Laying your own floor is the single biggest saving available on a flooring project — installation is usually 30–50% of the total cost, and click-together floors are designed to be laid without a trade licence or specialist tools. The Flooring Guys supplies DIY-friendly flooring across hybrid, laminate and click vinyl from $15/m², with underlay, trims, adhesives and hire-free installation advice from the same specialists who lay floors for a living. Order samples online, visit one of our four Sydney and Brisbane showrooms, or call 1300 477 699.
Why buy your DIY flooring from The Flooring Guys
We sell to installers every day, so the advice you get is the advice we give the trade — not a printed spec sheet. Every product page lists the exact plank size, pack coverage and locking system you need to plan a DIY job, and our area calculator turns your room measurements into the number of cartons to order. You also get our Price Beat Guarantee (upload any written Australian quote and we will beat it), samples delivered to your door within days, and the underlay, trims and adhesive you will need in the same order. Delivery is Australia-wide.
Which floors can you lay yourself
- Hybrid flooring (from $27/m²) — the easiest floor to lay well. A rigid waterproof core that clicks together and floats over most existing hard floors, with the acoustic underlay already attached on many ranges.
- Laminate flooring (from $20/m²) — the cheapest click floor. Needs a separate underlay and, on concrete, a moisture barrier. Water resistant rather than waterproof, so keep it out of bathrooms and laundries.
- Click vinyl planks (from $15/m²) — thin, quiet and fully waterproof. Note that glue-down vinyl is not a DIY product: it needs a flat, primed subfloor and the right trowel and adhesive.
- Carpet tiles — laid loose or on a release adhesive, cut with a knife, and individual tiles lift out if one is damaged.
- Leave to an installer: engineered timber that is direct-stuck or secret-nailed, sheet vinyl, broadloom carpet, and any floor needing a levelling compound.
How to lay a click floor yourself
- Measure and order. Work out the floor area, add 10% for cuts and wastage, then divide by the pack coverage shown on the product page. Order all of it in one go so the batch numbers match.
- Acclimatise. Leave the unopened boxes flat in the room for 48 hours so the planks reach room temperature and humidity.
- Prepare the subfloor. It must be clean, dry and flat to within 3mm over 2m. Grind down high spots and fill hollows with a levelling compound — this is the step most DIY floors fail on.
- Lay underlay and moisture barrier. Skip the underlay only if it is pre-attached to the plank. On a concrete slab you still need a moisture barrier underneath.
- Leave an expansion gap. 10–12mm around every wall, pipe and doorframe, held with spacers. Skipping this is what makes a floating floor peak and buckle later.
- Stagger and mix. Offset end joints by at least 300mm and work from three or four open boxes at once so the pattern and tone blend naturally.
- Finish the edges. Remove the spacers and cover the gap with scotia or skirting — never fill it with silicone or push the trim down onto the floor.
What you need to buy with the floor
| Item | When you need it |
|---|---|
| Underlay | Every floating floor without a pre-attached backing |
| Moisture barrier | Any floor over a concrete slab |
| Scotia or trims | To cover the expansion gap at walls and doorways |
| Stair nosing | Only if the floor runs over steps |
| Levelling compound | When the subfloor is out by more than 3mm over 2m |
| Tapping block, pull bar, spacers | Every click floor — they close the joints without damaging the edge |
DIY flooring FAQ
How much does DIY flooring save?
Installation is typically 30–50% of a flooring project, so laying it yourself is the largest single saving available. On a 60m² job it is usually the difference between paying for the floor alone and paying roughly twice that.
Which floor is easiest to install yourself?
Hybrid flooring. The rigid core is forgiving over a slightly imperfect subfloor, the click joints are designed to be tapped together by hand, and many ranges have the acoustic underlay already attached, which removes a whole step.
Do I need to remove the old floor first?
Not always. A floating floor can usually go over existing tiles, vinyl or timber if the surface is sound, flat and dry. Carpet and its underlay must come up.
What tools do I actually need?
A tapping block, a pull bar, spacers, a tape measure, a square and a way to cut the planks — a hand saw works, but a guillotine-style cutter is faster and quieter. You do not need a wet saw for click floors.
How much extra should I order?
Add 10% for a straightforward rectangular room, and 15% for a room with lots of cuts or a herringbone or diagonal layout. Order it all at once so the batch numbers match.
Can I lay a floating floor over underfloor heating?
Some ranges allow it and some do not, and the limits differ by product — check the specification table on the product page before you buy, or ask us.
What goes wrong most often on a DIY floor?
Two things: an uneven subfloor, and no expansion gap. Both show up weeks later as movement, gapping or peaking, and both are avoidable before the first plank goes down.
Do you deliver everything in one order?
Yes — flooring, underlay, trims, adhesive and tools ship together, Australia-wide. If you would rather not lay it yourself, ask us for a supply-and-install price instead.