The essentials in 30 seconds
Acclimatise the unopened boxes flat in the room for 48 hours before fitting, at 15–25 °C and 30–85% relative humidity, as Quick-Step's guide says. The subfloor must be solid, flat, clean and permanently dry: Quick-Step allows no more than 4 mm of unevenness over 2 m and 1 mm over 20 cm. Lay the underlay in the same direction as the panels, taping the seams to keep the vapour barrier intact. Keep an expansion gap of 1 mm per metre of floor width, at least 8 mm, all round the room and around pipes and fixed objects. Make the first and last rows at least 5 cm wide, keep end pieces longer than 20 cm, and stagger end joints by at least 30 cm. Take the spacers out within 24 hours, fix skirting to the wall, never to the floor, and never fix down a floating floor.
- Don't fit kitchen units, built-in wardrobes or other fixed heavy items on top of a floating floor.
- Your brand's figures win: read the leaflet in the box.
Acclimatise and check the subfloor
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01
Acclimatise
Unopened boxes, stored flat, in the room or one with the same conditions, 48 hours before, during and until 24 hours after fitting, at 15–25 °C and 30–85% RH.
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02
Finish wet work first
Plastering and other work that changes the humidity must be finished and dry.
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03
Check the panels
Codes, damage and appearance in good light. Keep a box label, the receipt and a photo of the codes on the back of one panel.
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04
Remove soft coverings
Take up carpet, needle felt and other damp-porous coverings; hard vinyl or linoleum without foam can stay.
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05
Check moisture
For cement screed Quick-Step gives below 2.5 CM% (75% RH) unheated and below 1.5 CM% heated; for wood-based subfloors below 10% moisture content.
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06
Check flatness
No more than 4 mm under a 2 m straightedge and 1 mm under 20 cm; sand high spots or use a smoothing compound.
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Ruler, pencil, square, string or chalk line | Measuring and marking reference lines |
| Saw | Cutting panels; test on an offcut to see which way up gives a clean cut |
| Tapping block, pull bar, hammer | Closing joints without damaging the edges |
| Spacers | Keeping the expansion gap at the walls |
| Dust mask, safety gloves, goggles | Protection when cutting |
Measure and plan the rows
Divide the width of the room by the width of a panel to see how many full rows you need, and adjust so that the first and last rows are at least 5 cm wide. Mark reference points on the wall for your first full row. Mix panels from several boxes to avoid identical patterns side by side. Buy a few spare panels: Quick-Step recommends keeping some for later repairs.
Leave room for the floor to move
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Floating floor up to 13 × 13 m | Gap of 1 mm per metre of floor width, minimum 8 mm |
| Very dry climates | Gap can be reduced to 5 mm |
| Very humid climates | Gap should be 10 mm |
| Around pipes and fixed objects | Gap needed all round |
| Doorways, L/U/T-shaped rooms, separate heating zones, over 13 m | Intermediate T-profile, with a gap either side (exceptions by country and panel type) |
| Door frames | Must not pin the floor; undercut them |
Don't fill expansion gaps with sealant or silicone. Quick-Step only allows its own foam strip and sealing kit, which it requires in wet areas.
How to lay laminate flooring
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01
Choose the direction
Decide which way the panels will run.
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02
Underlay
Roll it out in the same direction as the panels, one width at a time as you go, taping the joins.
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03
Start away from the wall
Lay rows 2 and 3 first, aligned to your reference marks, because walls are rarely straight. Lock every panel on both the short and long side before adding the next.
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04
Click the panels
Angle the panel at about 20–30° into the one already laid and lower it, or close joints with a tapping block; use the pull bar and hammer at the wall end.
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05
Stagger the joints
End joints in neighbouring rows are never in line, at least 30 cm apart; each row's first and last piece over 20 cm.
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06
Fit the wall row
For row 1 against the wall, saw off the click profile and scribe the panel to the shape of the wall, with spacers for the gap.
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07
Finish the floor
Complete the remaining rows the same way, checking every joint.
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08
Remove spacers and fit skirting
Spacers out within 24 hours; skirting fixed to the wall, never to the floor.
How do you cut laminate flooring?
Depending on the saw and blade, the decorative top layer must face up or down for a clean cut: Quick-Step suggests testing on an offcut first. Wear a dust mask, gloves and goggles. For the last row and pieces around obstacles, measure, mark and cut, leaving the expansion gap behind the spacer.
What causes gaps and raised edges
- Skipping acclimatisation or fitting outside 15–25 °C and 30–85% RH.
- A damp or uneven subfloor, or no vapour barrier on a mineral subfloor.
- Expansion gaps that are too small, filled, or blocked by a door frame.
- Kitchen units, wardrobes or heavy fixed objects placed on the floating floor.
- Nailing, screwing or gluing the floor or the skirting to it.
Quick-Step notes that joints may open during the heating season or with large, fast swings in humidity.
Fitting laminate flooring: FAQs
How long should laminate acclimatise before fitting?
Quick-Step's guide says 48 hours, in unopened boxes, at 15–25 °C and 30–85% relative humidity.
How big should the expansion gap be?
1 mm per metre of floor width, at least 8 mm, in Quick-Step's 2026 guide; check your own brand's figure.
How far apart should laminate joints be staggered?
At least 30 cm between end joints in neighbouring rows, with no piece shorter than 20 cm at the row ends.
Do I need underlay for laminate?
Yes. Quick-Step requires its underlay, with a vapour barrier on mineral subfloors such as concrete, taped at the seams.
Can I fit kitchen units on top of laminate?
Not on a floating floor: Quick-Step says never to fix, block or permanently load it.
Sources
Manufacturer installation guide, checked on 2 November 2026 (02/11/2026).
- Quick-Step · Installation guide: laminate flooring, version 07.2026 (PDF) ↗Conditions 15–25 °C and 30–85% RH, 48 hours before to 24 hours after; unsuitable areas; floating floor never fixed or loaded; subfloor moisture and flatness (4 mm over 2 m, 1 mm over 20 cm); floor heating two weeks before; underlay with taped vapour barrier; tools and protective equipment; first and last row at least 5 cm, end pieces over 20 cm, 30 cm stagger; expansion gap 1 mm/m, minimum 8 mm, 5 or 10 mm by climate; T-profiles; spacers out within 24 hours; skirting to the wall; gaps not filled. PDF read.
Uneven or damp subfloor?
Sort the subfloor out before fitting: sanding, levelling compound or a damp-proof solution. If in doubt, ask a flooring fitter.