How to Install Laminate Flooring Next to Sliding Doors

Remove the furnishings from the room that you are installing the laminate flooring in.

Remove the old carpet or tile flooring. The subfloor needs to be flat and smooth before installing the new laminate flooring.

Remove the baseboard and save to reinstall after the new laminate flooring is installed. A trim pry bar and hammer will work well for this.

Spread out the laminate underlayment pad to cover the subfloor. This is a foam pad similar to the ones used for carpert. Tape all the seams and end joints using the tape that came with the underlayment pad. This provides a vapor barrier and padding for the new laminate flooring.

Place 1/4-inch shims against the wall that will run in the same direction as the flooring. These provide a expansion space for the laminate flooring. Layout the flooring one row at a time snapping the pieces together. Use a tapping block to bring difficult seams together and a pull bar to pull the end joints together as you proceed with the installation. Use a miter saw to cut any boards to length in each row. Do not have any adjacent laminate planks end at the same place. Stagger all laminate plank end joints for a strong floor.

Place a piece of threshold trim, available at the flooring supplier, next to patio doors or similar thresholds where you need to stop the laminate flooring. Measure the lip of the threshold's trim and leave enough clearance between the door and the flooring to install the threshold. Trim with a 1/8-inch gap after the flooring has been laid. Use a coping saw for difficult cuts that need to wrap around door openings.

Cut the last row as required to fit. A table saw works well for this. Remove the 1/4-inch spacers from the first row. Reinstall the baseboard to finish the installation.