I would prefer a cordless jigsaw. It's something that you will need in a lot of various places. With the nailer, you are usually using it in a methodical rhythm, so it's not hard to keep the airline moving with you. With the jigsaw, you might use it once in one room, then not at all in 2 more rooms, and then again in the 4th room. You never know where and when you might need it. Plus, it's a more versatile tool, not something you will only need during a flooring project or at your work bench.
I found his description and method the most clear and useful over the long winded and sometimes confusing though well meaning efforts of others videos.Is he Canadian?they are straight to the point much like Aussies
The last floor I worked on I got yelled at for not stair casing the joints ! You explained it well. The way you talk is very easy on the ears and clear. You have a talent for teaching. God bless you and your family aloha
Most video editing software has audio compressor, its so frustrating when i hear that popular, professionally edited videos, and even tv shows, don't bother compressing the audio. Its literally just a filter that automatically softens loud noises, and brings up the volume of quite bits when they meet certain thresholds.
@@trybunt actually a filter is an eq filter, where it “filters” the desired eq band. A compressor reduces the amount of volume above a threshold by a ratio, so it’s not a brick wall, but instead of a linear increase, once a signal crosses an audio level threshold, the amount of increase is reduced by a set ratio. A compressor DOES NOT increase the volume of the quite(quiet) “bits”. The user simply has the ability to increase the overall volume while keeping the transient peaks in check and reducing how much above that threshold they get, effectively reducing what is referred to as “dynamic range”, or the difference in audio level from most quiet parts to the loudest parts.
Well done. You are a great teacher and a good craftsman. My recently passed father with a master tradesmen in multiple trades and worked until he was in late 70's. He would call you a good mechanic. I grew up building homes with him, and put myself through college with a hammer. I do not make my living in the trades now - I am an engineer and manage large public works contracts, but I have been remodeling my homes and doing home improvement projects my entire life. It is obvious you know what you are doing, and I appreciate the obvious fact that this is how you make your living. The well used tools, work clothes, and knee pads that have seen a floor or two just show that you are speaking from well earned experience. We installed laminate flooring in my brother's home many years ago, and I am planning on doing the same in our current home of less than a year. I had forgotten much, and learned more from watching your video. Thanks again for the great content.
I will be 70 this December. I have done this project in 4-5 homes. No TH-cam back then. Hired a young man to do it in my current 1958 home. I have watched several video's and read the instructions that came with the flooring. This is a very helpful and much needed video. Best I've seen. Thank you so much!
Maybe you can give me some advice? I'm looking at doing a floor like this except the ones I'm looking at are really cheap and some of the reviews have me worried about how well it'll hold up and how long it'll last. So my plan is to pour at least 2 gallons of epoxy over the floor after I get it laid. Any problems that you can think of with this idea? lol
@@dmgthib thats something I was worried about but I know they do it with real hardwood floors so why do laminate floors need to expand and real hardwood floors dont? What if I glue/nail the laminate floor down instead of letting it float? Lol
@@ZyaLuke if there’s no air getting to the laminate (which there shouldn’t be once encased in epoxy) then it won’t be able to buckle which is why you need to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter, hope this helps.
I dont think it has to do with air getting to it, pretty sure it has more to do with changes in temperature causing the floor to expand and contract. If you did it as a floating floor like you are supposed to then it would still try to expand and contact (whether or not the epoxy would be enough to prevent it from doing that by holding it all together, I'm not sure) but if you glued or nailed it down then it shouldn't be able to expand and contract hardly at all. Anyways, I've moved on from this idea and now I'm doing a straight epoxy floor, I'm just waiting for all the pigment powders to get here from China. Lol
My late husband and I installed laminate flooring on a Saturday morning. Saturday night we spent the whole night "doin' the nasty" on our new flooring! He was a great lover!
Well. Most diy or tutorial videos I watch are annoying and barely know what they are doing, much less know what they are talking about telling other people things to do wrong. This may be the 1st video I have seen that is actually good. Thanks for posting this up. I already do this for a living but it popped up on my feed so I clicked it. Glad I did friend! Good job!
Well done! I especially appreciated the volume adjustments made in post production so I wasn't blasted by the compressor or miter saw kicking on. Good tip about the backer rod as well!
i have seen many videos about laying laminate flooring, but ur precise details on how to do it was amazing. ur explanations of the whys, certain things had to be a certain ways and demonstrating while explaining, made it so much easier for any diyer to lay this floor. playing this video while laying the flooring, like as if u were in the same room with the diyer. excellent job. bravo!!
What a pro ! I really got a lot out of this video. I really appreciate his "to-the-point" presentation. I noticed he uses top quality tools and equipment and is extremely well versed on what the manufacturer recommends and he has taught me several things I was unaware of. Really great presentation.
I wished they had better trim some trim to thick for something's only trim I seen so far . Vision great I'm puting down 11mil and the ends don't come together tight I don't like this type of flooring leave gaps nothing tight like I like. You did a great job on video I didn't know that a person had to use that strip around the wall and your flooring thank you for letting me know that's pretty great I'm never seen it before then help me a lot on things that's why I see on some of these homes then the flooring spreads apart after so long then you have to beat it back in people ask me how come I tell them that they cut it too long not to write for what they need but I didn't know that you needed that other spacer thank you
You just told me everything wrong with the floor in a house we bought 7 months ago (with brand new flooring already installed). It has quickly gone downhill and now I know the many reasons why, including lack of backer rod. Very informative and very good tips!!
OK I'm very curious what the foam backer rod does. I can't for the life of me figure out what purpose it really serves other than keeping crap out of the gap when doing the install. Once the floor is installed, and the trim is complete, what does it do?
@@blaster-zy7xx One possibility is that it provides some “spring” against the wall and helps keep seams together as the laminate expands/contracts closer to and further from the wall. Just a guess.
@@Joew99001 That's what I would have guessed too, but I have installed vinyl flooring and once it gets all clicked in place, they are very hard to get to slide relative to each other. So the force of some foam pushing up against it doesn't come close the the force needed to slide the planks against one another. so I'm still very perplexed what it could possibly do. My only hypothesis is that it keeps the entire floor from expanding and contracting and ratcheting itself in one direction to expose gaps under the baseboard. But even that is a stretch.
