laminate flooring

little_green

considering getting laminate flooring looking for advice.
I currently have carpets so they would need uplifted first. Do i then need laminate underlay over the bare floorboards prior to the actual laminate flooring?
is it the norm to have the same color throughout or can you mix & match in different rooms (assume its personal preference).
what would be rough going rates for getting it laid? say per square meter or labour time (guessing this will vary depending on area but just so i have at least an idea if i'm being ripped off or not).
anything else i should know or consider?
thanks in advance

SaverRate

little_green said:

considering getting laminate flooring looking for advice.
I currently have carpets so they would need uplifted first. Do i then need laminate underlay over the bare floorboards prior to the actual laminate flooring? YES
is it the norm to have the same color throughout or can you mix & match in different rooms (assume its personal preference). UP TO PERSONAL PREFERENCE 
what would be rough going rates for getting it laid? say per square meter or labour time (guessing this will vary depending on area but just so i have at least an idea if i'm being ripped off or not). TRY LAYING YOURSELF?
anything else i should know or consider? DOES THE LAMINATE NEED TO BE WATER PROOF/WATER RESISTANT?
thanks in advance

See above comments in CAPS not sure how to change the colour!

jellie

IMO, it will look much better if you have the skirting boards taken off, laminate laid & the skirting put back (or completely replaced).  I don't like the beading but if you must have it, I think it looks better in white to match the skirting rather than in the same colour as the laminate.

gwynlas

If you are having it choose the best that you can afford. it does look better if all planks ruun in the same direction not changing room by room and again going for a fairly neutral colour as it is meant to last many years . Depending on what is under your carpet you might need plywood laid to provide a smooth stable surface. Again looks better if skirting board lays on top, all of this adds to the cost/

grumbler

It's worth saying that skirting board can be undercut instead of taken off (and the door frames must be undercut for nice look).

I agree about the same direction and the same colour. The extra benefit is that thus you can avoid thresholds that, personally, I hate.

Plywood IMO is overkill if combined with underlay.

dsm77

Laminate is pretty easy to lay yourself, most of them just "click" together now (although avoid the cheapest as the tongues tend to fall apart), if you're a relatively competent diy'er it shouldn't be a problem.
Plywood shouldn't be necessary, if your boards are really uneven just use a thicker and better quality underlay.
You can mix and match with the colours if you wish, it's up to your personal preference.

neilmcl

grumbler said:

It's worth saying that skirting board can be undercut instead of taken off (and the door frames must be undercut for nice look).

I agree about the same direction and the same colour. The extra benefit is that thus you can avoid thresholds that, personally, I hate.

Plywood IMO is overkill if combined with underlay.

Yes, you can undercut skirting but it will be really difficult getting the final run of boards under skirting.

rob7475

A bad fitting job can make expensive laminate look rubbish and vice versa. 
As long as your floorboards are relatively flat, the fibreboard underlay (about £15 for 7m2) topped with rolled 2mm underlay works well. (I was advised of this method of doubling up the underlay by Quickstep and not had an issue with it).
As others have said, you really need to remove skirtings and undercut door frames to make the job look good.
Ideally, you want the boards to run perpendicular to the direction the light enters the room.
As for brands, I've used quick step in my own houses which is great quality and should last for years. In a property I was renovating to sell, I used wickes own brand laminate as it was on offer and I get a trade discount too. The quality seemed good for the price and it was no harder to lay than the quickstep stuff.

little_green

thank you all for the replies. I'd love to do it myself but i just wouldnt have a clue where to start, or the right tools. 

RelievedSheff

We had laminate in our old house throughout the downstairs.

We bought an expensive one for the living/dining room and it was far better than the cheap stuff that was in the kitchen and hallway.

It really is a pretty easy job to do. Just remember to leave an expansion gap as the planks will expand and contract with changes in temperature.

bearshare

little_green said

anything else i should know or consider?

Luxury vinyl flooring?
I have not got it, but it seems to be the 'the thing to have' (I.e. some neighbours have recently installed  it as part of very expensive re-fits)