Go to content Go to search
Two people installing light wood laminate flooring over underlay.

HOW TO LAY
LAMINATE FLOORING

Laying laminate flooring

Found your ideal laminate floor? Thanks to our Uniclic® click system, you can have it installed in no time, without any hassle. Roll up your sleeves and before you know it, you'll be enjoying your brand new floor.

Download the laminate flooring installation instructions

Step-by-step guide to lay your own Quick-Step laminate floor

STEP 1: Prepare your subfloor

The first step depends on the type of subfloor you’re working with, so you’ll have to inspect it. We highly recommend working on a level, stable, and clean subfloor. Don’t forget to check for any loose parts.

How big can the joints in your existing tile floor be? How can you level out irregularities? What about underfloor heating?

Take your time to read the installation instructions so you are fully prepared to get started!

STEP 2: Choose your underlay

Choosing the right underlay is a crucial part of installing your brand-new laminate flooring in a hassle-free way. Our specially designed Quick-Step underlays are moisture-proof, insulating, noise-reducing, and levelling. Thanks to the smooth top surface, installing the laminate panels is a piece of cake.

Close-up of a laminate floor being installed with underlay that's being rolled out.

STEP 3: Collect your tools

Want to save yourself a few trips and interruptions during the installation? Make sure you have a couple of essential tools at hand before you get started.

A hammer and a saw are among the usual suspects, but there are several other tools that will make your life a lot easier.

STEP 4: Install your underlay

Time to get started!

  • Roll out your underlay (see step 2) and push it as close as possible against the wall.

  • Lay one row at a time and make sure you go in the same direction that you plan to lay your floor (see step 5).

  • Use the flap and glue strip for easy installation of the underlay with an integrated moisture-resistant screen. When you cannot use the flap and strip, use an adhesive tape to attach the rows together in order to make the installation damp-proof. 

STEP 5: Start laying your laminate floor

  1. First, check how many full rows of planks you will need by dividing the width of the room by the width of a plank.

  2. Make a mark on the wall where you’ll be laying your last full plank. The last plank should be at least 5 cm wide for easy installation.

  3. Unpack your planks and mix them up to avoid adjacent identical patterns and colour variations.

  4. For an optimal result, start laying your first row of laminate planks in line with the longest wall, but do not lay them flush against it (as walls are hardly ever perfectly straight).

  5. Make sure to alternate your alignment so that end joints of successive rows are never in line. We recommend at least 30 cm between them.

  6. Click the first plank of the second row into the first plank of the first row (see video) and keep going like that.

  7. Quick-Step laminate is not intended for "glued-down" installation.

STEP 5B: Laying a herringbone laminate floor

  1. Find the center of the room and mark this point with a line. This will be your reference point for laying the planks, which will be installed floating. Quick-Step laminate is not suitable for glue-down installation.

  2. Take the planks out of the package and mix them to ensure a good distribution of different colors and patterns.

  3. Click the long side of two planks together. This will form the base of your herringbone pattern.

  4. Take a new plank and click it onto the end of the bottom plank (the one already connected to the first). Then click another plank along the long side of your last plank. Now you have two planks on the left and two on the right.

  5. Shift the upper planks so that you create a herringbone pattern. This means the planks will form a "V" shape. Make sure the planks are exactly aligned with the line you drew in step 1 (the centerline of the room).

  6. Continue laying the remaining planks, ensuring they stay in the direction of the herringbone pattern and fill the entire room.

  7. Measure the space along the walls where the planks don’t fit completely. Make sure to account for an expansion gap (usually a small space between the planks and the wall). Cut the planks if necessary to fill the space neatly.

  8. Use a tool like the QSTOOLA to click the final pieces of laminate neatly into place. This will ensure that everything stays securely in place.

STEP 6: Saw your laminate floor

There’s no way around it: you will have to cut your laminate floor to make sure it fits your space perfectly. But don’t worry! We’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Wear gloves and use a pencil to draw your cutting lines. Always saw your planks with the top surface decoration facing upwards.

STEP 7: Finish your laminate floor in style

With your laminate floor in place, you’re almost there! Now it’s time to complete the picture with matching skirting boards, finishing profiles, and other fine touches. After all, it’s all in the details.

Still got questions?

Need help finishing your project to your satisfaction?
Take a look at our help centre, which contains answers to the most frequently asked questions!

Find your nearest dealer