Laminate flooring comes in a floating system that is simple to install, even if you have no experience with other home-improvement projects. You may install a floating laminate floor right on top of plywood, concrete slab, sheet vinyl, or hardwood flooring. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. The pieces are available in planks or squares in a variety of different sizes, colors, and faux finishes— including wood and ceramic. The part you see is really a photographic print. Tongue-and-groove edges lock pieces together, and the entire floor floats on the underlayment. At the end of this project there are a few extra steps to take if your flooring manufacturer recommends using glue on the joints. The rich wood tones of beautiful laminate planks may cause you to imagine hours of long, hard installation work, but this is a DIY project that you can do in a single weekend. Buy the manufactured planks at a home-improvement or flooring store and install laminate flooring with the step-by-step instructions offered in the following pages.  How to install Floating Floor install the underlayment, start in one corner and unroll i underlayment to the opposite wall. Cut the underlayment fit, using a utility knife or scissors. Overlap the second underlayment sheet according to the manufacturer's recommendations, and secure the pieces in place with adhesive tape. Working from the left corner of the room to right, set wall spacers and dry lay planks (tongue side facing the wall) against the wall. The spacers allow for expansion. If you are flooring a room more than 26 ft. long or wide, you need to buy appropriate-sized expansion joints. Note: Some manufacturers suggest facing the groove side to the wall.  Set a new plank right side up, on top of the previously laid Wank, flush with the spacer against the wall at the end run. Hie up a speed square with the bottom plank edge and trace line. That's the cut line for the final plank in the row. Press painter's tape along the cutline on the top of the plank to prevent chips when cutting. Score the line drawn in Step 3 with a utility knife. Turn the plank over and extend the pencil line to the backside. Clamp the board face down and rigid foam insulation or plywood to a work table. The foam reduces chipping. Clamp a speed square on top of the plank, as though you are going to draw another line parallel to the outline—use this to eye your straight cut. Place the circular saw's blade on the waste side of the actual outline. To create a tight fit for the last plank in the first row, place a spacer against the wall and wedge one end of a drawbar between it and the last plank. Tap the other end of the drawbar with a rubber mallet or hammer. Protect the laminate surface with a thin cloth. Continue to lay rows of flooring, making sure the joints are staggered. This prevents the entire floor from relying on just a few joints, which keeps the planks from lifting. Staggering also stengthens the floor, because the joints are shorter and more evenly distributed. To fit the final row, place two planks on top of the last course; slide the top plank up against the wall spacer. Use the top plank to draw a outline lengthwise on the middle plank. Cut the middle plank to size using the same method as in Step 3, just across the grain. The very last board must be cut lengthwise and widthwise to fit. How to Work Around Obstacles
Position a plank end against the spacers on the wall next to [the obstacle. Use a pencil to make two marks along the length of the plank, indicating the points where the obstacle begins land ends. Once the plank is snapped into the previous row, position the plank end against the obstacle. Make two marks with a pencil, this time on the end of the plank to indicate where the obstacle falls along the width of the board.  Install the plank by locking the tongue-and-groove joints with the preceding board. Fit the end piece in behind the pipe or obstacle. Apply manufacturer-recommended glue to the cut edges, and press the end piece tightly against the adjacent plank. Wipe away excess glue with a damp cloth. How to Install Laminate Floor Using Adhesive
Dry-fit each row, then completely fill the groove of the plank with the glue supplied or recommended by the manufacturer. Close the gaps between end joints and lengthwise joints, using a rubber mallet and block to gently tap the edge or end of the last plank. Use a drawbar for the last planks butted up to a wall. Wipe away excess glue in the joints with a damp cloth before it dries. 
Rent 6 to 10 strap clamps to hold a few rows of planks together as adhesive dries (about an hour). Fit one end of the strap clamp over the plank nearest the wall, and the other end (the one with the ratchet lever) over the last plank. Use the ratchet to tighten straps until joints are snug. 
Install transition thresholds at room borders where the new floor joins another floor covering. These thresholds are used to tie together dissimilar floor coverings, such as laminate floorings and wood or carpet. They may also be necessary to span a distance in height between flooring in one room and the next. Installation Tips 
Ripcut planks from the back side to avoid splintering the top surface. For accurate straight cuts, mark the cut with a chalk line. If your pencil line is not straight, double-check your tracing—your wall may not be not perfectly straight, in which case you should cut along your hand-drawn pencil line. 
Place another piece of flooring next to the piece marked for cutting to provide a stable surface for the foot of the saw. Also, clamp a cutting guide to the planks at the correct distance from the cutting line to ensure a straight cut.  If you need to cut a plank to fit snugly against another plank or a wall with an obstacle in the middle, such as a heat vent, measure in to the appropriate outline to fit the board flush with the adjacent board or wall (on the other side of the obstacle). Draw a line across the plank in this location. Then measure the obstacle and transfer those measurements to the plank. Drill a starter hole just large enough to fit your jig saw blade into it. Cut the plank along the drawn lines, using a jig saw. Set the board in place by locking the tongue-and-groove joints with the preceding board.
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