How to install the first few rows - Laminate and vinyl plank installation 

I love your videos! IMO, the best on RU-vid for a smart and repeatable way to install laminate/vinyl flooring so we can have a top quality look. I'm going to be installing vinyl plank throughout my mother-in-law's house in a couple weeks and your videos should make this go much easier and come out much better! But you have the male and female sides of the plank backwards. The male side (tongue) protrudes, the female sides is the indented (grooved) side. On my first construction job, about 40 years ago, the explanation as to why was, uh, "graphic". Please keep these videos coming!

I can't imagine having started our Grandson's Big Boy Room without you sharing your obviously many years of experience. My sincere thanks as we go confidently into the project.

love the blocking tip to secure the rows. Thanks and God bless you and your family

Thank you for your guidance through this video series. The cheat sheet was key to making my floor come out looking great!

Thanks for All your help, I'm about to start a Laminate project in my condo and your videos are Greatly appreciated!

First rate tips. I build stairs for a living, I have a floor project I was thrust into by my brother. This really helps, thanks for the insight.

I just came across you and your videos this evening and I love that you pull away from the video and go in depth with your description of each detail in every step. My primary niche is tile and natural stone, walls, back splashes, custom built showers and jacuzzi surrounds, but the bulk of the stuff is flat work/flooring. So I enjoy watching you. And to be honest I've done this for God knows how many years but when I see you got into si much depth I think about #1 you are 100% legit you know your shit and I can tell you have been doing it a long time so I hope diy'ers and even contractors in their early years really take notice of even the smallest of tios that you point out because they don't have a clue that those little tiny steps save huge leaps further into their install if they decide to skip it think they know better and don't have to listen to that guy on YOU TUBE and before you know it they get to the other side of a 80' main hallway with 2 rooms already run in and they realize because they didnt run that 3riws all the way to the end and secure it before they wrapped a door jamb and completed the bedroom only to realize the main line wandered as they were clicking away on that bedroom. Now they trying to pull the main line back into place........ Ain't happening. Now they are crooked down that 80'hallway and you aint fixin that until you pull up that whole bedroom and come back out and run those 3-4rows ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE END and secure them. And now you can wrap the jamb and redo that bedroom. And their cuts will be off on each end in the room not but thankfully most of it can be used some where...... But yeah thanks man for sharing your trade skills with us... Almost makes me forget how much I really do every day that I don't even think about as I learned it all over the years and it's become 2nd nature...great stuff bud.. I'd like to just add one thing that might also help out a Diy'er... When you are securing the floor in concrete you could also use a zip tie if the screw loosens and won't tighten up. Also they work anywhere you need an anchor honestly got a loose screw in drywall wood concrete or any where you need some sort of anchor zioties can be folded in half, push the fold into the hole and insert whatever screw you have even in concrete doesn't have to be a concrete screw, any screw if once you push the fold into the hole bending each side of the zip tie dienward and inserting the screw into the foldand tightening Down will make that screw tighten up perfectly... Cut the remaining zip tie away with knife or cutters and your done.

Excellent video! Getting ready to start mine this week and I needed this video just to help ease the stress I’ve been feeling about the whole thing.

Just what I was looking for..and more. You're tha man!!!

Good tip. i like how you put pieces to support the floor

I found your video very insightful and helpful. Thank you for the message of hope an the end.

Food for thought,Thank you.

Thank you very much for your videos, I have done a couple of small areas myself but I'm about to do it for someone else and charge for, I'm a little nervous but I picked up some great tips of your videos. Thank you

Thank you sir for your sharing your knowledge for free, you are awesome.

Your so good at this.

Great videos! Thaks so much for the detailed explanations.

Thank you for the reply.

Thank you for sharing your expertise.

Awesome tip!!!

Thanx for your vey useful, well done videos. God Bless

Great work.. All the best from Ireland

thats cool and a good message

Amen!

I would love to meet you and shake your hand! You are the bomb! Best videos out there!

what about around the kitchen cabinets? do you leave an expansion gap etc? how to secure it?

What kind of screws do you use to temporarily secure the blocks to the wooden floor, and how? I using some recycled Shaw Versalock Vinyl. I majored a piece and it is only about 4 mm thick, which sounds pretty thin compared to some of the stuff you use, but I'm on a very tight budget.

So after three #)#*$&#@^!! hours of me cussing like a sailor, the number one single idea that has helped me was the use of screwing scrap pieces down to hold this flooring in place. I was driving myself absolutely #($*$&#^ batty "laying a piece down, tapping into place only to have the rest of the flooring move!" HOLY JINKIES BATMAN!!! This is my first time ever even attempting something like this and so far, I've only ruined one board. :) :) :) This is in a 12x12 bedroom with LifeProof 47.6 long planks. Yes...the first two rows looked great but the seams were shared and had to restart twice. :( Thanks so much for sharing. I'm about to head back upstairs to dig back in. I'm hoping I can finish it today. :) :)

Good layout info, t y

I love your video on starting by centering the floor. Do you have any videos showing how to do this on a floor that has a 45 degree turn? Our floor has that 45 degree turn basically in the middle, with the bath room at the point of the V and 2 bedrooms to each side.

