Is installing laminate flooring really easy?

[Londoner85]

Hi there,

We have purchased some click style laminate flooring for our living room and hallway and would like some advice on installation.

My partner does not do much DIY around the house but he is capable and had basic skills. He is however apprehensive about laying our new laminate flooring himself as it was quite pricey and he is afraid he may ruin it.

The thing is, the cheapest quote we have found for a professional to come and install it for us is £240, which we feel is too much for our budget.

So I was wondering how easy it really is to lay. Would you advise someone with basic DIY skills to attempt laying laminate floor despite the fact they have never laid it before? Or would we be better off just biting the bullet and paying someone to come and do it for us?

Thanks for reading

 

[Richard C]

Laying “click together” laminate is about as simple as you can get; what makes the difference between a job that looks good or one that looks total pants is the finishing around the edge of the room & in doorways. This requires a certain amount of planning, thought & skill with a saw & if your partner isn’t capable of this then the job will look pants.

£240 seems a lot for a days work!

 

[Petest67]

Probably priced on meterage.
Why is £240 alot for a days work?
The customer gets the price and its up to them whether to accept it, thats why most people get more than one quote.
Most floorlayers work on meterage as opposed to day rate - its in there interest to install more to earn more, not drag there heels like some day rate fellas do - lets say someone says they'll install the floor for £150 a day, who's to say that they will not run the job over into the following day then bringing the total upto £300. How many chippies have the power tools to undercut the door jambs and architraves? Most floorlayers will have and they can cut 6 out by the time someone with a hand saw has cut 1 or 2. Alot of flooring contractors also use a guillotine to cut the boards so theres a minimum amount of dust created.

 

[Richard C]

Probably priced on meterage.
Why is £240 alot for a days work? The customer gets the price and its up to them whether to accept it, thats why most people get more than one quote.

Exactly, but for laying click clunk or even a “proper” wood floor, you must be avin a really huge larf! It doesn’t require “chippy” skills but I’m not sure how even they would be classified nowadays. No offence to the OP’s partner but even a half educated chipmunk can lay a laminate floor & if you can regularly find enough mugs to pay that sort of money then good luck to you but I hope it makes you feel proud to be a “tradesman”; there are a lot of very stupid people around!

 

[kevnurse]

Richard, you said:

This requires a certain amount of planning, thought & skill with a saw & if your partner isn’t capable of this then the job will look pants.

and then you said:

but even a half educated chipmunk can lay a laminate floor

The fact is that your first statement is spot on. We don't know how the OP's floor is shaped, or its size, and it could be a lot more tricky and thought provoking than a regular square. £280 might be quite reasonable for the job.

IMHO we cannot give the OP a reasoned answer regarding the £280 without seeing the job. Its interesting that the OP is the DIYer's wife and not the DIYer himself. Why isn't he asking the questions?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Why isn't he asking the questions?

Too busy reading all the instructions on the laminate packs (perhaps even in Chinese?)

 

[Londoner85]

The reason I am asking the question for my partner is because he is at work and i was researching it on his behalf so he could read when he got home, i will also be giving him a helping hand if he decides to take up the job himself. Why does it matter who asks the question anyway. Who gives a rats ass.

And if any old chipmunk can do the job, then all you have to say is that it is extremely easy and so if my partner has basic skills then he should be fine. That was the question after all.

And, the room shape is fairly standard. We do have a bay window and an alcove which could be tricky, but i am sure its not that difficult.

I didn't realize men could get so emotional about a simple question

 

[WoodYouLike]

I didn't realize men could get so emotional about a simple question

Take heart and prepare yourself: it's also a well known fact that men rely on their better halves to do the research but in the end will definitely "know better".

Mrs Wood You Like

 

[Richard C]

The reason I am asking the question for my partner is because he is at work and i was researching it on his behalf so he could read when he got home, i will also be giving him a helping hand if he decides to take up the job himself. Why does it matter who asks the question anyway. Who gives a rats ass.

And if any old chipmunk can do the job, then all you have to say is that it is extremely easy and so if my partner has basic skills then he should be fine. That was the question after all.

And, the room shape is fairly standard. We do have a bay window and an alcove which could be tricky, but i am sure its not that difficult.

I didn't realize men could get so emotional about a simple question

Well that’s told us all then! I stand by my original advice; if your partner can think & is reasonably good with a saw without cutting his fingers off then he should manage OK; measure twice, cut once & take your time is the key. I certainly wouldn’t pay anyone, even those in what I regard as highly skilled trades £240 a day; blimey that's more than I earn!

