DIY Laminate Flooring

There was a weekend last month where I had a free Saturday. I was already headed out early to Chinatown that morning and I needed to kill some time while waiting for my mom's dental appointment. I decided to visit Sincere Hardware and before I knew it, I was jamming 11 boxes of laminate flooring into my compact car.

Prior to this visit, I had been doing some research on laminate flooring: checking out color selections, materials, prices, and watching a lot of YouTube installation videos. I was convinced that this was something I could do on my own. I already had most of the equipment, I just needed a pullbar and a pushcut saw for the door jams.

The cheapest laminate flooring was 7mm thick @ 99¢/sq. ft. This is the standard 12"x48" that is most common. It has a printed pattern and plank marks. One look and you know it is laminate. I never liked this look because as time goes, the supposed invisible crevices where the planks meet will gather dirt and will become very visible. If you ever go to Ikea, look at their sample floor that people walk on. It's filthy.

I decided to get the 5"x48" individual planks @ $1.59/sf. I liked how they meet together like real hardwood planks. The grooves are real grooves so they look a lot more like real wood. Plus they were a lot thicker at 12mm, which is more warp-resistant and has better sound dampening.

I could have gone with real wood for as little as $2.99/sf., but wood dents more easier. To test the resiliency on the store sample, try digging your fingernail into it. If it leaves a dent, then it's too soft. Most hardwood would resist denting to an extent. But if you go further and dig in your car keys, laminate holds up better. In my mind I already knew laminate was the way to go in terms of durability and cost, especially when you have a house full of kids.

After a whopping six hours to move all the crap out of the office, remove the carpet, remove the carpet tacks, remove closet doors, and pop off the base mouldings, I was spent. Man, I had no idea it would be that much work... and I had not even begun installation! I guess that's the price I pay for being spontaneous. And I can't stop now. I'm at the point of no return.

Once I started, it took over an hour to lay down just three rows of planks. Keep in mind that since I got 5" planks instead of 12", I more than doubled the workload – ughh. Later as my brother-in-law came over to help, we were able to do 10 rows/hour, woohoo! I did all the sawing while he hammered away. Too bad he was only there for one hour because once he left, the workflow slowed big time. Yes boys and girls, do not attempt this by yourself, or else you'll be in for a long, looooooong day.

As I reached the final row, things got a little tricky with the door jams and that's when I realized I should've started on the door side and moved toward the window. Doh! Oh well, live and learn. So after a little bit of improvisation and ingenuity, I completed the job. And I was even able to save one unopened box for return!

I love the new floors now. Much better than the white carpeting I constantly had to keep clean. The only bad thing is now my computer chair rolls too fast and keeps crashing into the desk. But all in all a wonderful improvement and a great learning experience. Would I want to do it again? Ahh, no.

Final Stats: 11'x16' room, 6 hours prep, 8 hours install, $398, and 4 bandaids.

Removing the carpet tack strips from the concrete was a big pain
(and the cause for at least one bandaid).
Removing the base moulding wasn't too easy either (another bandaid).
And to make life even harder, the carpet pad was glued down (a little foul language).

How the bare floor looks like. The drizzle marks are the glue holding the carpet padding.

At the end of the first day.

I had to finish in time for our Friday mahjong party.

Absolute sharks! What kind of people get that many good tiles so early in the hand?