Flooring Calculator
Packages, waste and estimated cost for laminate, vinyl or wood.
Intermediate~12 hours$350–$900 materials
Install a Floating Laminate Floor
Replace worn flooring in a 12×14 ft room with click-lock laminate: subfloor prep, layout, expansion-gap discipline and trim work, spread across two weekends.
Worn carpet over creaky subfloor
Before
Floating laminate with staggered joints and crisp trim
After
- 1
Day 1: prep
Acclimate boxes 48 h in-room first. Flat-check subfloor (3/16 in / 10 ft), fix squeaks, fill lows, vacuum.
- 2
Day 1: layout plan
Dry-lay first row along the longest wall; adjust so no row ends in a sliver. Plan stagger ≥ 12 in.
- 3
Day 2: underlayment + first rows
Lay foam, tape seams. Spacers everywhere. First three rows set the geometry — square beats fast.
- 4
Day 3: full field
Click rows with tapping block; pull bar at walls. Undercut jambs. Break only for hands and knees.
- 5
Day 4: trim and finish
Remove spacers, install transitions and baseboard to the WALL. Felt pads on everything.
Calculators for this project
Common mistakes to avoid
- No acclimation → gapping boards a month later.
- Ignoring flatness → hollow clicking and flex underfoot.
- Fastening through the floor or pinning baseboard to the floor → no room to move.
Keeping it good
- Vacuum with hard-floor setting; damp-mop with laminate cleaner only.
- Never steam-mop. Water is the finish-killer.