Great video, the explanation of why to avoid staircasing was clear and I had never seen or heard of backing rod in any other DIY video so thank you very much, great job!
OMG!! I am so so happy you mentioned the random pattern. Iv had conversations with and watched SO many other flooring installers do the steps across the floor over and over. It looks SO HORRIBLE!!!! Their like that's what is says on the box, I did it perfect. The box might say to cut the boards an additional 6 inches shorter or what not for 4 or 5 boards... .but it does not say to install them in that order. Mix them up.
Best video on laminate EVER. BEST EXPLANATIONS STEP BY STEP. THANKS WAS JUST BOUT HIRING A FLOORING COMPANY BUT I GOT THE TIPS TO DO MYSELF NOW. AGAIN THANKS. WATCHING THIS VIDEO DURING LOCKDOWN
I love the detail in this video! So many things that other videos leave out. I'm putting in flooring after some water damage and I'm hoping I get the hang of it so I can get rid of carpeting in my house for good.
I must compliment you on your craftsmanship and your professionalism, it is difficult to find conscientious tradesmen who care about what they are doing. I am a time served engineer in the UK, the apprenticeship I underwent was five years, not the couple of years modular system in vogue today, I learned under men who had done the job for years and picked up the little nuances and tricks of the trade gained over many years by my predecessors, many of whom demonstrated the same values you seem to have. Thank you, I wish I could give more than one like.
Dude, you absolutely RULE ! Such an intelligent and down to earth instruction vid . You have ZERO ego , which is rare . Even more rare : You didn't ask for 1 superchat penny . My brother , Bravo and a Flying High 5 to you!
Also make sure you randomize the printed patterns on the laminate. Some boxes have multiple repeated patterns. I unbox multiple boxes and sort through the patterns (usually between 5 and 8 piles) and make sure I don't have a repetition or pattern. Hope this helps
I just open 3-5 boxes and grab randomly from them as I'm laying. I challenge every customer that if they can find a pattern, I'll knock $100 off the final price. I've never lost a dime.
@@TheCharleseye damn, I would win that money. I've grabbed 5 in a row of the same pattern before. I was furious. I have also had a box where there were only 3 patterns out of 6 🤬
@@TheCharleseye even harder with good products like RevWood or QuickStep Laminates. They have a floating die when punching out the boards. Still has the 8-12 board repeat, but the pattern won't show up on the same place on a different board for like 30.
By far the most useful guide I have found. Easy to follow and great explanations. Thank you, you have truly taken alot of stress off starting my flooring tomorrow.
Might have missed this. How should I lay out the plannks so I don't end up having to rip one length wise at the other side of the room ? Don't want to end up with the final course being 1or 2 inches wide. Thanks, best video I have seen on this !
Great how to video. I really liked the idea of the foam backer along the entire perimeter of keep future debris out! If only floors were available like this 20 years ago when we built our house. Installing Pergo Outlast tomorrow. We raised our dining room floor with plywood to mate up to the 3/4 inch ceramic tile at both doorways.
DUDE. YOU ARE BAD ASS FLOORING MAN. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO DOES FLOORING. AND HE TAUGHT ME A LOT. GREAT VIDIO. JUST PRECISE MEASUREMENTS,CUTS AND DETAILS. VERY INFORMATIVE AND TO THE POINT. YOU BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME. WORTH THE TIME TO WATCH. THANK YOU.
Great video. Enjoyed the tips. I've noted some difference between the product I'm getting ready to install and what you were using. My flooring is almost 5/8" thick. It's vinyl laminated onto an MDF-type fiberboard and has the foam backer attached. The manufacturer suggests a 3/8 spacer but after removing our baseboards I've noticed that the drywall is about 3/4 inch off the floor so I'm going to use less gap. One difference to your installation is instead of the foam tubing around the perimeter, they are instructing me to use a silicone sealant all the way around. The idea with their product is that this will provide a moisture seal so that any spills along the edge of the floor will not soak into the fiberboard. The silicone is flexible enough to allow for expansion. Thanks for a very helpful video.
Great job; i m in FRANCE , Paris, i ve seen here lot of videos on installing laminate floors, yours is the best for the quality of instructions and various details that can improve the work. very helpful and instructive. have a good day.thanks. Mokrane.
Man o' man! You've got the best, most to-the-point, detailed instruction video on laminate flooring. Thank you! I pulled up the carpet and linoleum on my first floor living room, dining room and kitchen. I'll be installing laminate in mid-August when I get my bonus. Thanks for sharing!
As far as stair casing patterns, what about using the off-cut from the end of your rows as the staring piece for your next row? That's what most manufacturers recommend. Also, one of the tips I was taught was to measure the width of the room and divide by the width of the board to make sure that you aren't ending with an extremely narrow piece against the wall on your last row. As long as your decimal number is greater than about a 1/4 of the plank width, you should be OK, but closer to half the width is better. For example, if you have a 7.5" plank and a 106" room, your last row would either have a 1" gap, which is too wide for shoe to cover, or a 1" wide strip at the end, which are prone to separating. By measuring the room up front, you can rip the first row down so that you'll have a similar sized row on the opposite wall from your starting point. Just my two cents, but thanks for the video.
I tried using the end to start the next row on paper but then it is just , for example a 6" piece to start then a 42" piece to start then a 6" to start then a 42" to start. It didn't have a random look it was like a stripe with every other row the same as two rows back. I heard there is a video by a guy who goes into great detail about laying out the boards and I'm about to try to find it. Cheers. PS what you say about the first and last row is correct as I understand it not to take anything away from this video which was very informative, well shot and covered a lot. Cheers again.
This has helped immensely! I never thought about the backer rod and it make a lot of sense. I will be referring back to this video a lot in the next few days. THANK YOU!
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING HOME IMPROVEMENT VIDEOS I'VE EVER SEEN! I was starting the prep for the laminate flooring project and THIS VIDEO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS TREMENDOUSLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AN AWESOME JOB!!! :)
Dude you are fregging awesome I learned so much. I installed 30 years ago for a while. It’s so different now thank you I’m going to be doing a new laminate floor in our house I now feel confident in doing it. Really I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your video
Home Owner Tip #10 - you can build your first 2 or 3 rows away from the wall (it will be much easier) and then push the assembly against the wall. Also, you can use a box of planks to add weight and keep everything in its place as you start.
