Laminate - How should I start my project?

[hallchrisr]

So I'm a little unsure on how to start my project. You can see in the picture I have 3 rooms that flow into one another and I'm putting laminate in all 3. I'm assuming I should make sure I have a full piece (not ripped) on the left wall of the Living Room and the Dining Room so I'm not sure if I should start in the Hallway and measure to make sure that when I get to the dining room, I've butted up against the first full board against the left dining room wall.

Or would it be easier to start at the bottom left of the Living Room AND the Dining Room at the same time and work on those until they meet at the transition, then finish those rooms and work backwards from the left edge of the dining room into the hallway? Not sure if that's even possible with the latch system.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Z-Carpet]

yeah some people would recommend using a transition between the living room and dining room, just to reduce movement at that point in case any of the boards move

 

[Ernesto]

Start with proper floor prep to industry standards. No need for transitions if your under 40 ft. Some laminates don't install backwards very easy, uniclic does though.

 

[Darol Wester]

If it were me, I'd start in the living room on the left, work my way out to the doorway, then into the dining area and back to the hall door. I cut a few short pieces (8") of laminates to back up the first row of laminates (at the joints) that went into the dining area. Be sure it's good and straight before you fasten the pieces down. Lock the pieces into the row at every joint, then drill and screw them down. Now you can start working you way back toward the hallway. Once you get to the hall wall, shim the laminate at the wall for your gap and you can go back and finish the rooms going the other direction.

That's how I do it anyway. Hope that makes sense.

Trying to start both rooms and working out to a common line seems like a possible pain attempting to line one room up with another could affect your expansion gap.