Laminate flooring is among the most common DIY renovation tasks in Canadian homes. The click-lock floating system does not require nails or glue, which keeps the project accessible to homeowners without specialist tools. That said, the results depend heavily on subfloor condition and proper acclimatization — two steps that are frequently skipped and frequently responsible for failed installations.
Permit note
In all Canadian provinces, replacing existing flooring with laminate is classified as cosmetic work and does not require a building permit. No permit is needed when you are covering an existing subfloor without altering the structure beneath it.
Materials and tools
Before purchasing planks, measure the room and add ten percent for waste from cuts. Most Canadian retailers sell laminate in boxes covering roughly 1.8 to 2.2 square metres. You will need:
- Laminate planks (rated AC3 or AC4 for residential use)
- Underlayment (6mm foam or 3mm cork with integrated vapour barrier)
- Spacers (10mm minimum for expansion gaps)
- Pull bar, tapping block, rubber mallet
- Circular or jigsaw for cutting planks
- Utility knife and straight edge
- Tape measure, pencil, chalk line
- Quarter-round or T-moulding trim
Step 1 — Prepare the subfloor
Laminate flooring tolerates minor subfloor irregularities but will fail if the surface is excessively uneven or damp. The standard specification for floating floors is flatness within 3/16 inch (4.8mm) over a 10-foot (3m) span. Use a long straightedge to identify high and low spots. Sand or grind down high areas. Fill low spots with floor-levelling compound and allow it to cure fully.
Remove all existing baseboard trim. If existing flooring is ceramic tile, assess whether the tile is fully bonded. Loose or cracked tiles should be removed before laying laminate over them. Carpet must always come out — floating flooring over carpet creates an unstable base that damages the click joints over time.
Check for moisture using a plastic sheet test: tape a 600mm square of poly to the subfloor for 24 hours. Condensation underneath indicates moisture levels that require a more substantial vapour barrier than standard underlayment alone.
Step 2 — Acclimatize the planks
This step is often overlooked and is responsible for a significant share of post-installation problems. Laminate planks expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. Installing cold planks brought directly from an unheated vehicle into a warm interior creates dimensional stress that can cause joints to separate or buckle.
Stack unopened boxes in the installation room for a minimum of 48 hours. In prairie provinces during winter, extend this to 72 hours. The room should be at normal living conditions — typically 18°C to 22°C and 35 to 65 percent relative humidity — both before and during installation.
Step 3 — Install underlayment
Underlayment serves three functions: it cushions foot traffic, reduces sound transmission and provides a minor moisture barrier. Many laminate products now come with attached underlayment; if yours does, do not add a second layer.
Roll out the underlayment perpendicular to the direction you plan to lay the planks. Butt edges together without overlapping. Tape seams with the manufacturer-specified tape. If moisture is a concern, use an underlayment with an integrated 6-mil poly vapour barrier, and run the poly 50mm up the walls before trimming it after installation.
Step 4 — Plan the layout
Start from the longest, straightest wall in the room — typically the wall opposite the main entry. Measure the room width and divide by the plank width to determine the width of the last row. If the final row would be less than 50mm wide, cut the first row narrower so that both the first and last rows are balanced visually.
Snap a chalk line parallel to the starting wall at a distance equal to the plank width plus the 10mm expansion gap. This line guides your first row and ensures everything runs straight regardless of whether the wall is perfectly flat.
Step 5 — Lay the first row
Place spacers against the starting wall at 300mm intervals. Position the first plank with its grooved edge toward the wall and the tongue facing out. Connect planks end-to-end along the row. Cut the final plank to length, leaving the cut end toward the wall.
Use the offcut from the last plank in row one as the starting piece of row two, provided it is longer than 300mm. This creates the stagger that prevents continuous joints from running across the room. If the offcut is too short, cut a piece to approximately half the plank length.
Step 6 — Complete the field
Connect each new row to the previous one by tilting the plank at roughly 30 degrees, engaging the long-side joint and pressing down until the click locks. Then tap end joints together using the pull bar and mallet. Do not use excessive force — the joint should click with moderate pressure.
Stagger rule
End joints between adjacent rows must be offset by at least 300mm (about 12 inches). Short offcuts used repeatedly in the same area create a stair-step pattern that is visually distracting and mechanically weak.
Cut planks around door frames by undercutting the casing with a handsaw laid flat on a plank sample. Slide the flooring under the casing rather than cutting the flooring to fit around it.
Step 7 — Install the final row
Measure the remaining gap at the far wall. If the subfloor, wall and previous rows are all straight, you can rip the planks on a table saw to width. More commonly, walls are not perfectly straight, so use a scribing tool or compass to trace the wall contour onto the planks before cutting.
A pull bar hooked over the plank edge allows you to draw the final row tight against the previous row when there is not enough room to use a mallet.
Step 8 — Finish with trim
Remove all spacers. Install quarter-round or base shoe moulding around the perimeter to cover the expansion gap. Nail the trim to the wall or baseboard — never to the floor. At doorways and transitions to other flooring types, install the appropriate T-moulding, reducer or stair-nose profile.
Common problems and causes
- Planks popping up at joints: Expansion gap too small, or moisture causing planks to expand beyond available space.
- Visible gaps between rows: End joints not fully engaged during installation, or planks shrinking due to very low humidity.
- Hollow sound underfoot: Uneven subfloor leaving planks unsupported. Identifies specific low spots that should be levelled.
- Squeaking: Underlayment edges overlapping, or debris trapped beneath the floor. Both require pulling up the affected area.