Laminate

Surface Prep

Patching, leveling, and testing so the new floor has something to bond to.

• Underlayment for Floating Floors

  When a floating floor needs separate underlayment, when it doesn't, the 6-mil poly question over concrete, and thickness limits, by manufacturer.

• Patching and Skim-Coating Under Resilient

  Choosing and using cement-based patch and skim coat under resilient flooring: primers, thickness limits, wood subfloors, and wait times.

• Subfloor Flatness Standards (ASTM F710)

  Flatness tolerances for resilient, tile and wood, how to check them with a straightedge, and how to fix highs and lows before you install.

• Acclimating Wood Flooring and Checking Subfloor Moisture

  NWFA-based guidance on conditioning the jobsite, how many moisture readings to take, and the allowed difference between flooring and subfloor.

Installation

Layout, cutting, adhesives, seaming, and the install itself.

• Floating Floor Layout and Expansion Gaps

  Expansion gaps, run lengths, stagger rules, first-row planning and cabinet guidance for floating laminate and rigid core floors.

• Cutting LVP: Score-and-Snap, Shear or Saw

  Score-and-snap, shears and saws for LVP and rigid core: what the flooring makers say, which side faces up, and where each tool fits.

• Tapping Blocks, Pull Bars and Spacers

  How to use tapping blocks, pull bars, spacers and mallets on click and tongue-and-groove floors without breaking the locking profile.

• Undercutting Door Jambs and Casings

  Undercutting door jambs and casings so new flooring slides underneath: setting blade height, choosing a jamb saw, and avoiding the cuts that show.

Finishing

Transitions, wall base, stairs, and edge details.

• Cutting Base Shoe and Quarter Round Miters

  Cutting and fastening quarter round and base shoe: 45-degree corners, returns and splices, and why trim is nailed to the wall, never the floor.

• Transition Strips & Thresholds by Height Difference

  How to pick a transition by the height difference between floors, what the ADA allows on accessible routes, and the mistakes that cause trip edges and failed...

• Installing Wood and LVP Stair Nosing

  Installing wood and LVP on stairs: full-adhesion rules from Shaw and Mohawk, nosing types, and checking riser heights against code.

Troubleshooting

• Peaking, Gapping and Bounce in Floating Floors

  Diagnosing peaking, gapping and bounce in floating floors, traced back to the expansion, pinning, flatness and environment rules in the makers' instructions.

Shop the tools

• LVP & Laminate Cutters
• Tapping Blocks, Spacers & Straps
• Jamb Saws & Toe Kick Saws
• Miter Boxes & Miter Shears