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Whether you’re dealing with damage or just ready for a change, knowing how to remove laminate flooring yourself can make your life easier and save you money at the same time.
With the right tools and a bit of patience, you should be able to remove laminate flooring without a problem and prepare your space for a fresh new look. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process, covering everything from gathering the necessary tools to how to take up laminate flooring safely, as well as answering some common questions. Let’s dive in!
Why might you need to remove your laminate?
There are many reasons you might choose to take up your laminate flooring – whether your laminate is damaged beyond fixing or just
- Over time, even high-quality laminate can begin to show signs of wear and tear, such as fading, scratches, or peeling edges.
- If you have concerns about the integrity of your subfloor, you may need to pull up your laminate to properly inspect and repair it, as an uneven or damaged subfloor can cause the flooring on top of it to shift, crack, or lift.
- Even if your existing laminate floors are still in decent condition, your style preferences might have changed since you installed the floor, or you may have moved into a new house and want to change the flooring left by the previous owners.
We’ll be looking specifically at how to remove laminate flooring for a whole room – if your floor only has a small area of damage, try our guide to repairing chips and cracks in laminate instead.
How to take up laminate flooring: a step-by-step guide
As mentioned above, removing laminate flooring yourself can save you money – however, if you have any concerns about the process, you should hire a professional to avoid causing any damage to your subfloor, which can be much tricker and more expensive to fix.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you need to get started.
Tools
- Protective clothing – safety goggles, gloves and appropriate footwear
- Hammer or mallet
- Chisel
- Pry bar or crowbar
- Utility knife
- Pliers
- Heat gun (for glued-down flooring)
- Screwdriver (if needed for transition pieces)
Process of removing laminate flooring
- Prepare your area
Clear the room completely of all furniture and make sure to clean the laminate flooring first, to remove any loose dust or debris. At this stage, make sure you have a plan for disposing of the old laminate once it’s been pulled up, as it may not be able to go in regular household general waste – more on that in a moment.
If you’re removing laminate flooring in your kitchen, be aware of whether the flooring was installed before or after your kitchen units – if your flooring runs under your worktops and appliances, it will be more complicated to replace.
- Remove skirting boards/beading/thresholds
Run a utility knife along the top edge of your skirting boards, then use your hammer or mallet to carefully wedge the chisel into the top of the skirting board where it meets the wall. Lightly lever the chisel to pull the board away from the wall, being careful not to damage the board or the wall. Mark the skirting boards so you know where each one sits when you put them back up.
You’ll also need to remove any threshold or transition pieces – you might be able to unscrew the screws holding these in place, or you may need to prise them up with your pry bar.
- Pull up the first panel
With the skirting boards and transition pieces removed, you should be able to see gaps around the edge of the flooring, which will be where you can start. If you’re working in a tight space, you may find that the pry bar leaves some marks on the laminate or damage to the locking mechanism, so if you’re planning to reuse, sell or give away the laminate, avoid using the pry bar after the first panel if possible.
At this stage, you will also be able to determine if the flooring has been glued down or not; if it has, you will need to use a heat gun to soften the adhesive enough to allow you to pull up the panels, or simply use more force with your pry bar to remove them. It’s unlikely that glued-down panels will be in good enough shape to reuse once removed.
- Lift the rest of the panels
Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can continue along the first row, and then carry on with the rest of the room. For click-lock laminate floors, lift each panel to about a 45º angle and gently bend or wiggle it to find the point where the panels come apart from each other. It’s important to work slowly and carefully here if you want to reuse the panels, as the locking joints can break easily.
- Remove the underlay
With the flooring itself removed, you can then remove the underlay, rolling it up and cutting it into smaller pieces with your utility knife if needed. If you’re planning to replace the floor yourself, we would recommend starting fresh with a new underlay.
The underlay may have been stapled into the subfloor – in that case, simply use a pair of pliers to remove the staples.
- Clean up subfloor
All you have to do now is take a moment to review the condition of your subfloor and, if there are no issues, run a vacuum cleaner over the room to pick up any dust or debris. If you do spot any unevenness, check out our guide on how to level a floor before you put any new flooring down.
And that’s that! Now you know how to remove laminate flooring, and you’re ready to lay your new flooring in its place. Check out our laminate flooring buying guide for tips, or find our rundown of the best laminate flooring in 2025 on our blog.
FAQs
Can you reuse laminate flooring?
In many cases, you absolutely can reuse laminate flooring as long as you remove it carefully, without creating any unsightly marks or damaging the locking joints. Store the panels somewhere dry until you’re ready to install your laminate.
However, if you do intend to reuse laminate flooring, consider the following:
- Age and condition of the laminate – if the laminate is already quite old or has warped, been damaged or faded, you’ll likely need to replace it soon anyway, so it might not be worth reusing.
- Room size – if you’re using laminate from one room in another, make sure you have enough laminate to cover the full space.
- Glue – as mentioned above, if your laminate flooring has been glued down, it will likely be much more difficult to remove, and is unlikely to be reusable.
How can I dispose of old laminate flooring planks?
If you don’t have any use for your old laminate flooring but it’s still in good shape once you’ve removed it, you can always sell it or offer it out for free to give it a new home.
Otherwise, most councils won’t accept flooring in general waste bins (and you might struggle to fit a full room’s worth of flooring in your wheelie bin!). Contact your local recycling centre to ask if they can recycle your laminate, or if they can point you in the right direction for your area.
Does old laminate flooring have asbestos?
In most cases, your old laminate flooring shouldn’t have asbestos; it was banned as a building material in the UK in 1999. However, if you know or suspect your laminate floors are over 26 years old, you should contact a professional to check the flooring out and remove it safely if needed.
