Has anyone on here ever laid laminate flooring?

[NotTHEBupcake]

Our hallway is fairly small, and currently floored with vinyl. It was never really put down properly (long story), so it's not cut straight at the edges, meaning that there are gaps at the sides. It's got scruffy and generally a bit scratched and hard to clean.

I'm looking at flooring and think laminate would work well. However, DH is against spending money on the house as we're thinking of moving soon. But I reckon it would cost £100 at most to buy the flooring (half decent stuff) and the underlay (hallway is only a few m2), so I'm wondering whether I could install it myself.

I'm fairly good at DIY generally, and have watched lots of videos that make it look easy 😂

Would I be mad to attempt it? Anyone here done it themselves and it was fine/awful?

DM laid some, took her forever -all the cutting of the lengths needed-but looked really good when done tbf.

BIL laid some. All I will say is it clearly isn’t as easy as DM made it look. Gaps, chipped bits and, because he didn’t put the edging on straight away after laying it, it actually started spreading & coming apart.

You could probably get a carpet remnant for a lot less £££ & a lot less work.

Pay an expert to do it for you - worth every penny!

Ex did ours and it looked good. Do you have a workbench and a saw? (I think that's what you use to cut ends and stuff?)

Or wood effect lino on a roll?

Our builder just recommended these as easy to lay. Bit thicker than vinyl roll. You can pick up a sample in store.
www.diy.com/departments/goodhome-poprock-black-white-mosaic-effect-self-adhesive-vinyl-tile-1-3m-pack/3663602563518_BQ.prd

DH and I did our living room, dining room and study in one go - it is easy enough as long as you take your time. Still down and OK 10 years later... we are OK as DIYers.

It's getting a good edge to the skirting board that is the tricky bit even more so at doorways. Best to remove and refit the skirting board for a neater job, it can turn into a bigger job than you thought...

Yes I did my hallway. It's a bit of a faff but perfectly doable if you're OK at diy.

I did my sons bedroom and it wasn't that hard apart from the cutting. Luckily I borrowed a circular saw which made it easier.

I laid my whole downstairs in a day. Husband did the cuts on his saw and I laid it. Was very easy, just watched a YouTube video and bought some shims, a pull bar and a rubber mallet.

I reckon vinyl and carpet would be trickier, as I'd have to cut them really accurately.

I have access to various saws belonging to a neighbour - he'd be happy to cut boards if I did the measuring etc and marked them for him.

@EwwSprouts I'll take a look at those, they might work well.

I've just done a small room with click flooring and it was easy. Just be accurate in the measuring because you don't get as much forgiveness covering up the gaps with the skirting board later as you like to think! B and Q have a set of youtube videos on it. I would say you need a jigsaw (or coping saw and lots of patience) to do the cuts around the radiators neatly. For the cuts that aren't on display, you can use a circular saw, which won't cut the laminate nearly as neatly.