What Accessories Do You Need For Laminate Flooring?

Laying laminate flooring is one of the more straightforward DIY jobs – but getting the accessories right is where most people come unstuck. Buying the wrong door bar,

forgetting the expansion gap covers, or using the wrong underlay for your subfloor type can all create problems after the floor is down.

This guide covers everything you need beyond the laminate itself, explains what each item does, and helps you choose the right option for your job. Tools like jigsaws, mitre saws and utility knives are separate from accessories and are not covered here – this guide focuses on the finishing products that go with the floor.

The Accessories You Need for Laminate Flooring

Before you start laying, make sure you have the following:

• Underlay – moisture-resistant type unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise
• Door bars – to finish doorway transitions between rooms or to adjoining floors
• Scotia beading – to cover the expansion gap against skirting boards
• Radiator pipe covers – if you have central heating pipes coming up through the floor
• Underlay tape – to seal the joints between underlay sections
• Laminate fitting kit – includes spacers, tapping block and pull bar

Underlay

Underlay goes down before the laminate and does three things: it cushions the floor underfoot, reduces sound transmission, and provides a moisture barrier between the subfloor and the laminate above. Most laminate flooring manufacturers specify a maximum combined underlay and pre-attached backing thickness – check this before you buy. Going thicker than specified can cause the click joints to fail over time.

For concrete subfloors, always use a moisture-resistant underlay or add a separate DPM (damp proof membrane) underneath. For timber subfloors, a standard foam or combination underlay is usually sufficient.

Door Bars for Laminate Flooring

A door bar sits across a doorway where your laminate floor meets another floor. Without one, you have an exposed cut edge and an uncovered expansion gap – neither looks finished and the edge will chip over time.

The profile you need depends on the height difference between your laminate and the floor in the next room:

T-bar (T-profile)

Use a T-bar when both floors are at the same height – for example, laminate in one room meeting laminate or LVT in the next. The T shape sits over the join with the expansion gaps on either side covered by the bar wings. It clips into a track that screws to the subfloor.

Ramp bar (ramp profile)

Use a ramp bar when your laminate is higher than the floor on the other side of the doorway. This is common when laying laminate with a thick underlay into a room that leads to a thinner floor, tiles, or a floor that was already there at a lower level. The ramp creates a gradual slope across the height difference rather than a sudden step. Check the height difference before ordering – laminate ramp bars are designed for a specific range (typically 4-12mm). If your difference is larger or smaller, call us and we’ll advise the right option.

End bar (end profile)

Use an end bar where your laminate finishes and there is no floor on the other side – for example at a patio door, a fireplace hearth, or a step down to a lower level. It gives a clean, finished edge to the exposed cut end of the floor.

Scotia Beading

When you lay laminate as a floating floor, you leave an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room – typically 8-10mm. This gap allows the floor to move slightly as it expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. Scotia beading covers this gap, running along the bottom of the skirting board around the room.

It is glued or pinned to the skirting board – not to the floor. This is important: if you fix it to the floor, it will restrict the expansion movement and can cause the floor to buckle.

Scotia beading is available in colours matched to our door bar and laminate ranges. If you are painting your skirting, a white primed MDF beading is the cleanest option.

Radiator Pipe Covers

If you have central heating pipes that come up through the floor to radiators, you will need to cut holes in the laminate around each pipe. Radiator pipe covers – also called pipe roses – clip around the pipe and cover the cut edge of the laminate neatly. Without them, the hole is exposed and the floor movement will eventually cause the laminate to crack around the pipe.

They are available in paper finish to match laminate colours and in solid oak for wood floors.

How to Choose the Right Door Bar Colour

The easiest approach is to match the door bar to your laminate floor. Most laminate ranges have a corresponding door bar colour – look for bars that match by colour tone (light, medium, grey, dark).

If you cannot find a close match from photos, send us a small offcut of your flooring. We will check it against our full range and send you a photo of the closest match before you order. This service is free and means you are not guessing from screen colours. Check out our Colour Matching Service on the About Us page.

What About the Fitting Kit?

A laminate fitting kit is worth having before you start. A standard kit includes spacers for maintaining the expansion gap while you lay, a tapping block for closing the click joints without damaging the edge, and a pull bar for pulling the last boards into place against the wall. Most flooring retailers sell kits for a few pounds and they make the job noticeably easier.

Ready to Order?

We stock over 1,000 door bars in 20 colours and multiple profiles, plus matching scotia beading and radiator pipe covers. If you know what you need, browse the range below.

If you are not sure, call us on 01803 416410 or email us at sales@aiafa.co.uk.

• Browse laminate door bars
• Browse laminate scotia beading
• Browse radiator pipe covers