I don't really understand why building rows and then pushing them into place would be easier? I mean if you're worried about the first row being unsquare then take some measurements. And if you're worried about the first row moving you could just use a pin nailer to hold it in place at the very edge where it will be under the trim
Fantastic video! Each step simply explained and demonstrated. Best of all, no ear-splitting rock music in the background. I can do this. Thanks a bunch!
I do a lot of laminate flooring, the method I use to start a floor is click two rows of boards together the length of the room, then I slide them up to the starting wall and use a scribe block to mark a scribe along the full length of the room, then I take them apart again and cut along that scribe line and you are guaranteed they will run perfectly along the starting wall every time even if is not straight while keeping the expansiin gap at the wall.
Excellent suggestion. That is how I do it as well. Comes from my shipyard background and barge building I do. We scribe a lot of stuff next to bulkheads for proper fit, for efficiency and less weld time. Keep in mind if you scribe the length of your wall, number the pieces before disassembling them, that way after you cut them, you can put them back together in their proper order.
I’m from Detroit Michigan and recently installed a floor in old Dearborn.My buddy bought a cutting tool, a shear table with a long handle. Made cuts easy in conjunction with a table saw. Cool video
I've watched dozens of videos and talked with a dozen "professional" installers, only one said anything about the backer rod and that was just that it's up to the individual whether they want to go to the time and expense. Thanks for explaining the whys and wherefores. Great video. Subbed. 👍👍
I got to start installing this stuff. Been setting tiled floors for 20 years, this is a walk in the park. Btw, excellent video, you are definitely a pro. This video instruction is as good as it gets without being there helping you out and asking questions.
Great content!! I would add one thing, be aware if the home has a security system to not cut through the wire in the bottom of the door jam. alot of older alarms are hardwired and usually at least my company where i live we would install the door contact at the bottom of the door on the hinge side. Remove the contact and do something with the wire in order to avoid an unwanted service call where we have to rewire the door. Cant tell u how many times ive been to home where the alarm isnt working due to every door contact wire being cut through.
Great tips Scott. I really appreciate all the info. you guys drop for us!! It's been brought to my attention in some of the videos that we have some know it alls contradicting or down right being ignorant to the info. you guys are spreading. Funny, how they don't have a channel dropping videos. I mean NO WHERE do you guys claim to say this is how it HAS to be done. The steps you guys take to teach us have results that look great. They're thorough, easy to understand, & make sense. Hoping all is well guys, if anything you have at least one guy out there appreciating what you guys do & Dirty Jersey out!!!
Great video! Wow. I have been watching several over the past few days in preparation to begin my flooring install, and yours is the most thorough so far! Well done. :)
Wow - Nice - Far more thorough with many extra tips than any other video - It looks like you might have put more time into filming and editing than the actual installation, which is much appreciated. Your high caliber advice helped immensely!
You’re correct, the editing and filming took much longer than the actual installation. I appreciate your attention to detail and kindness for noticing.
Hey man thank you. My in-laws gave us the laminate wood floors from their house because part of theirs flooded. Their house is so big that they were left with about 2500 square feet of good floor not even two years old. I’ve not done much flooring at all and came home to a shop full of flooring and a fiancé that thinks I could remodel the world given the right tools. Haha. Anyways I feel confident that after watching this I know what I need to know to get the job done and get it done right. So again thank you for helping me uphold my title of my woman’s “Mr. Fix-it”. God bless
First time ever doing this, and my neighbor has chosen me for the install because of my great work ethic and results for the other things I've done for her. - - - She's paying me near-middle of the market pricing as well, $3.40 per square foot. Old flooring demolition involved. I'm really grateful to have found your video, especially given what I've seen so far AND all of the satisfaction being expressed in the comment section. I subbed for sure.
I find the best way to get a try random joint is yo do a full row and whatever is left start the next row. Unless of course its to long or short and needs trimming or a new one. That way there is little to no waste. I never lay more than one toe at a time. Great vid though, more explanation than most. 👍
@@daniels1293 But all your planks will be the same length! You put a row down and cut the last board and use the leftover to start the next row. Don't understand how you put multiple rows down before cutting
Tip #10 get a clear hose the length of your longest room. Fill it about 3/4 full of water with food coloring, and after sealing the ends you now have a floor checker. Simply rolling it across the floor will allow you to find uneven floor spots, especially in slabs.
Another important tip is to pay close attention to the wood patterns on the laminate boards. Some types only have a small number of different patterns, and there is a big risk of similar boards ending up close together. That can spoil the effect in some places. Also, some types have V-grooves on all edges of the boards and I find it looks nicer if there is a more regular pattern (eg 1/3, 2/3, 3/3), instead of a more random pattern.
Yup Except that I I like to make it look like the boards are actually falling on 16" on center jousts. It's not time extensive to do and looks so much better than the random bit.
The backer rod tip was genius not only to keep the warranty but I used the idea as I was installing the floor to be a stop on the wall. My drywall has a gap between the it and the subfloor which made it very difficult to keep the spacers from sliding underneath the drywall when pushing against it. Thank you!
Good video, but let me add a few tips, they are important. That underlaynment used here is the cheapest of the cheap most useless underlayment I don't recommend my worst enemy to use it. Especially on this large wood subfloor when he walked on it you can hear the noise, so you really need the best noise supression. I use 1/8" thick Eco Ultra Quiet Premium Acoustical Underlayment becuase it's made from recylced tires, and offers the most noise reduction and has vapor barrier built on it. Also, I NEVER use shoe rail, it looks cheap, most people don't like it and it's so 1995. I always pull the old cheap baseboards and use this as a good excuse to install 5" to 6" tall premium baseboard 1/2" thick, it's not that much money to do a room. Also when he used the end bracket to tap in the last pieces on the row, he failed to put a protection cloth underneath the bracket to keep from scratching the floor when banging the bracket. that's not good practice. BTW that Milwaukee Fuel jig saw looks like ti does a great job of making those quick corner cuts. I also see too many intallers do H-Pattern, drive me nuts. I even see tilers do H-patterns and ruin someone's room with it.
