Laminate DIY, lay laminate flooring yourself. Online guide.

Prepare the floor
A firm, level base is essential before you can add a laminate floor. Fill cracks and holes in a concrete floor with mortar. If the surface remains uneven, level with a layer of self-levelling compound, sometimes referred to as latex screed, which is available from any DIY stores. Vacuum the floor to remove any grit and fit the laminate floor underlay, starting in one corner.

Laying and fixing the laminate
If you feel that the wall is straight, you can start your first row against it. Place the special plastic spacers at 60cm intervals along the longest straight wall and lay the first row of boards with the groove side facing the wall, starting from a corner. If the wall is not straight, you'll need to scribe the boards to fit. To make this as easy as possible, loose-lay a row of boards so that they run straight and sit just touching the most prominent part of the wall. A good way of making sure they are straight is to strike a chalk line on the floor. A chalk line has a reel of string housed in a chalk filled container. When unwound, the chalk-coated string can be pulled taut between two points and 'plucked'. As the string snaps back against the surface, a line of chalk is left. Cut a small block of wood the width of the largest part of the gap. Now, without moving the boards, hold a pencil against the floor block and slide them along the wall marking a line on the boards. You will then have an exact profile of the wall marked and can cut the floor boards accordingly. The best tool to use for this is an electric jig saw. Remember to follow the safety and operating instructions supplied with equipment.

Now position the spacers as previously described and lay the first row. The ends of the boards are tongued and grooved, and are joined by squeezing a bead of glue along the top of the tongue and groove. You will probably need to cut the last flooring board of the row to fit. Mark it with a try square, and saw with the finished surface facing up. This way, you are less likely to splinter the surface. Begin the second row, starting with the off-cut of the board used at the end of the first row. If it's too small, cut a new board in half and start with that. This reduces wastage and also helps with staggering the joints. Always stagger the end joints of adjacent rows by at least 30cm. Use the fitting tool to push the ends of the floor boards together. Continue across the room, pushing the completed laminate floor rows firmly against the plastic spacers and laying more underlay ahead of the boards you are fitting. Force each piece together by gently tapping the edge block against the grooved side of each floor board.