How to Lay Down Laminate Starting at the Front Door

Cut the bottom of the doorjambs with a jamb saw. The jamb saw height adjusts to the thickness of your laminate flooring and cuts off just the bottom of the jambs. The jambs are the two trim pieces on either side of the front door that run from the top of the door to the floor.

Start in the corner of the room closest to the front door and position the first strip of flooring along the wall, with the tongue edge facing the wall.

Position 1/4-inch flooring spacers between the strip and the wall to keep the strip 1/4 inch away from the wall. You will later cover this gap with baseboard.

Fit the end of the next laminate strip to the end of the first strip. Use more spacers to keep the edge of the strip 1/4 inch from the wall. Do not nail or glue the strips down.

Slip the strip that passes in front of the front door under the cut doorjambs. It should slide under easily. Fit the end of the strip into the end of the previous strip.

Continue fitting strips until you come to the end of the wall. Measure and cut the last strip 1/4 inch shorter than the measurement and fit it in place. Use a circular saw and make the cut on the backside of the laminate strip to reduce the risk of splintering the face of the flooring strip.

Carry the cutoff strip to the corner where you started, and use it to start the next row. This strip will be shorter and will give the flooring a staggered seam look. Staggered seams are standard because seams that align create a weak area in the floor.

Continue installing the strips. When you reach the far end of the room, you’ll probably have to cut the final row of strips lengthwise to fit into the remaining space. Leave a 1/4-inch gap here as well.

Measure the distance between the front door jambs. You will notice a small gap between the flooring strip and the threshold of about 1/4 inch.

Cut a matching piece of base shoe molding. Base shoe is 1/2 inch wide by 3/4 inch high. A standard threshold is also 3/4 inch high.

Fit the base shoe snug against the threshold and nail it in place with finish nails. Nail through the gap and into the subfloor. Do not nail into the edge of the laminate flooring or into the threshold. Install baseboard around the rest of the floor’s perimeter.