I admit the chipmunk comment was unfortunate but I did say “no offence to you” & that said chipmunk needed to be half educated!

 

[WoodYouLike]

I certainly wouldn’t pay anyone, even those in what I regard as highly skilled trades £240 a day; blimey that's more than I earn!

Time for a job change?

 

[Londoner85]

The reason I am asking the question for my partner is because he is at work and i was researching it on his behalf so he could read when he got home, i will also be giving him a helping hand if he decides to take up the job himself. Why does it matter who asks the question anyway. Who gives a rats ass.

And if any old chipmunk can do the job, then all you have to say is that it is extremely easy and so if my partner has basic skills then he should be fine. That was the question after all.

And, the room shape is fairly standard. We do have a bay window and an alcove which could be tricky, but i am sure its not that difficult.

I didn't realize men could get so emotional about a simple question

Well that’s told us all then! I stand by my original advice; if your partner can think & is reasonably good with a saw without cutting his fingers off then he should manage OK; measure twice, cut once & take your time is the key. I certainly wouldn’t pay anyone, even those in what I regard as highly skilled trades £240 a day; blimey that's more than I earn!

I admit the chipmunk comment was unfortunate but I did say “no offence to you” & that said chipmunk needed to be half educated!

Oh no, I am not offended, just a bit taken aback by all the hormones flapping around

But thank you for your advice, we have decided to give it a go ourselves. I will let you know how it turns out!

 

[Richard C]

Oh no, I am not offended, just a bit taken aback by all the hormones flapping around

we have decided to give it a go ourselves. I will let you know how it turns out!

Dangerous things hormones; go for it!

 

[Richard C]

Time for a job change?

County Court Bailiff springs to mind! But absolutely nobody's gona luv ya!

 

[Petest67]

Good luck with the flooring installation. As mentioned by someone else, take your time and think about what you are doing.
Richard C - its your choice to pay or not to pay like its your choice to reply with an uncivilized remark.
My point is that if you want a job done you should always get a price to have the job completely finished. I'm not going to argue with you about what a floorlayer charges or can earn or any other trade but if you want a job done to a professional standard then you pay your money or do it slowly yourself and hope that no one can tell the difference. If you get a price from a shop for an installed product, do you discuss the cost of the installation or shop around if you think the price is to high?
I could go into things like checking moisture content, humidity levels, floor evenness etc but why does a "chipmunk" need to know these things?
Out of the £240 quoted, how much goes on fuel, tool wear and tear, accessories, tax and national insurance?

 

[Richard C]

Richard C - its your choice to pay or not to pay like its your choice to reply with an uncivilized remark.

Too right I wouldn’t; but what was uncivilized about my remark, the fact that I consider £240/day for laying click laminate flooring a joke; I wouldn’t even pay that for an engineered or solid oak floor!

My point is that if you want a job done you should always get a price to have the job completely finished.

I agree; & for me that would include removing the skirting & doing it properly & making good afterwards instead of laying some carpy angle bead around the edge are you saying your going to do all of that & lay the floor in one day!

I'm not going to argue with you about what a floorlayer charges or can earn or any other trade but if you want a job done to a professional standard then you pay your money or do it slowly yourself and hope that no one can tell the difference.

I don’t disagree with the professional standard bit but it's you who seem to have taken exception & are arguing about what I personally consider to be a ludicrous day rate.

If you get a price from a shop for an installed product, do you discuss the cost of the installation or shop around if you think the price is to high?

Yes always, the products are generally the same & if a shop quoted me that sort of day rate I would out the door pretty damn quick; but then I don’t need to get someone else to do it “professionally” as I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself!

I could go into things like checking moisture content, humidity levels, floor evenness etc but why does a "chipmunk" need to know these things?
Out of the £240 quoted, how much goes on fuel, tool wear and tear, accessories, tax and national insurance?

So you’ve spent 40 quid on a damp test meter & a Hygrometer & what specialist equipment do you need to test how uneven the floor is; & I’ve already apologised for the unfortunate chipmunk remark! Your tools of the trade (& they are minimal to lay even the most expensive flooring!), fuel costs, tax & NI are not the customer’s problem, they are a burden for every tradesman; there must be a lot of very rich, gullible (or stupid) folk living where you work, are you sure you’re even on the same planet as I am!