How to Lay Laminate Flooring Yourself — Complete Guide

By Estelle | HerWorkshop.co.uk

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Laying laminate flooring was one of the biggest projects I’ve done in my house — and one of the most stressful. I tackled it just before moving in, working against a tight deadline with only my old charity-shop jigsaw, my mum’s partner for moral support, and an optimism that — in hindsight — slightly outpaced my preparation.

There are two or three tiny imperfections in my floor that only I can see. But I see them every single day, and they bother me. Not because they’re visible to anyone else — they’re not — but because I know exactly what caused each one and how I could have avoided it.

This guide is everything I wish I’d known before I started. I’m going to walk you through every step properly, including the bits that most guides skip over.

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💬 Estelle’s note: This was my second biggest house project after building the partition wall. I had no time buffer before moving in, an old charity-shop jigsaw, and chose not to put separations between rooms to keep the floor continuous — which made the cuts much harder and required my mum’s partner to help hold boards at awkward angles. If I did it again, I’d allow at least a full weekend with no moving deadline, invest in a decent jigsaw (or borrow one), and very possibly use separating strips between rooms for a cleaner finish.

Can You Really Lay Laminate Yourself?

Yes, absolutely. Modern laminate uses click-lock systems that don’t require glue or nails — the planks simply click together and float above the subfloor. If you can cut a straight line and measure accurately, you can lay laminate flooring.

Budget for a weekend per room, longer if you’re covering multiple rooms or dealing with awkward shapes. And don’t do what I did — don’t try to do it the day before you move in.

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Tools & Materials You’ll Need

Tools

• Jigsaw or circular saw — for cutting planks to length and around obstacles. A jigsaw is the most versatile choice for beginners. If you’re doing a large area, consider a mitre saw for faster, cleaner straight cuts.
• Tape measure and pencil
• Spirit level — for checking your subfloor is flat
• Rubber mallet and tapping block — for clicking planks together without damaging edges
• Pull bar — for fitting the last row against the wall
• Spacers — to maintain the expansion gap around the perimeter (usually 8–10mm)
• Safety glasses and knee pads — you’ll be on the floor for hours

Materials

• Laminate flooring — measure your room and add 10–15% for wastage and cuts
• Underlay — essential for comfort, noise reduction and moisture protection. If you’re laying on concrete, use underlay with an integrated damp-proof membrane.
• Waterproof tape — for joining underlay sheets
• Threshold strips — for doorways and transitions between rooms
• Scotia or beading — to cover the expansion gap at skirting boards (optional but looks much neater)

💬 Estelle’s note: I used an old charity-shop jigsaw that barely made it through the project. The cuts were acceptable but not perfect — I ended up with a few slightly ragged edges that I had to hide under beading. A decent jigsaw with a sharp, fine-toothed laminate blade makes a huge difference to cut quality. It’s worth buying or borrowing a proper one.

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Before You Start: The Preparation That Actually Matters

Step 1: Acclimatise Your Flooring

This step gets skipped constantly and causes problems later. Laminate expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity. Leave the sealed packs flat on the floor of the room where you’ll lay them for at least 48 hours before installation. Don’t stack them more than 3 high, and don’t lean them against walls.

If you’re laying on underfloor heating, leave the packs on the floor separately — don’t stack them at all.

Step 2: Check Your Subfloor

Your subfloor needs to be clean, dry and level. This is not negotiable. A rough or uneven subfloor causes laminate to creak, dip and eventually fail.

• Use a long spirit level to check for dips and bumps. Laminate requires a flat surface within 3mm over 1 metre.
• On concrete: test moisture levels. Concrete should be below 12% moisture content. If you’re unsure, lay a plastic sheet overnight and check for condensation.
• On wooden boards: screw down any loose boards and sand down any high spots.
• Fill dips with self-levelling compound if necessary.

Step 3: Remove Skirting Boards (Optional but Recommended)

You have two choices: remove the skirting boards and tuck the flooring underneath, or leave them in place and cover the gap with scotia beading afterwards.

Removing skirting boards gives a cleaner finish but is more work. If your skirting is old or delicate, leaving it in place and using beading is perfectly acceptable — and what most DIYers do.

Step 4: Undercut Door Frames

Use an off-cut of underlay and a plank as a guide to mark the height, then use a hand saw or multi-tool to undercut the door architrave. This lets the laminate slide neatly underneath for a professional finish.

