Is installing laminate flooring really easy?

[Petest67]

If the customer wants the skirtings removed and reinstated that gets discussed at the time of the measure and priced accordingly.

"I don’t disagree with the professional standard bit but it's you who seem to have taken exception & are arguing about what I personally consider to be a ludicrous day rate."
Where does £240 as a day rate come from - its the price to fit the floor not per day, if it takes a day the price is the same as if it takes 2 days.


"Yes always, the products are generally the same & if a shop quoted me that sort of day rate I would out the door pretty damn quick; but then I don’t need to get someone else to do it “professionally” as I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself!"
Congratulations - if everyone could do it themselves there wouldn't be a need for forums like this.


"So you’ve spent 40 quid on a damp test meter & a Hygrometer & what specialist equipment do you need to test how uneven the floor is; & I’ve already apologised for the unfortunate chipmunk remark! Your tools of the trade (& they are minimal to lay even the most expensive flooring!), fuel costs, tax & NI are not the customer’s problem, they are a burden for every tradesman; there must be a lot of very rich, gullible (or stupid) folk living where you work, are you sure you’re even on the same planet as I am! "
Try adding up the costs of my protimeter, then theres my tramex meters (one for wood and one for concrete), a digital thermohygrometer and last but not least my f.ball digital hygrometer (the type now recommended by manufacturers and BS to get a true reading of the moisture content of a concrete slab).
Testing the moisture content of a floor with a £40 damp meter is asking for trouble.

 

[Richard C]

If the customer wants the skirtings removed and reinstated that gets discussed at the time of the measure and priced accordingly.

Agreed.

Where does £240 as a day rate come from

Er here;

Probably priced on meterage.
Why is £240 alot for a days work?

But I will admit I said it first;

£240 seems a lot for a days work!

- its the price to fit the floor not per day, if it takes a day the price is the same as if it takes 2 days.

That’s not what we’ve been arguing about; if its £120 a day then fine.

Congratulations - if everyone could do it themselves there wouldn't be a need for forums like this.

This is a fantastic DIY forum & I also use it for subjects which are outside my level of knowledge & experience; it's why I turned up here over 3 years ago in the first place!

Try adding up the costs of my protimeter, then theres my tramex meters (one for wood and one for concrete), a digital thermohygrometer and last but not least my f.ball digital hygrometer (the type now recommended by manufacturers and BS to get a true reading of the moisture content of a concrete slab). Testing the moisture content of a floor with a £40 damp meter is asking for trouble.

You’re obviously a committed & truly professional laminate floor layer with the very best of equipment & are commended for it. It’s getting a trifle boring now so this will be my last post on the subject; I don’t know why you continue to misconstrue what I originally said to the OP but I hate folks being ripped off & £240/day is nothing other than a rip off!

 

[kevnurse]

Richard, the OP said:

The thing is, the cheapest quote we have found for a professional to come and install it for us is £240, which we feel is too much for our budget.

She didn't mention anything about the size or shape of the floor or how long the job would take. A later message gave us some info about the job but not square meterage or details about the edging requirements (beading or skirting board lifting).

I don’t know why you continue to misconstrue what I originally said to the OP but I hate folks being ripped off & £240/day is nothing other than a rip off!

While I agree that £240 a day for floor laying is a rip off if the job takes 2 days or more, but thats not what she said. Its £240 for the job and it might be a good deal for the OP if its a large floor. It has a bay, so I'm guessing that its not a small room and if I had never laid laminate before I would be tempted to pay the £240, particularly if skirting boards are going to be lifted or undercut rather than beading. It looks like more than a day's work to me.

I think you might have given rather strong discouraging advice about the cost to get a good job done. The OP is now going down the DIY route. I wish them good luck, but £240 could have been money well spent and the OP's hubby could have watched (helped?) the process and hopefully learned the skills for the next project.

 

[jono_h]

Why all the fuss about the price of the job? We don't have enough info about the job to comment surely?

There's been an assumption that it's a days work, but if the skirtings coming off, and new put on then that's going to take a fair bit of time. Perhaps the installer is going to apply two coats of gloss (as I quote for) - well that's going to involve a second trip on another day to put the second coat on, etc etc.
It's a fixed price quote - the installer may have added a litle to cover contigencies (which he wouldn't have to do on a day rate) - they may have priced it high because they have loads of work, or just don't want this job.
At the end of the day, only the Customer can decide if they want to pay that price, based on the spec they are expecting, and the budget they have.

Anyway, Londoner, I wouldn't say that click laminate is particularly difficult to lay reasonably for someone with common sense and patience. That said I have seen some pretty awful jobs, and the devils in the detail as they say - just be sure that you're happy with how to finish under the door jambs & thresholds etc.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Well, we know for certain the costs don't involve two coats of gloss - just look at the title of the question: laminate flooring!

But you're right, the information provided doesn't warrant it is just one day - we always price per job, not per day.