Prefinished plank flooring is as easy to install as hardwood flooring and offers the same appearance. The "planks" consist of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) sandwiched between plastic laminate. The top laminate looks like random-grain wood, but its plastic composition makes it scratch- and stain-resistant.
Precision-milled tongue-and-groove edges make precise installation a snap. The whole assembly is glued together at the edges and floats on a thin, closed-cell polyethylene foam pad.
Time: 6 to 8 hours for a small room.
Skills: Basic carpentry skills.
Tools: Circular saw, hammer, pry bar, coping saw, and offset handsaw.
Planning and Preparation
1. Lay polyethylene.
Make sure the subfloor is clean, dry, and level. If the subfloor is bare concrete or you suspect that it will become moist, spread a layer of 8-mil polyethylene, and temporarily hold it in place with weights.
2. Plan the last row.
Show the layout for the room to a flooring dealer and plan the installation so the width of the last row will be at least 2 inches. You may need to rip-cut the first row to achieve this. Also check that the wall where you begin is parallel to the wall where you will end; if not, rip-cut planks at an angle on the wall that will be least visible.
3. Unroll and nail down foam.
Unroll the first strip of foam in the direction the planks will run. Do not overlap the foam edges or adhere the foam to the floor. If you're not starting against a wall or if the wall is uneven, nail a straightedge to the floor to align the first row.
Laying the Floor
4. Lay the first strip.
Lay the first strip with 1/4-inch spacers between the grooved end and the wall; the tongue should face outward into the room. Fill end grooves with glue and tap the pieces together. Use a damp towel to wipe up any squeezed-out glue.
5. Fit planks with a pry bar.
Cut the last piece in the first row, leaving a 1/4-inch space at the end. Use a pry bar to push the planks tightly together, then insert spacers and shims to keep them tight. Save the cut-off plank for use elsewhere.
6. Begin the second row.
Cut the first plank of the second row 12 inches shorter; cut the grooved end. Fill all the grooves with glue and tap the pieces tightly together. In some systems you will assemble five or six rows of planks, then use special straps and hardware to hold the pieces tightly together until the glue has dried.
7. Tape foam strips together.
After the first strip of padding is nearly covered, unroll the next strip, butt the edges (do not overlap), and tape them together. Continue gluing planks to the last row.
8. Undercut the door casings.
Undercut door casings with an offset handsaw. Use a piece of scrap flooring as a depth gauge. Hold the blade of the saw flat on top of the scrap as you cut.
9. Cut around pipes.
Cut planking with a coping saw to fit around pipes, making holes 1/4 inch larger than the pipes. The planks should not touch the pipes at any point.
10. Cut the last plank.
Ripsaw the tongued edge of the last plank 1/4 inch narrower than the remaining gap. Glue its groove and pry the piece into place. Use spacers and shims to fit the piece snug against its neighbor until the glue has set.
11. Nail shoe moldings to wall.
Once the glue has set, remove the spacers and nail the shoe molding to the wall. Drive nails into the wall, but not into the floor, so the floor can expand and contract with changes in humidity. Wash the floor with clean, warm water.
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