How to Install Allure Laminate Flooring

Allure is a line of flooring by TrafficMaster made of vinyl, but made to look like stone, wood and other materials. It installs as a "floating" floor, without glue or nails, and unlike most floating floors, doesn't even need an underlayment. The laminate lines of Allure look like 6-by-36-inch wood planks, and attach at the edges with the same patented GripStrip technology as other Allure lines. Start with a flat, solid floor surface, free of obstructions.

• 1

  Mop the floor thoroughly with household floor cleaner. Let it dry completely.

• 2

  Set the first Allure laminated plank alongside your starting wall, at one end. Put wall shims between the plank and both walls.

• 3

  Press the next plank to the end of the first one, connecting them by the patented GripStrip system. Put shims between the planks and the wall. Lay all the full planks that will fit.

• 4

  Cut the partial plank at the end to size. Hold a square over the surface of the plank, scoring with your razor knife, and snap in two. Set the plank with the cut side facing the wall.

• 5

  Use the cutoff piece from the end of the first course to start the second course, at the same end of the floor where you started the first course. This will ensure that the ends of the planks are staggered between courses, giving the floor a random, natural look. Connect the second and subsequent courses by their GripStrips along the sides.

• 6

  Work your way across the whole floor, course by course. Length-cut the final course, if necessary, so it fits against the ending wall with a 3/8-inch space.

• 7

  Measure and cut floor trim to go around the perimeter, using your miter saw. Install the trim. Simply shoot nails with your trim nail gun into the wall (not the floor). The trim will cover the spaces around the edges.