.com/celotex_tb4000_range_t-break_rigid-insulation_boards_was_tb3000.html

Mrs H has tasked me with flooring our front room. Never done it before but it looks pretty straightforward. One thing I need to know is do I need to put any kind of underlay down? The floor already has some very old floor tiles under the carpet.

Assuming it's a wooden floor underneath you don't need to plastic membrane although no harm if you do. I just did the kitchen at the weekend; for underlay just used the B&Q fibreboard stuff, one pack covers nearly 10m2.

Have you thought about engineered wood instead of laminate? It looks so much nicer but it lays in the same way as laminate.

Well seeing as BTF moved this on a bit, the QuickStep flooring is bloody lovely.

Well seeing as BTF moved this on a bit, the QuickStep flooring is bloody lovely.

Ive got QuickStep Perpective. Bloody lovely, practically indistinguishable from wood. Looked at engineered boards but harder to clean and less durable when you have kids around the house.

Wood floors are great, especially when you can square off the fact that some of the amazon rainforest has been chopped down and transported halfway around the globe to provide it. Marvellous stuff.

Not a fan of laminate, you not got a mate who could get you some real Oak flooring at a decent price (we got it at £25 SQM). Was worth every penny.

Wood floors are great, especially when you can square off the fact that some of the amazon rainforest has been chopped down and transported halfway around the globe to provide it. Marvellous stuff.

A lot, if not most, suppliers source the products from sustainable forests. Our floors are oak and, AFAIK, oak grows in this country.

A lot, if not most, suppliers source the products from sustainable forests. Our floors are oak and, AFAIK, oak grows in this country.

Not asking you to justify your own, just saying there are a few hardwoods used which aren't sustainably grown here, irrespective of the fact that hardwood takes soooo much longer to grow and replace (even oak grown in the UK). But why get into discussions of environmental issues when taste and interior design takes a much higher priority.

Not asking you to justify your own, just saying there are a few hardwoods used which aren't sustainably grown here, irrespective of the fact that hardwood takes soooo much longer to grow and replace (even oak grown in the UK). But why get into discussions of environmental issues when taste and interior design takes a much higher priority.

As you have done eh? I think we should factor environmental issues into every conversation taking place on this thread

But you make a fair point. You would hope people would check out the sources used by the supplier before they bought the stuff. I guess engineered wood recycles better than laminate once it's thrown out?

I recommend trying to get some stuff from Howdens - did a brilliant job of my front room. I'd also recommend trying to borrow a proper electric saw for cutting wood. Makes life a lot easier. Also, it takes a lot longer than you would think.

Mate, don't do laminate. It rarely looks good beyond a year and when it starts to look tatty it really look ****. It would be better to look into real wood floors or if that's beyond your budget carpet.

Gotta agree - real wooden floors is much better. You can buy that which clips together like laminate from Howdens etc can't you? I'm sure my mums got it and it looks much better. Much more expensive though. If you're careful and don't have kids there is nothing wrong with laminate floors. Make sure you buy pads for your sofa feet to go on etc.

Mate, don't do laminate. It rarely looks good beyond a year and when it starts to look tatty it really look ****. It would be better to look into real wood floors or if that's beyond your budget carpet.

That's not necessarily true. After we had our house built, laminate was basically what we could afford. Also having very small kids, we wanted something that would be tough, but not be a nightmare financially if it got damaged. We went for laminate and it still looks just as good four years later. When the kids are older and we can afford it, we might replace it with something else, but I've never regretted using it. A wooden floor would have had some annoying scratches in it by now that would bother me if I'd spent decent money on it. Ours was just an Ikea one. It's very easy to clean too.

That's not necessarily true. After we had our house built, laminate was basically what we could afford. Also having very small kids, we wanted something that would be tough, but not be a nightmare financially if it got damaged. We went for laminate and it still looks just as good four years later. When the kids are older and we can afford it, we might replace it with something else, but I've never regretted using it. A wooden floor would have had some annoying scratches in it by now that would bother me if I'd spent decent money on it. Ours was just an Ikea one. It's very easy to clean too.

