Independent guide
Plan the first and last laminate rows: a layout worksheet
A paper-and-pencil layout method for straight planks, including a worked example that avoids a very narrow final strip.
Updated 2026-09-10
Start with a sketch and product limits
Draw the room as seen from above, with doors, recesses and fixed obstacles. This worksheet assumes straight, parallel plank rows; it does not apply to herringbone. Write down the plank's installed width, its length and the manufacturer's limits for edge rows, end pieces, joint offsets and clearances. Use installed coverage dimensions rather than including a projecting tongue. Keep all measurements in one unit. The purpose is to spot awkward pieces before cutting, not to turn a rough room sketch into a guarantee of fit.
Compare two possible directions
Draw an arrow for each direction you are considering. Beside it, note the main view into the room, where the rows end and which doorway details will need attention. Quick-Step's overview uses the longest wall as a starting reference and calls for checking the final row width. Treat appearance and practical fitting as separate questions on your sketch. If the product or installation conditions impose a direction, resolve that first. Then compare the remaining options rather than choosing by habit.
Calculate the available row width
Measure across the proposed rows and deduct the specified clearances at both sides. Divide the remaining width by the installed plank width. The whole number gives the count of full-width rows; the remainder is the strip left if you start with a full-width board. Repeat the measurement at several positions, because opposite walls may not be parallel. Label each result on the sketch so the narrowest part of the room remains visible in your decision.
Work through a simple example
Suppose the width available after the correct clearances have already been deducted is 3,620 mm, and each plank covers 190 mm. Nineteen full rows would use 3,610 mm, leaving only 10 mm. One alternative is eighteen full rows, using 3,420 mm, plus two edge rows sharing the remaining 200 mm. Each edge row would then be 100 mm wide in this ideal rectangular example. Check that result against your product's minimum width. These are invented room dimensions for arithmetic, not recommended clearances or a cutting list.
Add the lengthwise joint plan
Sketch several consecutive rows with their end joints marked. For each proposed starter, check both the starter length and the piece remaining at the far end. Then compare the end-joint positions with neighbouring rows against the specified offset. An offcut belongs in the next row only when its dimensions and joining edge suit that position. This is a useful place to label candidates in pencil: usable here, usable later, or unsuitable. Do not assume that every leftover piece has an immediate home.
Resolve doorways before approving cuts
Enlarge each doorway detail on a second sketch. Show the board edge, planned transition and neighbouring surface, with the relevant accessory instructions beside it. Quick-Step's UK FAQ requires an expansion joint between rooms; other products and markets must be checked on their own terms. Ask the fitter to confirm the detail where the sketch is unclear. A continuous visual line through a door is a design preference, and cannot by itself establish that an uninterrupted installation is permitted.
Create a layout decision sheet
Finish with a single page recording the chosen direction, reference line, proposed edge widths and doorway decisions. Add the measured variation across the room and the manual page used for each limit. Mark the drawing provisional until the person doing the fitting has checked it on site. Use the fitting-day sequence next. Keep the worksheet afterwards: if a question arises at handover, it provides a much clearer starting point than trying to remember why the first row was cut to a particular width.