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Laying the Floor: Step by Step

Step 1: Lay Your Underlay

1. Roll out the underlay across the room, running parallel to the direction you’ll lay your planks.
2. Butt the edges together — do not overlap.
3. Secure joins with waterproof tape.
4. Trim to fit snugly at the walls. Don’t let underlay overlap up the wall — it interferes with the expansion gap.

Step 2: Plan Your Layout

Stand back and think about this before you start. A few things to consider:

• Run planks along the longest wall or in the direction of natural light for the most visually appealing result.
• Check that your first and last rows won’t be too narrow (less than 60mm). If they will be, split the difference by cutting your first row down.
• If you’re running across multiple rooms with no separating strip (as I did), plan the layout across all rooms before you begin — the direction of planks needs to be consistent.

Step 3: Start Your First Row

5. Place spacers (8–10mm) against the wall.
6. Start in the left-hand corner of your longest wall, with the tongue side facing the wall.
7. Click the end joints of planks in the first row together. Stagger the joints — each row should start with a different length offcut so joints don’t line up.
8. Cut the last plank of the row to fit, leaving the expansion gap.

Step 4: Continue Laying Row by Row

9. Angle each new plank at 30–45 degrees and click into the long edge of the previous row, then press down flat.
10. Use your tapping block and rubber mallet to fully close any gaps.
11. Stagger end joints by at least 300mm — random is better than a pattern.
12. Continue across the room, cutting planks to fit around obstacles.

Step 5: Fit the Last Row

The last row almost always needs cutting lengthways. Measure carefully — the width will often vary slightly across the room if your walls aren’t perfectly parallel. Measure at both ends and cut accordingly.

Use your pull bar to click the last row into place without damaging the wall.

Step 6: Remove Spacers and Fit Finishing Strips

13. Remove all spacers.
14. Fit threshold strips in all doorways.
15. Re-fit skirting boards or fit scotia beading to cover the expansion gap.
16. Fit door trim as needed.

💬 Estelle’s note: The decision not to put separating strips between rooms was my biggest mistake. It meant the whole floor had to run continuously — every measurement had to be perfect across multiple rooms, and the cuts against door frames were much more complex. If you’re a first-timer, separating strips between rooms give you a clean break point and make each room a manageable, contained project.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping acclimatisation — causes buckling and gapping as the floor settles.
• Not leaving an expansion gap — laminate expands. Without a gap around the perimeter, it will buckle upward.
• Not checking subfloor level — an uneven subfloor causes creaking, hollow spots and premature wear.
• Lining up joints — always stagger end joints. Aligned joints look terrible and weaken the floor structurally.
• Rushing cuts — take your time with every cut. A badly cut plank is wasted.
• Using the wrong blade — always use a fine-toothed blade for laminate. A coarse blade chips the surface.

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Recommended Tools for This Job

Tool	Recommended Option	Why
Jigsaw	Bosch PST 700 E or better	Essential for cuts around obstacles
Tapping block & mallet	Any laminate installation kit (~£10)	Protects plank edges
Pull bar	Included in most laminate kits	Fits last row against wall
Spacers	Included in most kits or ~£5	Maintains expansion gap
Knee pads	Any padded knee pads	You’ll thank yourself
Underlay	Check it includes DPM if on concrete	Essential for moisture & noise

👉 Laminate installation kit on Amazon — [AFFILIATE LINK PLACEHOLDER]

👉 Laminate flooring underlay on Amazon — [AFFILIATE LINK PLACEHOLDER]

👉 Bosch PST 700 E jigsaw on Amazon — [AFFILIATE LINK PLACEHOLDER]

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts

Laying laminate flooring yourself is absolutely achievable — and incredibly satisfying when you stand back and look at the finished result. My floor, imperfections and all, makes me proud every time I walk on it.

Give yourself time, prepare your subfloor properly, buy good underlay, and don’t skip the acclimatisation. Those four things will give you a floor that lasts for years and a finish you’ll be happy with.

And if you’re doing multiple rooms — please, learn from my experience and use separating strips. Future you will be grateful. 🔧

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This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend tools I genuinely believe in.

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Have questions? Drop them in the comments below — I’m happy to help! 🔧