Laminate Flooring has became very popular over the recent years, and for the landlord looking to give a modern clean look to a property, perhaps after having claimed on his landlord insurance for a damaged carpet it really can be a good way of cutting costs. Laminate flooring is ideal for the landlord willing to apply himself to a little DIY, it can be carried in a car much easier than a carpet, is usually cheaper than a carpet and it’s readily available at numerous shops and DIY outlets, there are many colours and designs for you to choose from, so complimenting a  rooms existing furniture and design will be no trouble.

The first thing to do is to measure the width of the room. Go from the widest points and then measure the length. Simply multiply the two figures together to give you the area of your room in square meters (m2). It is always a good idea to add around ten per-cents to take into account wastage. Take that number with you to the shop and check how many packs you need by the m2 coverage of each pack. Over the last few years laying laminate flooring has got even easier since the new click-together laminate floor boards have been available. It really is almost impossible to make a mistake. If however you do, they can be a bit difficult to separate, so just try and make sure you’ve got the right piece in the right place before clicking together.

Lay the first course of laminate flooring along a wall, making sure you leave a 1/4-inch gap; this is to allow for the expansion of the wood. Next place another piece beside it and simply click the two pieces of flooring together by inserting the tongue of one board into the groove of the other board, not forgetting to  lift and push on the opposite end of the first board until the two pieces of laminate flooring boards lock together. Make sure the edges of the boards are exactly flush with one another. Work your way across the room using the same method, it is more than likely the last piece of laminate flooring in the row will require cutting to fit, to do this mark it with a try square and then saw it, making sure the finished surface is facing up, then do the same for the next row, working your way along the room. As you will be on your knees for the job, you may want to think about having some knee pads. The flooring will just fit together a bit like a jigsaw, and there is no need for glue or nails.

Finally fit the skirting boards above the laminate, do not fill the expansion gaps with any material unless it specifically states in the instructions.