@@jamesmorton8416 Take your Rona trump money and buy better underlayment. Your spending $2 and $3 a square foot for the flooring at least, and then your spending days upon days or paying contracts hundreds or thousands to lay it. Does it really make sense to save 2%, 3% or 5% total job cost to wind up with a floor that makes a ton of noise when you walk on it?
Hey, how'd you get on with pro knees.? Im a uk based flooring installer (i do everything pretty much mostly lvt) . We can get them imported over the pond, i know they are expensive, but after 33 years on the old knees, im open to anything that helps. good vid, btw..
great question, they’re awesome knee pads. You’d have to ask ProKnee if you can get them. They’re a fantastic company and will likely get in touch with you. Try contacting them on their website
I'll give you my 2 cents. Proknees are the best! I wish I had bought them when they first came out. When I have to be on my knees now I am only able to do so because of having these knee pads. I did tile and engineered wood installations for about ten years solid. It destroyed my knees even with mid grade knee pads. I have the Proknees that go from ankle to top of knee. They distribute the weight all down your shin. You can't believe how well they work. They're about $250 here in the states. It's a ton of $ to me for knee pads but they're worth it in what they have you in pain and destroyed knees and possible surgery. I could sell these with a good feeling knowing that I would be helping others save their knees before they have the daily pains that I have.
@@yepper1165 CHEERS .!!! I do this thing though and its really giving me second thoughts. i kneel like you and all of us do usually, but when ive been like that for awhile i sit my arse to the side so im kinda off my knees. I know they are good, and we can get them here over this side of the pond. ive been using the german fento 200 knee pads and they are pretty decent. but pro knees are the future.
@@antonytheolddog8626 The Proknees pretty much keep you on your knees so I don't think they'd be real comfortable in the side position you speak of. I'm glad ur wanting to take care of ur knees. I've abused mine, along with my hearing, and I regret it. And I'm only 52. Hopefully you're younger. You're obviously smarter if you've taken precautions already. I wish you the best.
You really don't. This guy is just sponsored by the tools he uses that's why. I only needed half of the tolls showing here. They always make it sound more difficult than it is. Talking by experience 👍
I agree completely. The wife thinks everything is a two step process: 1. She says "do it." 2. I "do it." Details aren't relevant. Guys, choose your wife carefully.
Which tool would you want most: cordless nailer or cordless jigsaw?
I would prefer a cordless jigsaw. It's something that you will need in a lot of various places. With the nailer, you are usually using it in a methodical rhythm, so it's not hard to keep the airline moving with you. With the jigsaw, you might use it once in one room, then not at all in 2 more rooms, and then again in the 4th room. You never know where and when you might need it. Plus, it's a more versatile tool, not something you will only need during a flooring project or at your work bench.
Nailer, because you have to carry it around the whole job site, but when you cut more often than not you have some kind of a cutting station.
Nailer because i hate lugging around my compressor.
Nailer for me for sure
I found his description and method the most clear and useful over the long winded and sometimes confusing though well meaning efforts of others videos.Is he Canadian?they are straight to the point much like Aussies
You explained this whole process like I'm an idiot and I appreciate that so much.
😂😂😂
YES... "Thank YOU so much".
I am the idiot 🤣I understood this so well I’m off to buy my underlay !
.... nommm o
@@letitiaoldham4393 lf
The last floor I worked on I got yelled at for not stair casing the joints ! You explained it well. The way you talk is very easy on the ears and clear. You have a talent for teaching. God bless you and your family aloha
You sir have earned my respect for going through and dropping the audio down when using the multi tool, classy touch
Now that is a professional at making TH-cam Videos... Turn Down the noise...
We so appreciate that.
Yep! I appreciated that so much also!
Most video editing software has audio compressor, its so frustrating when i hear that popular, professionally edited videos, and even tv shows, don't bother compressing the audio. Its literally just a filter that automatically softens loud noises, and brings up the volume of quite bits when they meet certain thresholds.
😂
@@trybunt actually a filter is an eq filter, where it “filters” the desired eq band. A compressor reduces the amount of volume above a threshold by a ratio, so it’s not a brick wall, but instead of a linear increase, once a signal crosses an audio level threshold, the amount of increase is reduced by a set ratio. A compressor DOES NOT increase the volume of the quite(quiet) “bits”. The user simply has the ability to increase the overall volume while keeping the transient peaks in check and reducing how much above that threshold they get, effectively reducing what is referred to as “dynamic range”, or the difference in audio level from most quiet parts to the loudest parts.
Well done. You are a great teacher and a good craftsman. My recently passed father with a master tradesmen in multiple trades and worked until he was in late 70's. He would call you a good mechanic. I grew up building homes with him, and put myself through college with a hammer. I do not make my living in the trades now - I am an engineer and manage large public works contracts, but I have been remodeling my homes and doing home improvement projects my entire life. It is obvious you know what you are doing, and I appreciate the obvious fact that this is how you make your living. The well used tools, work clothes, and knee pads that have seen a floor or two just show that you are speaking from well earned experience.
We installed laminate flooring in my brother's home many years ago, and I am planning on doing the same in our current home of less than a year. I had forgotten much, and learned more from watching your video. Thanks again for the great content.
I will be 70 this December. I have done this project in 4-5 homes. No TH-cam back then. Hired a young man to do it in my current 1958 home. I have watched several video's and read the instructions that came with the flooring. This is a very helpful and much needed video. Best I've seen. Thank you so much!
Sir, your comment is inspiring. Thank you
I have been installing floors for 38 years now. This is a great basic video that pretty much covers everything.
Maybe you can give me some advice? I'm looking at doing a floor like this except the ones I'm looking at are really cheap and some of the reviews have me worried about how well it'll hold up and how long it'll last. So my plan is to pour at least 2 gallons of epoxy over the floor after I get it laid. Any problems that you can think of with this idea? lol
@@ZyaLuke it probably won't be able to expand & contract with the epoxy
@@dmgthib thats something I was worried about but I know they do it with real hardwood floors so why do laminate floors need to expand and real hardwood floors dont? What if I glue/nail the laminate floor down instead of letting it float? Lol
@@ZyaLuke if there’s no air getting to the laminate (which there shouldn’t be once encased in epoxy) then it won’t be able to buckle which is why you need to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter, hope this helps.
