Laminate flooring can look fantastic if installed correctly, and if you are doing it yourself, you get great satisfaction with the result. However, there is a lot to think about to get the job done properly, including asking the question, what accessories do you need for laminate flooring?

There are some specific tools you will require along with your laminate flooring to do the job correctly if you want a professional look and finish. These include:

• The laminate flooring;
• Your choice of underlay;
• A good quality measuring tape;
• An erasable marker pen;
• A jigsaw;
• Utility knife;
• Laminate floor fitting kit;
• PVA adhesive;
• Door bars for laminate flooring;
• Scotia beading for edging.

Your choice of laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is available in a huge range of colours, and when fitted correctly, it can be difficult to tell high-quality laminate from real wood flooring. Of course, for a professional finish, you will need to purchase laminate flooring accessories. This includes door bars for where the laminate flooring meets in the doorways.

Another finishing touch is scotia beading around the edges of the walls and cupboards. Thankfully, we have a wide range of colours, profiles and options for both door bars for laminate flooring and scotia beading for laminate.

What are laminate flooring door bars?

Laminate flooring door bars are an important part of the installation for a professional look and finish of the flooring. The bars are placed in the doorway where two floors meet. This can be laminate to laminate or laminate to carpet. The type of door bar required depends on whether you want to join laminate with laminate or laminate to a carpet in another room.

We stock a range of door bars colours to ensure one matches the colour of your floor, or you can purchase unfinished and stain the bar yourself.

What is scotia beading?

Scotia beading ensures you get a perfect finish at the edges around the room and cabinets.

The beading is placed at the edges near the skirting boards where the laminate floor meets the skirting board. There is always a slight gap between the laminate flooring boards and the skirting board, and the scotia beading hides that gap and finishes off the flooring with a slight curve to the edging. 

Laminate floor fitting kit

A laminate floor fitting kit is going to make fitting the floor a lot easier. Kits such as the one we offer at All-in-All Flooring Accessories include a hammering block, pull bar, spacers and spatula.

How to fit your laminate floor complete with accessories to finish

Once you have purchased the required amount of laminate flooring and bought your laminate floor accessories for installing and finishing the flooring, you can begin to lay it.

1. Spread out and lay down your underlay

The first step is to ensure the floor is clean and free of dirt and dust and it is dry. Then spread out and lay down your choice of underlay.

The underlay will help to cushion the laminate flooring along with insulation, protecting against moisture and dampening noise. We stock a range of underlay, depending on your requirements.

1. Laying the laminate flooring

With the underlay in place, you can begin to lay your laminate flooring. We recommend starting in the left-hand corner of the longest wall in the room. The planks should be installed in the same direction as the light source, which is usually the main window in the room. This makes the joins of the laminate less noticeable.

Begin with the first piece by laying it with the tongue edge towards the wall. Bear in mind you need to leave a gap of around 10mm around the edges of the room for the laminate to expand and contract. This is where the spacers from our fitting kit come in.

Ensuring the next board is aligned correctly with the first; line it up carefully and press down to click it into position. Continue laying the boards until you can no longer lay full boards.

For the last board, you need to measure and cut it precisely. The easiest way to do this is to take the last board and lay it down next to the row you fitted and flip it upside down. Ensure the groove edge faces you. Measure and make a mark on the underside of the board and fasten it to your workbench and cut it carefully with a jigsaw.

Continue laying down the floor. Remember never to start your following rows with a full-length board. This ensures the joints are staggered and not all lined up in a row.

In doorways, you need to cut to fit into the doorway and make sure that the laminate flooring meets the middle of the doorway.

1. Lay the laminate floor door bars and scotia trim

When you have completed your laminate floor, and you are happy with how it looks, you can go ahead and finish it off with floor door bars and scotia trim.

If you are joining laminate flooring in two rooms in the doorway, we recommend T-profile door bars. Our laminate door bars come with a fitting kit for easy installation.

Measure the doorway and then cut the bar. Using the PVA glue, you lay the door bar directly over the joining of the two floors in the centre of the doorway and press down. You can then clip the door bar into the fitting and press down, ensuring a snug fit and finish.

The scotia trims around the edge of the room can be trimmed and glued down to finish and give a professional look to the floor.

Buy your accessories for laminate flooring

Here at All-in-All Flooring Accessories, we stock one of the biggest ranges of laminate flooring accessories in the UK. We stock laminate door bars in more than 20 colours and numerous profiles, with more than 100 different options available. To finish off your flooring, we have matching scotia beading in a choice of 20 colours. Request a price list today and sign up for a free trade account.