Agree with this. I looked into it a lot - laminate, engineered and solid wood, because I was doing a whole house. Laquered wood is fine if you dont have kids, no-one wears stilletos and no-one walks grit into the house - otherwise it looks terrible after a few years. Oiled wood lasts longer but needs to be treated once a year - fancy moving your furniture out once a year? Engineered same problem.

In the end I went for high quality laminate, not because of price but on looks and performance. Dont buy thin cheap stuff with an unconvincing pattern. Two years on it looks brand new and no-one who has been to the house has realised it isnt solid wood.

That's not necessarily true. After we had our house built, laminate was basically what we could afford. Also having very small kids, we wanted something that would be tough, but not be a nightmare financially if it got damaged. We went for laminate and it still looks just as good four years later. When the kids are older and we can afford it, we might replace it with something else, but I've never regretted using it. A wooden floor would have had some annoying scratches in it by now that would bother me if I'd spent decent money on it. Ours was just an Ikea one. It's very easy to clean too.

Thats the exact reason we've decided to go for it. Cheaper than carpet, and easier to clean up coke and blackcurrant stains!

I laid in the laminate in our house and I have less DIY skills than Stephen Hawkins.

Therefore it is very easy. The skirting was a ***** though.

Thats the exact reason we've decided to go for it. Cheaper than carpet, and easier to clean up coke and blackcurrant stains!

Oh yes. That's the exact reasons we put in down. It's been a godsend.

Thats the exact reason we've decided to go for it. Cheaper than carpet, and easier to clean up coke

A couple of swipes with a credit card and disaster has been averted.

Thats the exact reason we've decided to go for it. Cheaper than carpet, and easier to clean up coke and blackcurrant stains!

And cat vomit

I recommend trying to get some stuff from Howdens - did a brilliant job of my front room. I'd also recommend trying to borrow a proper electric saw for cutting wood. Makes life a lot easier. Also, it takes a lot longer than you would think.

Howdens is good stuff although it's obviously trade only...

The very best stuff is the 12mm stuff from Floors-2-go, that's where I usually get my laminate from. If you want cheap and cheerfull you can get 6mm stuff from Magent for £3 p/sm although that's trade only as well.

Also if you want to make a proper job of it take the skirting board of and replace afterwards. you can get away with using the old skirting easy or a length of 119mm mdf primed skirting is like £4. If you use a skirting trim you will regret it very quickly. It looks naff, doesn't last and just makes the job look very amatuer-ish.

Real wood is obviously better but the prices are ridiculous.

Get a half decent jigsaw and laying laminate is a piece of ****, the old hard sections will be the thresholds between rooms. I usually use hardwood carpent threshold step from Travis Perkins which I think to normal customers comes to £20 for a standard threshold. Rout a small chunk out the bottom and stick it over the two lots of flooring between rooms and it looks far more profressional, even if you're laying laminate in two joining rooms it will looks better with a proper threshold.

Also worth picking up a couple of the round trims to cover the bottom of radiator pipes.

If you need any more help PM me on here, I've laid about 20 laminate floors over the last year from budget to top end and a few real wood floors so can answer most questions. Floors-2-go is the best place to get your gear from, they're very helpfull if you go to the hedge end branch.

Howdens is good stuff although it's obviously trade only...

 

The very best stuff is the 12mm stuff from Floors-2-go, that's where I usually get my laminate from. If you want cheap and cheerfull you can get 6mm stuff from Magent for £3 p/sm although that's trade only as well.

 

Also if you want to make a proper job of it take the skirting board of and replace afterwards. you can get away with using the old skirting easy or a length of 119mm mdf primed skirting is like £4. If you use a skirting trim you will regret it very quickly. It looks naff, doesn't last and just makes the job look very amatuer-ish.

 

Real wood is obviously better but the prices are ridiculous.