I dont think it has to do with air getting to it, pretty sure it has more to do with changes in temperature causing the floor to expand and contract. If you did it as a floating floor like you are supposed to then it would still try to expand and contact (whether or not the epoxy would be enough to prevent it from doing that by holding it all together, I'm not sure) but if you glued or nailed it down then it shouldn't be able to expand and contract hardly at all.
Anyways, I've moved on from this idea and now I'm doing a straight epoxy floor, I'm just waiting for all the pigment powders to get here from China. Lol
My late husband and I installed laminate flooring on a Saturday morning.
Saturday night we spent the whole night "doin' the nasty" on our new flooring!
He was a great lover!
You’re my hero 🤣
Well. Most diy or tutorial videos I watch are annoying and barely know what they are doing, much less know what they are talking about telling other people things to do wrong.
This may be the 1st video I have seen that is actually good.
Thanks for posting this up. I already do this for a living but it popped up on my feed so I clicked it. Glad I did friend! Good job!
CHEERS MATE THANKS FOR THE SAW BLADE TIP SAVED ME $80
Well done! I especially appreciated the volume adjustments made in post production so I wasn't blasted by the compressor or miter saw kicking on. Good tip about the backer rod as well!
i have seen many videos about laying laminate flooring, but ur precise details on how to do it was amazing. ur explanations of the whys, certain things had to be a certain ways and demonstrating while explaining, made it so much easier for any diyer to lay this floor. playing this video while laying the flooring, like as if u were in the same room with the diyer. excellent job. bravo!!
thank you so much Grace for your kind words and support, it’s fantastic to hear the Video is being that helpful
@@HomeRepairTutor it worked so good thanks so much
absolutely agree! very grounded and detailed instructions. Thank you!
Genius! Thinknill do the same.
Great video and tips. I'm a retired finish carpenter and never did a floating floor. I'm doing this in my home and feel ready to go. Thanks !
What a pro ! I really got a lot out of this video. I really appreciate his "to-the-point" presentation. I noticed he uses top quality tools and equipment and is extremely well versed on what the manufacturer recommends and he has taught me several things I was unaware of. Really great presentation.
Fact of the day: This is the best laminate install video on the TH-cams.
Agreed
I wished they had better trim some trim to thick for something's only trim I seen so far . Vision great I'm puting down 11mil and the ends don't come together tight I don't like this type of flooring leave gaps nothing tight like I like. You did a great job on video I didn't know that a person had to use that strip around the wall and your flooring thank you for letting me know that's pretty great I'm never seen it before then help me a lot on things that's why I see on some of these homes then the flooring spreads apart after so long then you have to beat it back in people ask me how come I tell them that they cut it too long not to write for what they need but I didn't know that you needed that other spacer thank you
You just told me everything wrong with the floor in a house we bought 7 months ago (with brand new flooring already installed). It has quickly gone downhill and now I know the many reasons why, including lack of backer rod. Very informative and very good tips!!
OK I'm very curious what the foam backer rod does. I can't for the life of me figure out what purpose it really serves other than keeping crap out of the gap when doing the install. Once the floor is installed, and the trim is complete, what does it do?
@@blaster-zy7xx One possibility is that it provides some “spring” against the wall and helps keep seams together as the laminate expands/contracts closer to and further from the wall. Just a guess.
@@Joew99001 That's what I would have guessed too, but I have installed vinyl flooring and once it gets all clicked in place, they are very hard to get to slide relative to each other. So the force of some foam pushing up against it doesn't come close the the force needed to slide the planks against one another. so I'm still very perplexed what it could possibly do. My only hypothesis is that it keeps the entire floor from expanding and contracting and ratcheting itself in one direction to expose gaps under the baseboard. But even that is a stretch.
Excellent job and excellent teaching about wooden floors
Great video, the explanation of why to avoid staircasing was clear and I had never seen or heard of backing rod in any other DIY video so thank you very much, great job!
Bombs are not a whole 2nd of our planet is a planet 2of 2earth that we could be living 3in 3in 3a 3in 3a 3is
@@maurig6403I'll be damn.
Great video appreciate all the little details for somebody who’s never done it. That goes a long ways.
This is by FAR the most detailed and professional work i have seen on TH-cam
thank you
I absolutely agree.
Massive help. Great video m8
Just installed my first laminate floor today thanks to this video.... Great explanation!
I’m here for a refresher. You’re right, nobody ever mentions a backer rod. Nice tip!
Lost me at the backer rod. we want room for expansion and contraction.....why fill it in with backer rod? doesnt that defeat the purpose of the gap?
Protects from debris filling in the gap but still allows for expansion. Especially if you have toddlers 👍
In my opinion you've been the most informative. You explain things in a way that makes a lot of sense.
OMG!! I am so so happy you mentioned the random pattern. Iv had conversations with and watched SO many other flooring installers do the steps across the floor over and over. It looks SO HORRIBLE!!!! Their like that's what is says on the box, I did it perfect. The box might say to cut the boards an additional 6 inches shorter or what not for 4 or 5 boards... .but it does not say to install them in that order. Mix them up.
This is the most thorough and professional laminate floor video I've seen. You're a huge help, my friend. Thank you!
Best video on laminate EVER. BEST EXPLANATIONS STEP BY STEP. THANKS WAS JUST BOUT HIRING A FLOORING COMPANY BUT I GOT THE TIPS TO DO MYSELF NOW. AGAIN THANKS. WATCHING THIS VIDEO DURING LOCKDOWN
Have seen many DIY home renovation videos and this is one of the best, simple clear instructions with great tips
Check this 5 Easy Hacks To Use When Installing Parquet Flooring th-cam.com/video/g6uGFJZuFgI/w-d-xo.html and get more information about such topics
I love the detail in this video! So many things that other videos leave out. I'm putting in flooring after some water damage and I'm hoping I get the hang of it so I can get rid of carpeting in my house for good.
i think this is the most indept and precise guy ever! very informative!
