Replacing laminate flooring can you save the skirting boards

Cuttlefish

Looking to replace laminate flooring in two bedrooms, they been down almost 20 years and have been brilliant but starting to age


Can the laminate be replaced and the skirting boards left on and not removed from the walls?

Reason I am asking is that the plastering on the house (over 45 years old) was absolutely shocking and tubes of builders caulk was use to pack behind the skirting etc so if they can remain on the walls and just 'slide' in the new laminates all the better



Thanks fellow boards members

listermint

of course, you can put the laminate up to the skirting with expansion gap and then put in quadrant to cover that cap, fixed to the original skirting.

The Mulk

Cuttlefish wrote: »

Looking to replace laminate flooring in two bedrooms, they been down almost 20 years and have been brilliant but starting to age


Can the laminate be replaced and the skirting boards left on and not removed from the walls?

Reason I am asking is that the plastering on the house (over 45 years old) was absolutely shocking and tubes of builders caulk was use to pack behind the skirting etc so if they can remain on the walls and just 'slide' in the new laminates all the better



Thanks fellow boards members

Most 'click' laminate needs to be fitted at about 35-45 degree angle as you are laying it.
The best you would get away with us not removing skirting from 2 walls.

1. The wall you start at, (you could slide the flooring under the skirting here)
2. The right hand wall, if you are fitting right to left. The floor will click in and slide up.

That still leaves you with the left hand and finishing wall.

I usually remove the skirting and refit, it takes longer but I hate using quadrant, especially if there are any small pieces or 'dodgy' angles:pac:

Cerco

The Mulk wrote: »

Most 'click' laminate needs to be fitted at about 35-45 degree angle as you are laying it.
The best you would get away with us not removing skirting from 2 walls.

1. The wall you start at, (you could slide the flooring under the skirting here)
2. The right hand wall, if you are fitting right to left. The floor will click in and slide up.

That still leaves you with the left hand and finishing wall.

I usually remove the skirting and refit, it takes longer but I hate using quadrant, especially if there are any small pieces or 'dodgy' angles:pac:

I thought you should start in the middle and work towards each wall to ensure workable widths at each wall.

RebelButtMunch

Cerco wrote: »

I thought you should start in the middle and work towards each wall to ensure workable widths at each wall.

caveat: Im a DIY'er
I've never had to start a laminate floor in the middle. Always start at the wall with a spacer in there. The wall helps to provide a bit of leverage to push the floor against when laying.

The Mulk

Cerco wrote: »

I thought you should start in the middle and work towards each wall to ensure workable widths at each wall.

I'm a DIY'er too but the laminate click usually has the directions to start it, in one corner and work down and out
Some floors can only be laid(by design)in one direction.
Depending where it is, I usually start with the wall that can be seen, so it's a full plank and the cut plank is behind the bed/lockers, sofa etc.

Cuttlefish

listermint wrote: »

of course, you can put the laminate up to the skirting with expansion gap and then put in quadrant to cover that cap, fixed to the original skirting.

Prefer not to use quadrants. Was hoping that I could perhaps remove just one length of skirting to start free up the initial planks of laminate and the rest then should follow, no?

ted1

Cerco wrote: »

I thought you should start in the middle and work towards each wall to ensure workable widths at each wall.

Nope, start in bottom corner, and work your way over. You won’t get it straight starting in the middle. It’ll move while doing it

gtv2002g

No ....and I speak from experience I removed just one skirting and tried it I had to take off one more skirting and even then it was not ideal .....ie keeping the gaps regular