Laminate flooring laying advice

[Alison556]

My gran wants me to lay laminate flooring in her hallway. I've laid laminate before but only in small areas and I've not had to contend with umpteen doors before.

The hallway has 6 doors off it and I know that I need to undercut the facings but I'm not sure how to do it - most of the doors are hard into corners and there's no room to saw back and forth - so how do I do it? I was looking at undercut hand saws, but I'd still need to be able to saw back and forth, wouldn't I??? Even looked at hiring a door trimming saw but it looks like it wouldn't go into the corners either.

Also, any recommendations on a type of laminate to get? Last time I put any down, it was the click stuff and I remember the air turning blue at me cursing and swearing to get the last piece locked in (under a bloomin door frame) cos I couldn't angle it. I saw a post here where the person was advised to cut the click section off the last plank - but would that not allow that plank to move and thus cause a gap?

Beginning to think I should just get somebody in to do it....................

Would appreciate any advice, hints and tips (or offers to lay a floor!!!!! )

 

[daneski88]

Instead of undercutitng the door frames/architrave, you could trim the laminate to fit instead using a jigsaw. Whatever laminate you go for, you'll be able to get a silicon caulk to fill in any little gaps anyway.

 

[crazydaze]

You must leave an expansion gap, so it's either undercut the frame or finish short and fill with a coloured sealant, never fill with cork etc as this will not allow expansion and will likely cause the floor to fail.

As for finishing in the doorway, better quality laminate floors like Pergo are engineered to allow you to slip the board under the cut away door frame and tap straight into the long joint, you don't need to click the joint in at an angle ( the issue you had before) I believe QuickStep have a similar fitting answer to this issue.

 

[Alison556]

Thanks. I reckon undercutting would give a much better finish cos the facings aren't just bullnosed - they've got fiddly bits to try and cut round.

Was gonna "borrow" my brother's Dremel, thinking it might have some relevant cutting attachment that would do the trick - but he told me to bog off!!!!

I'll have a look at Pergo.

The thought of getting someone in to do it is getting stronger!