I must compliment you on your craftsmanship and your professionalism, it is difficult to find conscientious tradesmen who care about what they are doing. I am a time served engineer in the UK, the apprenticeship I underwent was five years, not the couple of years modular system in vogue today, I learned under men who had done the job for years and picked up the little nuances and tricks of the trade gained over many years by my predecessors, many of whom demonstrated the same values you seem to have. Thank you, I wish I could give more than one like.
We’ll explained… definitely my favorite laminate flooring video so far, after watching about 10 other videos.
Absolutely the best laminate flooring video. I have found on the tube. No frills .
This vid could also be titled "Watch How a Total Pro Uses a Jigsaw Like a Boss." Thanks for the tips guys. Subbed form the UK :)
Dude, you absolutely RULE ! Such an intelligent and down to earth instruction vid . You have ZERO ego , which is rare . Even more rare : You didn't ask for 1 superchat penny . My brother , Bravo and a Flying High 5 to you!
We see a real master of his job here. A real knowhow.
I agree, this is how it's really done professionally.
Thanks!
Also make sure you randomize the printed patterns on the laminate. Some boxes have multiple repeated patterns. I unbox multiple boxes and sort through the patterns (usually between 5 and 8 piles) and make sure I don't have a repetition or pattern. Hope this helps
Exactly. Most of the floors you can see.... One patern in one place.... And looks bad. 🤨
I just open 3-5 boxes and grab randomly from them as I'm laying. I challenge every customer that if they can find a pattern, I'll knock $100 off the final price. I've never lost a dime.
@@TheCharleseye damn, I would win that money. I've grabbed 5 in a row of the same pattern before. I was furious. I have also had a box where there were only 3 patterns out of 6 🤬
@@TheCharleseye even harder with good products like RevWood or QuickStep Laminates. They have a floating die when punching out the boards. Still has the 8-12 board repeat, but the pattern won't show up on the same place on a different board for like 30.
@@TheCharleseye Since you've never lost a dime, why not agree to re-do the floor, particularly if they didn't want a patterning?
great info and demonstration. thank youn
By far the most useful guide I have found. Easy to follow and great explanations. Thank you, you have truly taken alot of stress off starting my flooring tomorrow.
Might have missed this. How should I lay out the plannks so I don't end up having to rip one length wise at the other side of the room ? Don't want to end up with the final course being 1or 2 inches wide. Thanks, best video I have seen on this !
Great how to video. I really liked the idea of the foam backer along the entire perimeter of keep future debris out! If only floors were available like this 20 years ago when we built our house. Installing Pergo Outlast tomorrow. We raised our dining room floor with plywood to mate up to the 3/4 inch ceramic tile at both doorways.
DUDE. YOU ARE BAD ASS FLOORING MAN. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO DOES FLOORING. AND HE TAUGHT ME A LOT. GREAT VIDIO. JUST PRECISE MEASUREMENTS,CUTS AND DETAILS. VERY INFORMATIVE AND TO THE POINT. YOU BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME. WORTH THE TIME TO WATCH. THANK YOU.
Great video. Enjoyed the tips. I've noted some difference between the product I'm getting ready to install and what you were using. My flooring is almost 5/8" thick. It's vinyl laminated onto an MDF-type fiberboard and has the foam backer attached. The manufacturer suggests a 3/8 spacer but after removing our baseboards I've noticed that the drywall is about 3/4 inch off the floor so I'm going to use less gap. One difference to your installation is instead of the foam tubing around the perimeter, they are instructing me to use a silicone sealant all the way around. The idea with their product is that this will provide a moisture seal so that any spills along the edge of the floor will not soak into the fiberboard. The silicone is flexible enough to allow for expansion. Thanks for a very helpful video.
Great job; i m in FRANCE , Paris, i ve seen here lot of videos on installing laminate floors, yours is the best for the quality of instructions and various details that can improve the work. very helpful and instructive. have a good day.thanks. Mokrane.
thank you so much, we appreciate your kind words. Paris is wonderful, we love the Latin Quarter, but the entire city is fantastic
Great video. I am a contractor that does this for a living. You mentioned more steps than most videos. Good job. Thank you.
Man o' man! You've got the best, most to-the-point, detailed instruction video on laminate flooring. Thank you! I pulled up the carpet and linoleum on my first floor living room, dining room and kitchen. I'll be installing laminate in mid-August when I get my bonus. Thanks for sharing!
jvimm g y y n c
Great tip with the backer rod! Very underutilized by most people doing flooring DIY.
As far as stair casing patterns, what about using the off-cut from the end of your rows as the staring piece for your next row? That's what most manufacturers recommend. Also, one of the tips I was taught was to measure the width of the room and divide by the width of the board to make sure that you aren't ending with an extremely narrow piece against the wall on your last row. As long as your decimal number is greater than about a 1/4 of the plank width, you should be OK, but closer to half the width is better. For example, if you have a 7.5" plank and a 106" room, your last row would either have a 1" gap, which is too wide for shoe to cover, or a 1" wide strip at the end, which are prone to separating. By measuring the room up front, you can rip the first row down so that you'll have a similar sized row on the opposite wall from your starting point. Just my two cents, but thanks for the video.
I tried using the end to start the next row on paper but then it is just , for example a 6" piece to start then a 42" piece to start then a 6" to start then a 42" to start. It didn't have a random look it was like a stripe with every other row the same as two rows back. I heard there is a video by a guy who goes into great detail about laying out the boards and I'm about to try to find it. Cheers. PS what you say about the first and last row is correct as I understand it not to take anything away from this video which was very informative, well shot and covered a lot. Cheers again.
Bcg gg is
Excellent!!
I've watched three videos now and you're the only one that showed the backer rod, I kept wondering what to do with that gap. Thanks!
You have Earned my respect sir I like it the way you explain every single thing step by step thanks
5 p
This has helped immensely! I never thought about the backer rod and it make a lot of sense. I will be referring back to this video a lot in the next few days. THANK YOU!
Video will be gone by then. Hurry and get the JOB DONE ! ! !
