Floor panel replacement

The old laminate is scratched, swollen by the balcony door or creaks with every step. Replacing laminate combines two jobs in one request: lifting the old floor with its underlay and laying a new one, with a check of the base in between.

The price is per square metre. New boards, underlay and skirting are materials; removing the old floor is a separate item.

What replacement covers

• taking off the skirting and the old boards with underlay;
• checking the screed and levelling patches if needed;
• new membrane and underlay;
• laying the new boards with a gap at the walls;
• fitting skirting and threshold strips.

Why check the base

Creaks and flex in old laminate often come from an uneven screed rather than the boards. Lay new boards on the same base without fixing it and the problem returns. Once the old floor is up, the tradesperson checks the screed with a straightedge and says whether it needs levelling.

What to prepare

An empty room, the new boards acclimatised in it, and the floor area. Decide whether the old skirting goes back or you buy new. Say in the request whether the old laminate should be taken away.

Common questions