Vinyl or laminate flooring: choose for the room and the floor beneath it

Describe the wear the floor will actually receive

Think about wet shoes by the entrance, children dragging chairs, pets, kitchen spills and strong sun through a large window. Note whether the home is occupied continuously or left unused for periods, and tell the supplier about any existing underfloor heating. Ask how the proposed product responds to those conditions and what its warranty excludes.

For a bathroom or kitchen, establish exactly what moisture exposure is permitted and which edge details are required. A water-resistant or waterproof product label does not make the substrate or room waterproof. Do not extend permission for occasional splashes into an assumption that the flooring is suitable inside a shower or around a floor drain.

Compare the product reference, not just the category

Vinyl includes rigid and flexible products, with click-fit or glued installation systems. Their needs are not interchangeable. Laminate products also differ in use classifications, moisture claims and installation details. Ask for the exact reference and its current technical instructions, then check those against the intended room.

Look beyond a claim that the surface is tough or easy to fit. Establish the suitable substrate, compatible underlay, movement provisions, maintenance and temperature conditions. Where a product includes an attached underlay, ask whether another layer is permitted. For underfloor heating, request the specific compatibility and operating requirements for the chosen floor and the existing system.

Official source: Quick-Step · Guía de instalación de vinilo rígido, versión 07.2026 · Quick-Step · Guía de instalación de suelo laminado, versión 07.2026

Price preparation after someone has inspected the base

The installer needs to assess stability, flatness, cleanliness and moisture against the selected product's requirements. Existing tiles are not automatic proof of a suitable base, and an extra underlay is not a general remedy for unevenness. Ask what testing and preparation are included and what remains uncertain until the old floor is exposed.

Check finished levels at doors, appliances, thresholds and adjoining rooms. Also establish how fixed kitchen units or fitted cupboards interact with the chosen installation system; a floating floor must be allowed to behave as its manufacturer specifies. Resolve these details before ordering a product solely because its thickness appears convenient.

Official source: Quick-Step · Guía de instalación de vinilo rígido, versión 07.2026 · Quick-Step · Guía de instalación de suelo laminado, versión 07.2026

Calculate packs only after deciding the allowance

Here is a purely hypothetical material calculation. For 40 m² of net floor area, assume an illustrative 8% cutting allowance: 40 × 1.08 = 43.2 m². If each pack covers 2.2 m², you need to round up to 20 whole packs, giving 44 m² purchased. The extra area reflects both the chosen allowance and pack rounding.

The 8% is not a standard recommendation. The actual allowance depends on the layout, board format, laying pattern and cuts, together with any spares you choose to keep. Confirm it with the installer. Measure skirtings and transition profiles separately, and check supplier pack coverage rather than assuming every range uses the same quantity.

Ask what happens before and after the boards go down

A low material price can sit inside an expensive installation when the substrate needs substantial preparation. Give each contractor the same rooms and product assumptions, and compare the price of the finished result. Where preparation is provisional, ask how its extent will be measured and approved.

• Include removal and disposal of the existing covering where required.
• Identify substrate checks, repairs and preparation, including any unresolved allowances.
• Specify flooring, compatible underlay or adhesive and installation labour.
• Price skirtings, profiles, thresholds and any agreed adjustments to doors.
• Confirm furniture handling, access, applicable tax and responsibility for remaining materials.

Check the final choice with the installer

Take samples into the room and view them in its daylight, then return to the practical shortlist. Ask the installer to confirm that the selected reference suits the measured substrate and the way the room is used. Do not treat a claim about one vinyl or laminate range as a conclusion about every product in that category.

If noise matters, distinguish the sound of footsteps within your room from sound transmitted to a neighbour. Request relevant information for the proposed system and supporting construction; a description such as 'quiet underfoot' does not establish between-flat sound insulation. Agree the product-specific readiness conditions and care instructions before installation starts.