Laminate floors are typically installed as a floating floor, meaning it consists of interlocking planks that are laid across the existing sub-floor. No adhesive, nails or staples are necessary.

Laminate floors click and lock into place without glue or fasteners to hold them down. They are often described as “floating” above a subfloor. This construction is not watertight.

Floating floors can be lain over most existing floor coverings with no problem. Carpet must be removed, and parquet or any other wood floor must be removed if it’s over concrete.

And here’s why: Laminate flooring expands and contracts with humidity, so it’s important to leave an expansion gap—usually ¼ to 3/8 inch wide—between the baseboard molding and the flooring.