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Most common mistakes when laying laminate flooring - revealed by expert
While selecting a new flooring option can prove difficult, navigating the installation process can cause headaches to designers and DIYers aiming to achieve the freshest and neatest look. Therefore, many people turn to the internet for tips and assistance.
The Flooring experts at Flooring King have analysed Google search data to reveal the top ten most googled questions on flooring. Liam Cleverdon, the Flooring expert at Flooring King then provides expert advice and knowledge to answer each question.
The research revealed the fifth most-googled flooring question was; ‘Most common mistakes when laying laminate flooring?’ with the term racking up 900 monthly searches.
Flooring King
Here, Liam Cleverdon the Flooring expert at Flooring King answers this popular query:
Most common mistakes when laying laminate flooring
“When it comes to installing flooring of any kind, a lack of preparation and rushing the process can lead to errors and an untidy finish. In particular, implementing laminate flooring requires a lot of patience - but what are the top three most common mistakes by DIYers or designers throughout the laying process?
Poor preparation
“Firstly, where many people go wrong is during the preparation stage. Laminate requires a surface both as clean and flat as possible to avoid bubbles or damage and achieve the tidiest look.
“To prepare for installation, the subfloor must be sufficiently levelled, this can be done through sanding floorboards or using cement compounds. Additionally, hardwood sheets may also be fitted onto the subfloor to provide a flat surface. Many people go wrong by skipping this stage entirely - leading to a messy final look.
Forgetting expansion gaps
“Moving on, another common mistake designers make during the installation process is forgetting to leave adequate gaps for potential expansion. I recommend leaving between 8 and 10 mm of room between the laminate and closest wall, this is because the material can expand or contract if it detects changes in the room’s heat or humidity.
Failing to give substantial time for acclimatisation
“Lastly, a common error that is hugely avoidable is not giving the material enough time to acclimatise to the room’s conditions before installation begins. Leaving the laminate in the room of choice for 24-48 hours gives the material ample time to get used to the temperature and humidity levels. This can avoid cracks appearing once the flooring has been laid - but is a commonly forgotten part of the process for many DIYers and designers.”
"Overall, while these mistakes are extremely common, by increasing the focus on preparation and following each step to completion, installing laminate flooring can become a simple process. It’s great to see so many people turn to the internet to avoid falling for these typical mistakes.”
Liam Cleverdon goes on to answer the top ten most Googled flooring queries in more detail, which are available to view here.
