Laminate Flooring DIY Difficulty Level

The laminate flooring trend only continues to grow, and it may be here to stay. If you’re wondering if you can handle laminate flooring DIY difficulty level, we’re here to break it down with you. Let’s be clear: we’re not experts. We’re your standard hard-working homeowners, just looking to put a little sweat equity into our house. Since we’re not experts, we’re not here to walk you through how to install laminate flooring. We’re sure you’ve already done this research, so only one question remains. Can you handle the laminate flooring DIY difficulty it takes to install a new floor?

How hard is laminate flooring DIY difficulty?

Let’s be clear. My husband does the hard stuff. We are finishing up a DIY whole-house-gut remodel, and I help where I can. But my husband does the heavy lifting, and most major projects. He has construction experience, and I don’t. Here’s the kicker: I installed both of our laminate floor rooms myself. (My office and the master bedroom have Pergo & Harmonics flooring, respectively.) If I can do it, clearly laminate flooring DIY difficulty isn’t all that bad. The factors below will determine the level of your laminate flooring DIY difficulty.

Room Layout

Is your room shaped like a rectangle, or does it have more than four walls? If you only have four walls, how square are your walls? For my first laminate flooring installation project in my office, I had an oddly-shaped room. The obtuse angles were a nightmare to try and cut. I’m sure with the right tools it would’ve been easier, but the odd angles really maximized the laminate flooring DIY difficulty. The more recent laminate flooring installation in our master bedroom (rectangular, 4 walls) was a total breeze.

Physical Fitness

The biggest factor in laminate flooring DIY difficulty is probably simple physical fitness. This project requires a lot of squatting, swinging, pressing, and power. It’s not unmanageable, by any means. But even as someone who lifts heavy in the gym and has pretty decent stamina, I was pretty sore the next day. Fortunately, because I made sure to keep my back in the right form, I was sore in all the right places, meaning I got a good workout. But if you’re lazy with your back and you don’t practice good mobility, the laminate flooring DIY difficulty could take you out of more work for a while.

compound miter saw for installing laminate flooring — If you don’t have a compound miter saw already, it’s well worth the investment.

Access to Power Tools

This flooring installation project doesn’t require many special tools. As long as you have a laminate flooring kit and a miter saw, you should be good to go. That being said, I cannot imagine the level of laminate flooring DIY difficulty if I had to do this project with a hand saw. I’m sure it’s possible, but it could turn a one-day job into a week or more, at least.

Laminate Flooring Materials

Another major factor in determining laminate flooring DIY difficulty will be the specific flooring system you purchase. For both installation projects, I opted for laminate flooring that included an attached underlayment. If your laminate flooring doesn’t have an attached underlayment, it will increase the laminate flooring DIY difficulty level. If you’re new to the game like me, I highly, highly recommend paying the little bit extra for an attached underlayment.

Also, opting for a higher quality product like Pergo Flooring will decrease the laminate flooring DIY difficulty level as well. The cheaper materials are more likely to chip & flake during installation, which caused me quite a bit of frustration during my Harmonics Flooring project. Since I had a little more experience by this time, it worked out. But for the first-timer, I’d recommend investing in a product that will be a little more forgiving of your mistakes. (We all make them!)

chipped materials increase laminate flooring DIY difficulty — Cheaper materials mean it’s easier to chip the flooring, like this.

Summary: Is it hard to DIY laminate flooring installation?

In summary, can the novice homeowner handle laminate flooring DIY difficulty? Listen, you can totally do it! Installing laminate flooring is a totally manageable home improvement project. If you’re willing to practice and learn, you can install your own laminate flooring. Better yet, the next time you need to install flooring, you’ll have the experience and confidence to do an even better job. I’m a huge proponent of building a skill set instead of hiring help whenever possible. This project is certainly one of the more manageable ones. So don’t let laminate flooring DIY difficulty intimidate you.

Disclaimer: We’re not professionals or experts on this topic, so all we can do is share our own personal experience in hopes that it helps you in your journey! We always recommend consulting with the pros directly.