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING HOME IMPROVEMENT VIDEOS I'VE EVER SEEN! I was starting the prep for the laminate flooring project and THIS VIDEO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS TREMENDOUSLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AN AWESOME JOB!!! :)
thank you John, we really appreciate your kindness
Calm down on the caps man. It ain't worth dropping a load on.
This was very informational. I learned so much. I feel confident starting my flooring
I wish the contractors I've used in the past were as attentive about their work as you are. I bet you're busy with good reason. Nice work!
Dude you are fregging awesome I learned so much. I installed 30 years ago for a while. It’s so different now thank you I’m going to be doing a new laminate floor in our house I now feel confident in doing it. Really I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your video
Home Owner Tip #10 - you can build your first 2 or 3 rows away from the wall (it will be much easier) and then push the assembly against the wall. Also, you can use a box of planks to add weight and keep everything in its place as you start.
I seen guy mark and measure his last plank width then start three straight Rows screw them down to keep from. Having rip small pieces at end.
Yep. Good tip. That's what I always do
I don't really understand why building rows and then pushing them into place would be easier? I mean if you're worried about the first row being unsquare then take some measurements. And if you're worried about the first row moving you could just use a pin nailer to hold it in place at the very edge where it will be under the trim
Thats what i do also..a also use mini prybars to keep a quarter inch wall gap
😅o
Fantastic video! Each step simply explained and demonstrated. Best of all, no ear-splitting rock music in the background. I can do this. Thanks a bunch!
I do a lot of laminate flooring, the method I use to start a floor is click two rows of boards together the length of the room, then I slide them up to the starting wall and use a scribe block to mark a scribe along the full length of the room, then I take them apart again and cut along that scribe line and you are guaranteed they will run perfectly along the starting wall every time even if is not straight while keeping the expansiin gap at the wall.
Can you explain this? I don’t get it
Excellent suggestion. That is how I do it as well. Comes from my shipyard background and barge building I do. We scribe a lot of stuff next to bulkheads for proper fit, for efficiency and less weld time. Keep in mind if you scribe the length of your wall, number the pieces before disassembling them, that way after you cut them, you can put them back together in their proper order.
I’m from Detroit Michigan and recently installed a floor in old Dearborn.My buddy bought a cutting tool, a shear table with a long handle. Made cuts easy in conjunction with a table saw. Cool video
I've watched dozens of videos and talked with a dozen "professional" installers, only one said anything about the backer rod and that was just that it's up to the individual whether they want to go to the time and expense.
Thanks for explaining the whys and wherefores. Great video. Subbed. 👍👍
Very thorough video of how it's done. This will be the first laminate floor I have done I'm sure this will help!
I got to start installing this stuff. Been setting tiled floors for 20 years, this is a walk in the park.
Btw, excellent video, you are definitely a pro. This video instruction is as good as it gets without being there helping you out and asking questions.
Thank you! This needs to be the first thing anyone watches on flooring! Fantastic!
Thank you for not inducing background noise that some people call music.
Everything is explained very thoroughly, and there are tips on this video that aren't on others I watched, such as the use of backer rod.
Great video! Also don't forget to use planks from 2 or 3 packages at a time to really blend the colours together.
MAJOR THUMBS UP THANK YOU FOR SHARPENING MY GIRL SKILLS. IM READY! DONE ONE HOUSE MYSELF. DOING THE OTHER NOW!
Great content!! I would add one thing, be aware if the home has a security system to not cut through the wire in the bottom of the door jam. alot of older alarms are hardwired and usually at least my company where i live we would install the door contact at the bottom of the door on the hinge side. Remove the contact and do something with the wire in order to avoid an unwanted service call where we have to rewire the door. Cant tell u how many times ive been to home where the alarm isnt working due to every door contact wire being cut through.
I did just that once found myself facing 4 officers
Excellent video, I have learnt some many tips presented in a clear and concise way, Thank you.
this video fantastic! great tips and actually following all best practices unlike a lot of others I have seen.
Great tips Scott. I really appreciate all the info. you guys drop for us!! It's been brought to my attention in some of the videos that we have some know it alls contradicting or down right being ignorant to the info. you guys are spreading. Funny, how they don't have a channel dropping videos. I mean NO WHERE do you guys claim to say this is how it HAS to be done. The steps you guys take to teach us have results that look great. They're thorough, easy to understand, & make sense. Hoping all is well guys, if anything you have at least one guy out there appreciating what you guys do & Dirty Jersey out!!!
thank you so much Mike, you’re right, there are many ways to get the job done. We simply share one way
Best video I have seen on this topic. Thanks!
Great video! Wow. I have been watching several over the past few days in preparation to begin my flooring install, and yours is the most thorough so far! Well done. :)
Wow - Nice - Far more thorough with many extra tips than any other video - It looks like you might have put more time into filming and editing than the actual installation, which is much appreciated. Your high caliber advice helped immensely!
You’re correct, the editing and filming took much longer than the actual installation. I appreciate your attention to detail and kindness for noticing.
Thank you for this awesome video! You broke it down to we’re a simpleton like my self can dummy proof this project!! Mad respect ✊
Hey man thank you. My in-laws gave us the laminate wood floors from their house because part of theirs flooded. Their house is so big that they were left with about 2500 square feet of good floor not even two years old. I’ve not done much flooring at all and came home to a shop full of flooring and a fiancé that thinks I could remodel the world given the right tools. Haha. Anyways I feel confident that after watching this I know what I need to know to get the job done and get it done right. So again thank you for helping me uphold my title of my woman’s “Mr. Fix-it”. God bless
Best video on TH-cam for laminate installation. You def have me courage to do on my own.
First time ever doing this, and my neighbor has chosen me for the install because of my great work ethic and results for the other things I've done for her. - - - She's paying me near-middle of the market pricing as well, $3.40 per square foot. Old flooring demolition involved.
I'm really grateful to have found your video, especially given what I've seen so far AND all of the satisfaction being expressed in the comment section. I subbed for sure.