What if I have underlayment down on a slab? Do I drill right thru that and the moisture barrier and cover the crew holes later with seam tape or do I need to fold it over far enough so the scrap board is over bare concrete?

hi,,all your videos are great and you explain them well,you really know your stuff,i live in the uk can i lay laminate floor boards on carpet under lay or as it got to be proper underlay

Hi thank you for all the videos. I am going to be installing Shaw Floorte Intrepid HD Plus SPC. I was wondering do I use a wood glue or a different type of glue to glue joints together between two planks like on the end boards etc?

Thanks for all this---simple guys like me need it....and, knowing Jesus, yep you got that right, too :)

On the cement uses leftover scrap electrical wire and put it in your hole you drilled and you can use regular wood screws

I need you in my life

What flooring is used in this video? I LOVE the style and color! The darker floor in the video, not the lighter floor towards the end of the video. Thanks

Are underlayment needed for a finished floor?

I have a dumb question about the row that gets screwed down to the floor. Could I just cut half inch wide strips, screw those to the floor right along the wall, then remove them after the floor is finished and use that for my expansion joint? That would eliminate putting the final few rows in backwards.

Hi Joel great videos I have a slight problem with my install wondering if you can help there is a couple of little boards that don’t seem to sit right as if the board is not square 2 edges are tight but join to next board it has a 1mm unsightly gap on 1 corner but tight on the other iam a bit confused and woundered if you could advise

Hey jo. You dont put any underlayment when youre installing your laminate on concrete? Thx

Huge thank you. My second floor install came out so much better. Now I stare at my first floor install and contemplate redoing everything but its a lot of square footage to redo unfortunately

Would this same method work over tile. I have tile through my house and want wood but I do not want to take up the tile. Do you have any suggestions?

So where you started laying the laminate you left that gap between the laminate and the wall. The gap was wider then another whole width of the plank so will you have to cut little strips to fill in the rest?

I put down a vinyl plank over a wood sub floor that was not 100% flat. The "click and lock" didn't stay locked even after going back and re-working. the same is true in the hall which is a higher traffic area. Any thoughts?

What do you use to remove any sharpie marks you made on the flooring? Dry Erase marker?

Any tips for securing the floor when you’re working with a moisture barrier that should remain intact?

Amen Brother

You can also put the boards where they go and just screw through the boards that are going to stay because you have to put the base boards on and probably shoe would as well and they will hide the screw holes . I have done it your way as well both will work.

Thank you for the videos. My problem is that I have 3 different widths. The cheat sheet is great but it’s blowing my mind trying to figure it out. Do you have a formula?

I just subscribe!!!!

My Adura Max says it has the pad already on the plank is that true?

My hallway have multiple door openings by starting in the center of hallway would i start from the middle and work my way out on both sides

How do you like the vinyl plank with the underlayment built in?

If it’s one rectangular room do you have to do this method?

What is your recommendation on using laminate flooring on stairs. The carpet is coming up and laminate is replacing it. The stairs do have a nosing on them. I've seen a couple other people's videos but like your work and explanation of things. I didn't notice any of your videos talking about it unless I just missed it. Thanks for your help in advance.

Do you leave that gap to the wall and install that last?

Which way should the tongue face if you have to start from a doorway INTO a bedroom (bedroom at end of hallway, to the left side of hallway) Thanks!

So with you not starting at cabinets did you run a line of your main line to put you put in front of cabinets? I'm doing one right now and I tried running it from my cabinet cuts and it was a nightmare

Thank you very much for such a detail way of how to do vinyl and laminate plank I am about to do the laminate plank for the first time is there any way I can contact you it i need advice Anthony

whats the skinniest you can rip a board? I want to center the flooring through my hallway but it leaves a 1 5/8 board on the end in the living area, is this too narrow?

How you doin Joe.I got another question my room is 9 1/2 ft wide and i put first row down and the cut piece goes on next row and it is 20 inches from butt joint is that too far? Instructions says minimum stagger 12inch

Isn’t the underlayment supposed to go in the opposite direction?

It looks like your wall row is going to be sliver thin... how can you avoid this?

K

Very helpful hints and concise instructions but what I liked most is the message at the very end of your video. Yes, we can all be saved through Jesus Christ!

Most people aren’t going to experience Sheetrock that has a gap at the bottom, at least I haven’t seen it.