Thought i'd ask here, given a fair few LCBers seem to have a general DIY ethic...

We're looking to lay wood laminate floor in our new front room - something like this stuff: http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/diy/laminate-flooring/oak-laminate-flooring---13-sq-m-per-pack-994629.

The room is approx 4 metres wide (at the widest point) and about 7.5 metres long - so a fair sized area. It's on a screed floor - laid about 3 months ago now - so i expect it to be dry enough by the time the flooring actually goes down...

My dad swears blind I should get a carpenter in to lay it.

I'm tempted to do it myself (isn't this stuff supposed to be easy to lay / click together stuff??!!)

Anyone got experience with the stuff?

I'm no carpenter and I fitted something very similar myself very successfully! The biggest tip I can give you is make sure the floor is flat - it's like painting a good finish it's all in the prep work. I used some stuff like this, can't remember the brand but it's brilliant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh67mHaWGIA

you can use the leftover bits to pad your dashboard after too

If the skirting boards are off its very easy to do, and looks a much better job when finished than using stick on trims onto skirting to cover the expansion gap.

A good handsaw is required, and the blocks for knocking the flooring together.

Buy your underlay off E-Bay, I used the gold one and it was a third of the price compared to the carpet right where we got flooring from!

I did mine my self and it ended up looking fine.
As above if the skirting boards are off its even easier to make look good.

I bought all my stuff of eBay and did most of the house for cheap.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/181419365974?nav=SEARCH

Underlay above, can recommend Kronospan flooring

I did all mine with the skirting boards off, still looks canny 15 years later.

I also do the bathroom, with proper water resistant stuff, all glued together. That was 8x8 and took twice as long as the rest of the house and I cursed and sweated all the way trying to pull the boards together. However it gets wet daily and still looks new also 15 years later.

done this a as a job for years
if your floor is uneven you need to level with a latex based self levelling screed
as said remove the skirting boards its a must really the trims look rubbish
any of the click together stuff is easy to put down just don't let the joins on opposing boards be closer than 6 inches together
and get it a few days before you plan to fit then unpack and stack in the room to acclimatise to lessen shrinkage later for that size of room your looking at 4mm gap to wall
You don't need a carpenter just a steady hand and a good small tooth saw

Yup I did mine and it's been down 10 years and still looks good. I did spend the extra on quick step though.

It's easy. Level floor, good underlay, you can't go wrong. Don't be tempted by cheap boards, they scratch easily. Textured ones are less slippy.

Easy to do, but remove skirting boards.

You also need to plan where you start as you lay towards yourself so aim to finish by a door so you can access the last few bits easily outside the room

Hello

I work for the company that supply B&Q with the Dial brand underlay, if you want some underlay product advice then by the 3 mm grey Z fold material.

It is a closed cell Polyolofin foam which means it is waterproof and doesnt require a damp proof membrane, the Gold and silver type is basically a poor grade foam with a foil laminated on the make it damp proof, people buy it because they think shiney is better.

It comes in 10 Sq mtr packs and very easy to work with and lay, its apity you didnt live close i have a boat load of samples in my garage............

Cheers
Mick

Another +1 on do it yourself, it's easy.

+1 on skirting boards off, looks pants otherwise!


We used B&Q value underlay under some laminate, over an old wooden floor, and it went down fine, and still looks/feels good.

I did mine.

Use youtube to search for tutorials, it really helped me.

I used exactly the closed cell Dial underlay stuff recommended above. Its nice and easy. I used duct tape to hold it in place.

I did not remove my skirting but did buy my edging before I laid the boards to check that the gap was around the edge, as required, but not too much.

Finally, dont srimp on the board. I used good quality think 10mm board. the click stuff worked really well.

Oh, one final point. I also brought a laminant board fitting kit. Although it was expensive it helped me lock some panals together that were in sticky situations. The spacer wedges for the edges helped prevent the boards move at the start which is good.

Thanks for all the replies chaps, LCB turns up the goods once again!!

Skirting is not yet fitted (its a new room!) so I feel as though I've already made a start. Will have to figure out how to check the floor is level first, but am definitely encouraged to have a go myself!

I think flat rather than level - you don't want to have undulations. Dips are not so bad, small ones will simply be bridged by the flooring, larger ones can be filled. But lumps will raise the flooring and make the surrounding area springy.

Look closely (in the flesh) at whatever flooring you think you want - laminate or laminated. Laminate has a surface made of some sort of plastic and can look and feel like plastic. Real wood is a million times better for feel and looks. Obviously solid wood is expensive but engineered flooring is effectively ply, or layered, flooring with cheaper wood for the most part with a top layer of proper wood eg Oak.

Either way they need to 'float'. They sit on an underlay - either just thin foam or with a foil backing which gives a little bit of thermal insulation. You may need to use something thicker if the flooring has to match another level at a doorway. You need an expansion gap round the outside which can be covered with the skirting board. Think bout how you are going to fit the board round projections and doorways. The fitting kits are useful as you will inevitably need a hook of some sort when trying to tighten up an edge or end piece.

Be aware that some of the cheaper brands do not click together easily. I did a bathroom floor for a customer recently and we ended up taking it back for a refund as not fit for purpose. Fitted ceramic tiles instead. I used quickstep for all my daughters flat and was pleased with the results. Down a year now and still looking as new.