I find the best way to get a try random joint is yo do a full row and whatever is left start the next row. Unless of course its to long or short and needs trimming or a new one. That way there is little to no waste. I never lay more than one toe at a time. Great vid though, more explanation than most. 👍
Flooring guys do this, but we lay as many rows out as we can before cutting
@@daniels1293
But all your planks will be the same length! You put a row down and cut the last board and use the leftover to start the next row. Don't understand how you put multiple rows down before cutting
@@Nutsarooba stairstep it
@@Nutsarooba but also when you get about 3/4 of the way done be mindful of how many rows are layed to reduce waste
Awesome video. This is the first time I am doing my kitchen floor and it is a very big help thank you very much.
Hi another tip is to start each row with the offcut of previous row if it maintains the six inch or 150 mm here in Europe 😀
I am a flooring contractor as well ...Nice work !!
Tip #10 get a clear hose the length of your longest room. Fill it about 3/4 full of water with food coloring, and after sealing the ends you now have a floor checker. Simply rolling it across the floor will allow you to find uneven floor spots, especially in slabs.
Cool idea!!!
Thank you so much for having all the safety equipment and PPE. Be safe live long.
Another important tip is to pay close attention to the wood patterns on the laminate boards. Some types only have a small number of different patterns, and there is a big risk of similar boards ending up close together. That can spoil the effect in some places.
Also, some types have V-grooves on all edges of the boards and I find it looks nicer if there is a more regular pattern (eg 1/3, 2/3, 3/3), instead of a more random pattern.
Yup Except that I I like to make it look like the boards are actually falling on 16" on center jousts. It's not time extensive to do and looks so much better than the random bit.
Liked the backer rod idea at the wall and the unique tool to hammer against to lock planking together.
The backer rod tip was genius not only to keep the warranty but I used the idea as I was installing the floor to be a stop on the wall. My drywall has a gap between the it and the subfloor which made it very difficult to keep the spacers from sliding underneath the drywall when pushing against it. Thank you!
Just getting ready to start a 2 bedroom job...I'm pretty sure your video saved me time and $$$...thanks a bunch.
The necessity of knee pads cannot be understated. Great video.
Fantastic tips, especially about NOT stair-casing. You're right about no one else really talking about that. Very well done. Cheers! 🍻
Usually, an eighth off in the first two rows means way off by the time you get across the room. I’m curious to see how that goes.
I install flooring everyday you do a good job my brother thank you
Good video, but let me add a few tips, they are important. That underlaynment used here is the cheapest of the cheap most useless underlayment I don't recommend my worst enemy to use it. Especially on this large wood subfloor when he walked on it you can hear the noise, so you really need the best noise supression. I use 1/8" thick Eco Ultra Quiet Premium Acoustical Underlayment becuase it's made from recylced tires, and offers the most noise reduction and has vapor barrier built on it. Also, I NEVER use shoe rail, it looks cheap, most people don't like it and it's so 1995. I always pull the old cheap baseboards and use this as a good excuse to install 5" to 6" tall premium baseboard 1/2" thick, it's not that much money to do a room. Also when he used the end bracket to tap in the last pieces on the row, he failed to put a protection cloth underneath the bracket to keep from scratching the floor when banging the bracket. that's not good practice. BTW that Milwaukee Fuel jig saw looks like ti does a great job of making those quick corner cuts. I also see too many intallers do H-Pattern, drive me nuts. I even see tilers do H-patterns and ruin someone's room with it.
Yeah and that underlayment probably costs $1 a square foot. Some of us do have budget we have to stay within. We are part of the 99%......
@@jamesmorton8416 $.70 per sq ft as opposed to $.50
@@jamesmorton8416 Take your Rona trump money and buy better underlayment.
Your spending $2 and $3 a square foot for the flooring at least, and then your spending days upon days or paying contracts hundreds or thousands to lay it. Does it really make sense to save 2%, 3% or 5% total job cost to wind up with a floor that makes a ton of noise when you walk on it?
You gave valuable information and tips without wasting my time! Thanks so much!
Hey, how'd you get on with pro knees.?
Im a uk based flooring installer (i do everything pretty much mostly lvt) .
We can get them imported over the pond, i know they are expensive, but after 33 years on the old knees, im open to anything that helps.
good vid, btw..
great question, they’re awesome knee pads. You’d have to ask ProKnee if you can get them. They’re a fantastic company and will likely get in touch with you. Try contacting them on their website
I'll give you my 2 cents. Proknees are the best! I wish I had bought them when they first came out. When I have to be on my knees now I am only able to do so because of having these knee pads. I did tile and engineered wood installations for about ten years solid. It destroyed my knees even with mid grade knee pads. I have the Proknees that go from ankle to top of knee. They distribute the weight all down your shin. You can't believe how well they work. They're about $250 here in the states. It's a ton of $ to me for knee pads but they're worth it in what they have you in pain and destroyed knees and possible surgery. I could sell these with a good feeling knowing that I would be helping others save their knees before they have the daily pains that I have.
@@yepper1165 CHEERS .!!!
I do this thing though and its really giving me second thoughts.
i kneel like you and all of us do usually, but when ive been like that for awhile i sit my arse to the side so im kinda off my knees.
I know they are good, and we can get them here over this side of the pond.
ive been using the german fento 200 knee pads and they are pretty decent.
but pro knees are the future.
@@antonytheolddog8626 The Proknees pretty much keep you on your knees so I don't think they'd be real comfortable in the side position you speak of. I'm glad ur wanting to take care of ur knees. I've abused mine, along with my hearing, and I regret it. And I'm only 52. Hopefully you're younger. You're obviously smarter if you've taken precautions already. I wish you the best.
What brand/color of flooring
Wow, this is what you call professional work.
you had me at "integregated"....😆 🤣
Never say you don't need a whole lot of tools! The wife might be listening too!
You really don't. This guy is just sponsored by the tools he uses that's why. I only needed half of the tolls showing here. They always make it sound more difficult than it is. Talking by experience 👍
I agree completely. The wife thinks everything is a two step process: 1. She says "do it." 2. I "do it." Details aren't relevant. Guys, choose your wife carefully.
Also, gals choose your husband's carefully. I'm watching this so I can install it.
Great video and not complicated with a bunch of tips on measuring and cutting, very straightforward. Thanks.