The Backward Method For Putting In Laminate Floors And Finishing Strong

It's no surprise that laminate flooring is hugely popular. There are styles to suit every decor, it is an affordable alternative to hardwood, and fitting it requires only modest DIY skills. There are some things you need to know to install laminate flooring successfully, and there's a method for tackling those awkward transitions at doorways to ensure a neat, professional finish.

So you've worked your way across the room until you have the last plank to fit by the doorway, but it won't lie flat because it hits the door jamb. Ideally, you'd want to slide it in underneath, but then you can't get it to interlock with the planks behind it because it needs to go in at an angle.

The plank you want to work on is not the one at the door but the one directly behind it. Lift it and use a utility knife to carefully trim away about half the tongue at the back of that plank — the part that slots into the one behind it. Next, put the doorway plank in place. This leaves a gap for the now slightly reduced plank. Run a bead of wood glue along the trimmed edge, lay it down, and work it backward into the plank behind. Now take a wooden block and a hammer, and gently tap the front edge of the doorway plank, forcing it backward to close any gaps and finish the floor. For clarity, you can check out this YouTube video.

There's another reason door jambs can be tricky to work around, and that's the awkward shape. Other obstructions in the room can cause similar problems. One approach is to make a template using paper and a piece of scrap plank. Unfortunately, this is time-consuming and not particularly accurate.

Tackling these challenges is easy if you add a contour gauge, like the one from Zozen, to the list of tools you'll need for laminate flooring installation. These simply push up against the door jamb (or indeed any irregular shape) and allow you to transfer that contour to your plank. You can then cut a precise copy. A jigsaw is an excellent tool for this type of work, and the versatile model from Black+Decker is under $35. It's a modest investment to ensure a high-quality finish to your floor.

Both of these hacks produce quick, accurate results. They should work equally well with vinyl plank flooring, which interlocks in much the same way. And they're useful additions to your arsenal of other tips to fix laminate flooring issues like scuffs, stains, or squeaks.