How to Install Laminate Flooring With Baseboards Attached to Walls
- 1). Clean the floor where you will install laminate flooring with a vacuum to remove any dirt and debris.
- 2). Lay a thin layer of foam padding on the subfloor to help protect the laminate flooring from moisture that could seep up from the subfloor. It also helps prevent creaking floors because it provides a layer of padding between your subfloor and the wood laminate planks.
- 3). Measure from your existing baseboards to 5/16 inch. This is the gap manufacturers require you leave between your laminate flooring planks and your baseboards to prevent buckling.
- 4). Set your first laminate flooring plank in position with the grooved edge facing the wall. Insert the tongue of your second piece into the groove on your first piece, and then snap the second piece down to the floor in position. Continue installing laminate flooring planks using the tongue-and-groove installation technique until you cover the surface of the floor.
- 5). Use a tape measure to determine how large your last row of planks should be. Cut each plank down to size using a jigsaw and install each plank in its designated position.
- 6). Measure the length of your walls so you know how long each trim piece should be to hide the imperfections of your laminate flooring. Round trim that's 1/2 inch wide will easily cover the tape, and it's short enough that it won't distract attention from your existing baseboard. Cut each trim piece down to size and use finish nails to secure it in position. Nail the trim to the baseboard, not the floor, so the flooring can expand and contract as needed in the future.
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