In this post I’m sharing all the tools you need to install laminate flooring. Whether you’re a beginner or a DIY pro, the items on this list will get you through this project and be useful on many other around-the-house projects in the future.
For simplicity’s sake I’m assuming you already own a couple basic tools like a hammer and screwdriver, but if you don’t, be sure to pick those up as well.
You can read my full post on our carpet-to-laminate transition here!
Tools For Installing Laminate Flooring
1. The actual flooring
The most important item on the list! Take note of the manufacturer’s instructions for how much space you need to leave between the flooring and the wall. Most styles require at least ¼ inch to allow the boards to expand without messing up the entire floor.
I used Style Selections Laminate Hardwood in Tavern Oak for our living room, bedroom and guest room and I’m very happy with it!
2. Laminate underlayment
Before you lay your laminate, you’ll need to place a layer of foam underlayment underneath. Usually 2mm or 3mm thick will do the trick. The underlayment helps minimize imperfections in the subfloor and keeps your footsteps from sounding like a clomping elephant when you walk through your house.
Some styles of laminate flooring come with underlayment already attached. For these, you don’t need to lay a separate layer of underlayment.
If your subfloor is made of concrete, or if you’re laying laminate in a low-lying area like a basement, you’ll also need to put in a moisture barrier between the subfloor and the underlayment. Some types of underlayment come with a built-in moisture barrier, so be sure to check the label.
3. Underlayment tape (or plain old duct tape)
This is what you’ll use to connect the pieces of underlayment together. You don’t need to tape the pieces to the floor itself, just to one another.
4. Utility knife
This makes cutting the underlayment a whole lot easier than trying to wield a pair of scissors on an unruly sheet of foam. Plus, you can use it to shave tiny edges off your laminate boards if needed to make the pieces fit just right.
5. Laminate flooring saw or laminate cutter
While you can use a standard circular saw or table saw to cut laminate flooring, I don’t recommend it unless you’re really comfortable with those types of saws. A special laminate saw makes it super easy to get perfectly straight cuts on pieces of laminate board.
Similar to a laminate saw, a laminate cutter works almost like a paper cutter to deliver perfect, straight-across cuts. The only limitation of a laminate cutter is that you can’t use it to cut boards lengthwise (also known as ‘ripping’ the boards), which you’ll likely need to do at some point.
6. Premixed drywall joint compound
Drywall joint compound is great for filling in minor imperfections in your subfloor prior to laying your underlayment. The premixed kind comes in a tub, so you don’t have to deal with mixing up a powdered solution and water. It’s just like putty: scoop it out, fill in the holes, and let it dry. If possible, get the quick drying kind so you don’t have to wait 24 hours for it to dry.
Note that this is not a solution for big holes or other major damage to your floor; it’s only meant to fill in small gaps or even out areas with less than ½ inch deviation. If you need to cover bigger imperfections or level the room’s entire floor, consider using self-leveling underlayment.
7. Drywall knife for spreading joint compound
This makes it easy to get a nice flat finish when you use your joint compound
8. Installation tools
There are a couple tools you’ll need to make sure your laminate boards fit seamlessly together: a pull bar, rubber mallet, a tapping block, and a set of spacers. The easiest thing is to buy a kit that includes all of these together.
9. Pry bar
Once you have a pry bar, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. It’s essential for pulling out nails, removing nail strips from rooms with old carpet, taking out staples, and pulling up old door thresholds. Since I bought one I’ve found several other projects where it came in handy!
10. Wood glue
Most of your laminate boards will fit together using their built-in tongue-and-groove system. Sometimes, though, you’ll have to cut irregular-shaped boards to fit tricky areas, and this will require cutting off the tongue, the groove, or both. In these cases, you’ll want to use a line of wood glue to ensure a strong bond where two boards meet, since there’s no tongue and groove to lock them in place.
11. Undercut saw or oscillating multi tool
Depending on the area you’re covering, you’ll probably come up against some unusual edges—door frames, built-in cabinetry, etc.—that aren’t totally lined up with the surrounding walls.
For these spots, it’s much easier to make a cut in the wood and slide the flooring underneath than butt the flooring up against the edge and try to cover it later with molding. To make this awkwardly positioned cut, you’ll want an undercut saw.
Another cool option, and the one I used when I couldn’t find an undercut saw for rent, is something called an oscillating multi tool (they could have come up with a better name for it if you ask me, but what do I know?).
This versatile tool can be used for several purposes, one of which is making small cuts to pieces of wood and metal. Turns out, it’s perfect for cutting under door frames. It can also be used for sanding, which is a nice bonus when you’re doing your finishing work.
12. Baseboard and/or quarter round molding
When you’re laying the edge pieces of your laminate flooring, they’re not all going to line up perfectly with the wall. That would be insane to try to achieve!
Instead, you’ll install a baseboard or quarter-round molding over the corner where the floor and wall meet for a nice smooth finish.
13. Finishing nails
These are what will hold your baseboard or molding to the wall. They’re thin, light nails that are easily covered up with a dab of latex sealant and/or paint, so they’re almost imperceptible.
14. Nail set or pneumatic nailer
You’ll want to drive your finishing nails in flush with the baseboard, so they don’t stick out. If you try to do this using just a hammer, though, you’ll make a hammer-head-shaped dent in the baseboard around the nail.
The trick is to drive the nail almost all the way in, then use a tool called a nail set to finish the job. A nail set is basically a long, pencil-like piece of metal with a tip that’s slightly smaller than the nail head. Position the nail set against the nail head, then use the hammer to finish driving in the nail without ever touching the baseboard.
If you’re fancy, a pneumatic nailer can also do the job for you.
15. Latex sealant
This will be used to seal the tiny seam between your molding and the wall. You can also use it to hide the tips of your finish nails in the baseboard. Get a color that matches your baseboard (white is a great option) and you won’t even have to paint over the top.
16. T-molds
Finally, these are used to bridge the transitions between laminate and non-laminate flooring, like the transition from the hallway to a tiled bathroom.
You can see the full process involved in my flooring installation here.
