All About Laminate flooring

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Laminate flooring has really moved way on from the late 90's . All our laminates use clicking systems resulting in better joints and easier fitting, with out any need for messy glue. The joints will also stand the test of time much better.

The other big change is design. There are still the cheap laminate floors like the old 3 strip beech laminates which used to be what sprung to mind. But now they have been rivalled by a huge choice of high end laminate flooring which are harder wearing with realistic designs some of which would be mistaken for real wood flooring. As well as embossed textures that realistically portray real wood , there are V grooves and colour variations available in the high end laminates of today.

There are also Laminate tiles some of which look and even feel like real tiles.

How to choose your Laminate floor

First measure your floor and work out the total area. Our room size calculator will work out the area for you if required. Lets say for example its 10m2 . Now decide on your budget. Lets say we have £150. Now you can apply a floor by dividing your budget ( £150) by your floor area . Ensure you have added 5% to your floor areas to allow for cuttings.(EG. 10m2) . So £150 divided by 10 = £15 per M2.

Remember to take into account underlay. Our underlays are from £1 per m2 up to £4.00. We can look at underlays in detail later , but for now lets assume You have a budget of £11 per square meter. Its that simple.

Installing Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a very popular choice of floor as it is easy to install and can be installted in all areas of the house (except wet rooms) and they are suitable for use over any type of subfloor.

Installation by floating on an underlay is the most common and DIY friendly method because it is easy and can be fitted over any type of subfloor. It does not require any specialist training or prior knowledge . A laminate floor just clicks together without the use for any glue.

NB : All laminate flooring installations must use the correct type of underlay. On top of a concrete subfloor you must use underlay which has a built in damp proof membrane (normally foil backed underlay) and over a wooden subfloor you can use the standard white laminate floor underlay.

Each board has a click profile on each side to lock the boards together The boards?will simply then?click together but each manufacturers method will vary slightly. Please make sure to read the specific installation method that comes in the boxes of floor.

To allow for any?expansion of the floor you must leave?a?10mm expansion gap around the outside of the room. To maintain this gap during installation spacers are provided in the laminate floor installation kits which you can also buy from our shop seperately. Once the floor has been installed you can cover the expansion gap with beading (scotia) or skirting that should be at least 12mm thick. The 10mm expansion gap also needs to be left at doorways where the floor follows through from one room to another. We stock a full range of door bars available to match your floor on our website.

Important Information before installing your laminate floor

Inspect all products prior to installation. If there are any defects in the product please contact us immediately and DO NOT FIT THE FLOOR. We will not be held responsible for fitting costs or cost implications arising from the fitting of imperfect goods.

Site conditions for Laminate flooring

It is the responsibility of the owner and fitter to determine if the site conditions such as sub-floor and humidity are acceptable for wood floor installation. Humidity levels should be between 45% and 65% . Concrete Sub floors should have a moisture content of no more than 3% and wooden subfloors no more than 12%.

We will accept no liabiliy for problems with the floor caused by incorrect job site conditions. If you are not sure about any of this, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Always read the manufacturers recommended installation guides before installation.