How to lay tile-effect laminate

Laminated vinyl flooring has come a long way since the days when it was sold as speckled grey tiles that glued down to the floor. Today, glueless, or "floating," laminate is available, made to look like other materials, including ceramic tiles and wood planks. The fact that it doesn't have glue makes it a good, temporary solution for a room that needs a quick, inexpensive new floor. Start with a clean, dry surface.

Pry the skirting board off the walls all around the room, using your hammer and pry bar. Keep it intact as you remove it.

Set the first laminate tile in one corner of the floor, leaving 6 mm (1/4 inch) of space at the wall. Connect the next tile to one side of it, along the wall, also leaving a 6 mm (1/4 inch) gap. Note: The types of connections can vary, but usually involve snapping the tiles together.

Lay additional tiles along the whole length of the wall, keeping the 6 mm (1/4 inch) gap there. Cut the tile at the end of the row as needed to fit, making the cut by laying a square over the tile, running your Stanley knife alongside the square to score the piece, and then snapping the piece in two.

Lay the second course of tiles alongside the first, keeping them in a grid pattern and connecting them to one another as you lay them. Cut the end pieces as necessary.

Repeat the process, working your way across the floor row by row. Cut the tiles along the wall for the final row so there's a 6 mm (1/4 inch) gap left there.

Re-install your floor trim, using your hammer and trim nails, so it covers the gaps and holds down the floor. Nail through the wall, not the floor.