Laminate Flooring

[Drew C]

I'm moving into my first house in the coming weeks (fingers crossed!) and I'm wanting the whole of downstairs (41sqm)covering with laminate flooring.
I've just been quoted £250 for fitting it.
Does this sound reasonable? or can anybody point me in the direction of how to find out how to do it myself?

 

[ShinObiWAN]

Thats a very reasonable price for 41sq mtr's.

 

[Mylo]

Laminate flooring is not too difficult to fit. I have done a 20 square meter room in a day. The down side is it's a lot of work and painful on the knees & back. If your quote includes delivery, installation and clearing away the waste afterwards, I would be very tempted if the money was available. Remember they will guarantee the job, if you cock it up your self you’re stuck with it.

Cheers Mylo

 

[Drew C]

I've already bought the floor and the underlay and the guy who quoted me is one of the joiners working on the house. It just seemed a bit steep when he told me.

 

[Mylo]

Hi Drew, is it the click together style or the type that needs glue? If you are DIY competent and have the time, click would not be a problem, just remember 'Measure twice, cut once'. Oh and don't drink too many beers whilst fitting it like I did.
It is really satisfying when you complete the job yourself.

Cheers , Mylo

 

[Drew C]

It is the 'click' type of laminate. We have the stairs coming down into the living room which are curved at the bottom, I would have no idea how to fit the floor around this. I'm also wanting it to go through into the kitchen and downstairs bathroom which again would cause me problems when trying to fit it around doorframes, the bottom of kitchen units etc.
I was hoping there was somewhere online showing all the 'tricks of the trade.'
I've got a feeling I'm going to end up having to pay for fitting.
It's just an unwanted extra expense that I could do without at this moment.

 

[Techno Freak]

It is very satisfying fitting yourself - but ask yourself how good at DIY are you and would you be satisfied with a possibly sub-standard job?

The last thing you want is to feel like you have wasted all that expensive laminate floor by not doing a very good job on the install. ( not that I am saying you would'nt do a great job ).

The main floor will look great whoever lays it as the click boards pull themselves togethor nice and tight. Its the areas around door frames and stairs that will test your DIY skills and show up a bad job.

£250 seems like an excellent price for the area mentioned.

My builder told me as as a rule of thumb about £200 per room ( standard room with not many door frames etc ).

I then got a proper qoute for a joiner to lay my kitchen floor - 16 sq meters - he qouted £220.

I laid my own in the living room and it does look the business - it only took a Saturday morning to fit but it was a simple room with no fiddly bits.

I say, if you have the money - £250 is a bargain, get it properly fitted.

 

[Stereo Steve]

Seems very reasonable to me. If you have stairs, especially curvy ones then you are highly likely to find it difficult (no offense). A joiner does this kind of thing all day and will do a good job in no time.

I would let him do it.

 

[patr1ck]

Topps tiles have a free DVD which besides sections on tiling has a couple of sections on laying laminate flooring.

Pat

 

[Mylo]

Hmmmmm. curves, not done them before with laminate. Going from one room to another is not as straight forward as you would think. There needs to be an expansion gap in the flooring between the 2 rooms. Several doorways (tricky) and the stairs would sway me to paying the joiner.
Offer him £200 cash and see if he'll go for it.

Cheers, Mylo

 

[Drew C]

Thanks very much for all your posts fellas.
I think if it was an easier room to do, I would give it a go, but with it being a bit tricky I think I would be better paying the 'experienced' person to do it.
I just know if I did it myself and didn't do a very good job, it would bug me forever!
Once again many thanks.

 

[ShinObiWAN]

Originally posted by mylo
Offer him £200 cash and see if he'll go for it.

Cheers, Mylo

LOL

Are you Scottish?

 

[aarons]

thats a good price for that size room.i do it professionally and charge between £8-£10 a m2.