If you can learn how to install laminate floors you will be able to save yourself a lot of money. My husband and I moved into a fixer-upper for our first home and knew that we wanted to swap out the old teal carpet for new flooring. Laminate floors matched the look we were going for, but we didn’t have room in our budget to pay for the installation and the flooring. Luckily, we found out that installing laminate floors isn’t nearly as difficult as it sounds, and we were able to do it ourselves! Keep reading to find out how we (my husband) did it. 

How to Install Laminate Floors

Our living room before we installed the laminate floors. The hardwood floors under the carpet were totally trashed and we had to replace them with new flooring. Notice all our attempts at trying to find the perfect gray? 

First, it’s important to know that if it’s your first time installing laminate floors it’s going to take you longer than professionals who do it on a daily basis. There’s definitely a learning curve, but once you get into the swing of things it goes much more quickly. According to my husband, the key is patience. 

Getting started!

You’ll need a few tools to get you started, so make sure you have them handy. You can rent most tools you don’t own, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t have the budget to purchase everything you need.

Tools:

Tape measure

Jamb saw

Chop saw

Hammar

Utility knife

Clamps

Nail punch

Carpenter’s square

The finished product

Laminate floors need a fairly flat subfloor, so make sure whatever surface you’re installing it on will work before you get started. We had a pretty big dip in the subfloor near one of the doors, but we used self-leveling concrete to get everything even and it worked great. Don’t skip out on the prep work if you want your floors to look nice longterm.

For the actual installation, check out the video below. Like I said, it’s pretty simple once you get going. One last tip! To quote my husband’s grandpa, measure twice and cut once. This is a project that is worth taking your time.