How to Tap in Laminate Next to a Wall

Laying a laminate floor is a fairly straightforward process until you get to a wall. If you don't have the right tools to tap in your last piece of laminate, you risk throwing off the whole installation. You could also end up wasting multiple pieces of flooring trying to get it right. However, if you have the necessary equipment, you'll be done in next to no time.

Tape measure
Marker pen
Measuring square
Jigsaw
Laminate floor glue
Pull bar
Hammer
Damp cloth
Plastic expansion gap spacers

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure any molding or skirting board has been removed from your wall and measure the distance between the end of the last plank of flooring you laid and your wall.
- 2
  Subtract the expansion gap you need to leave between your wall and the flooring from the measurement.
- 3
  Mark a piece of laminate flooring with the measurement you took and draw a straight line across it lengthwise with a measuring square. If you're using tongue and groove flooring, do not measure the tongue.
- 4
  Cut the marked flooring with a jigsaw, making sure the finished side is face down while you saw.
- 5
  Apply laminate floor glue to the tongue of the plank you've cut and slot it into position between the last plank you laid and your wall. If you've bought click-system flooring, set the new plank in place. The manufacturers of some click-system flooring recommend the use of laminate glue to give your floor added strength.
- 6
  Place one end of a pull bar between the end of your plank and the wall, and tap the other end with a hammer to secure your flooring into place.
- 7
  Wipe away any excess glue with a damp cloth before inserting expansion gap spacers between your wall and the plank you've just laid.

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