DIY - 3 Steps to Installing Laminate Wood Floors

Anyone who has ever purchased a home knows the stress involved. Many people will tell you it's the biggest investment of your life, and there's a good chance it will be. After you get the keys, some of the stress is gone, but sure enough its replaced with a new kind of anxiety: how do I make this house a home?

Given everything you'll need and want to do, its easy to say 'lets just hire someone to (fill in the blank). I fell into this trap with the installation of my laminate wood floor. I wanted real hardwood, but I have a concrete floor, and laying a plywood sub floor under the hardwood would have screwed up all my doorways, so I went with laminate.

I was told by many people that installing a laminate wood floor is easy, but I decided to just pay the professionals to do it for me. A few thousand dollars and a lot of unnecessary stress with 'professionals' who were as unprofessional as could be, I was quite depressed.

A few months later, a friend decided to install a laminate floor in his home, and did it himself. I came along for the ride and let me tell you, it made me even more depressed. Why? Because the installation was so simple! He bought a DIY video set showing how to install a laminate wood floor, used tools he had in his basement, and he was done in a day. His floor is as nice (if not better) than mine and he saved hundreds of dollars!

I don't want you to make the same mistake I did, so here are a few quick tips to get you started. Trust me, when the hundreds or thousands you would have paid for installation is still in your pocket while you're enjoying your beautiful new floor, you'll thank me!

1. Let the flooring adjust before installing.

Laminate wood can be a fickle thing. You won't want to bring those planks home and start installing right away. Give the wood 24-48 hrs in the home to acclimate itself to the temperature and humidity of your home. Giving the wood time to adjust will make your installation efforts much smoother and will prevent you from losing pieces to breakage.

2. Buy 10-15% extra.

You're going to need to trim around door frames and corners. And, lets face it, you're going to probably break a plank or two by accident, too. Don't get stuck without enough wood! Buy at least 10% more than you expect to need. I actually recommend 15% if this is your first time installing a laminate wood floor. Better safe than sorry.

3. Find a good walk through to follow.

I realize I'm writing an article to help you realize you can install your own laminate wood floor, but don't kid yourself. I do not suggest you simply read a few tips and jump into it. The Internet is a great resource (it lead you here, didn't it?) and should be used to help you. Remember those hundreds and thousands of dollars you're saving by installing your laminate wood floor yourself? Take a little bit of that and get yourself a good set of laminate wood installation videos. Seeing is believing. Its always better to watch someone whose done it before rather than just reading their words. A small investment in some good videos will go a long way toward a successful project.

That should get you started. Please, don't make the same mistake I did! Installing a laminate wood floor is a great investment. With a few tools, a little work, and a good instructional video, you can save yourself a small fortune and have the laminate wood floor you've always wanted. Good luck!