 

Get a half decent jigsaw and laying laminate is a piece of ****, the old hard sections will be the thresholds between rooms. I usually use hardwood carpent threshold step from Travis Perkins which I think to normal customers comes to £20 for a standard threshold. Rout a small chunk out the bottom and stick it over the two lots of flooring between rooms and it looks far more profressional, even if you're laying laminate in two joining rooms it will looks better with a proper threshold.

 

Also worth picking up a couple of the round trims to cover the bottom of radiator pipes.

 

If you need any more help PM me on here, I've laid about 20 laminate floors over the last year from budget to top end and a few real wood floors so can answer most questions. Floors-2-go is the best place to get your gear from, they're very helpfull if you go to the hedge end branch.

Are these places cheaper than B&Q / Wickes for Joe Public?

Yes much better. The closest Floors 2 go I hedge end near mcdoalds.

Wickes and b and q are both rip off merchants.

Yes much better. The closest Floors 2 go I hedge end near mcdoalds.

Wickes and b and q are both rip off merchants.

Yes much better. The closest Floors 2 go I hedge end near mcdoalds.

Wickes and b and q are both rip off merchants.

OK. thanks

Junction 9 is usually pretty good at this sort of thing. He has an advice forum on it at

http://junction9slaminateflooringforum.inventforum.com/

You can ask him pretty much any question on it there.

Edit: that was the old address, it is now at http://junction9slaminateflooringforum.freeforums.org

Although it doesn't seem to be working right now.

Ah this old gag again eh Deppo! Nice.

I have no clue on laminate flooring, although I did try that link you provided just to see what it said! Not sure what's up with invent forum today, are you?

I know someone who has some work you might be interested in - I'll send you an email

Strangely enough, I may be in the market for some new flooring. Our old stuff is all chipped. I checked out the invent forum link and it seemed there was nothing doing. Looking into flooring generally, I keep getting all Tangled up with the different options. Any advice, J9?

Edit: that was the old address, it is now at http://junction9slaminateflooringforum.freeforums.org

 

Although it doesn't seem to be working right now.

Strangely enough, I may be in the market for some new flooring. Our old stuff is all chipped. I checked out the invent forum link and it seemed there was nothing doing. Looking into flooring generally, I keep getting all Tangled up with the different options. Any advice, J9?

They've got forums for everything.

Strangely enough, I may be in the market for some new flooring. Our old stuff is all chipped. I checked out the invent forum link and it seemed there was nothing doing. Looking into flooring generally, I keep getting all Tangled up with the different options. Any advice, J9?

As I said earlier I'm no "expert". I don't what the score is on this. The scores can be checked though.

Juncion 9 - Can you just list here all the types of work you undertake and how proficient you are in each one. For example:

Plumbing - expert

Gaswork - expert

Carpentry - semi-pro

and so on. It'll just make it easier when any of us need something doing.

Cheers

Don't forget fridges. He once sourced an above average under counter one with all the usual compartments included (except the egg one, but I'm lactose intolerant so no bother). Did you know you're supposed to let them stand for a while before turning them on? Nor did I, but I do now.

What on earth is eveyone here talking about?

What on earth is eveyone here talking about?

Junction 9 used to run a website on this topic hosted at inventforum.com. He has now changed it, with the same name, to be hosted at freeforums.org. The forum is pretty much the same, just the suffix is different at the end. It has all anyone needs to know about laminate flooring and so, as a result, this thread can now be locked.

Jeez, it's all anyone ever talks about these days - laminate flooring this, laminate flooring that.

Junction 9 used to run a website on this topic hosted at inventforum.com. He has now changed it, with the same name, to be hosted at freeforums.org. The forum is pretty much the same, just the suffix is different at the end. It has all anyone needs to know about laminate flooring and so, as a result, this thread can now be locked.

 

Jeez, it's all anyone ever talks about these days - laminate flooring this, laminate flooring that.

Why would he change it? Surely that would only serve to confuse regular users?

Hire a sander and have done with it. If anyone in the house has asthma ypu will notice an immediate improvement. A house needs to breathe just like we do.