Removing the old stratifié (laminate) before laying the oak · updated 2026-09-01
Why we do this: the current floor is floating laminate. You cannot float new oak over floating laminate — two independent moving layers will make the oak fail. The demo clears the deck and lets you inspect the concrete underneath (flatness, moisture), which is the real gate before ordering.
1. Tools
Flat pry bar / pied-de-biche (and a small nail puller)
Mallet (rubber)
Utility knife
Thin scrap of wood (to protect the wall when prying plinthes)
Work gloves, knee pads, dust mask
Bin bags + a way to haul (déchetterie): laminate + underlay don't go in normal recycling
Optional: jigsaw or circular saw (set shallow) to section boards for faster handling
2. Find the last-laid board (where to start)
The floor was laid row by row from one wall to the opposite wall. You un-click it in reverse: start at the finishing side and work back toward the starting wall. How to identify the finishing side:
Find the narrowest row. The last row is almost always ripped down to fit the remaining width, so the wall whose adjacent plank row is noticeably narrower than the rest is your starting side. This is the most reliable tell.
Check the row widths by eye after the plinthes are off: count the plank rows across the room. The first row (at the start wall) is full width; the last (finish wall) is usually a partial width.
Laying-direction clue: floors are usually run parallel to the longest wall, starting from the main entry / light-source wall. The last row is against the opposite wall.
If every row is equal width (rare): look at the short board ends in the expansion gap. The start wall shows a full tongue-or-groove factory edge; the ripped last row shows a plain straight cut. But you usually can't see this until a board is lifted, so fall back on the "try both ends" test below.
The practical test: grip the inner long edge of the candidate last row (the seam facing the rest of the floor) and lift it ~30°. It'll pop free. If it's locked solid, you're at the wrong end — try the opposite wall.
Memory aid: narrowest row = last-laid = start there. Lift the inner edge, not the wall edge.
3. Step-by-step removal
Clear the room fully.
Remove the plinthes with the pry bar, wedging a scrap of wood against the wall so you don't dent the plaster. If they're glued, expect minor wall damage to patch; you're replacing them anyway, so don't be precious.
Remove threshold bars at doorways and the closet edge.
Un-click, row by row, in reverse starting from the last (narrowest) row: lift the inner long edge ~30° and pull free. Tap stubborn boards with the mallet / pull bar.
Pull nails/staples wherever boards were fixed at edges.
Roll up the underlay (foam or vapour film) — it strips out by hand.
Vacuum and inspect the concrete: flat (≤3 mm over 2 m), dry, free of old adhesive / nails / staples.
Dispose everything at the déchetterie.
4. Fixed elements — stairs & door jambs
If the laminate runs under the stairs: do not move or lift the stairs. Cut the planks flush against the stair base with a multitool (oscillating saw) or jamb saw, then remove the visible field. The new oak butts up to the stair with a 10–15 mm expansion gap, covered by a trim/scotia or flexible seal. Never slide the new floor under a load-bearing stair. Same logic for door jambs: undercut them so the board tucks under.
5. What you're really checking (the concrete)
Flatness: ≤3 mm over a 2 m straightedge. Dips/humps → ragréage (self-leveller) before laying.
Dryness: ground floor concrete = rising-damp risk. The pare-vapeur underlay handles this, but a visibly damp or stained slab needs a moisture check first.
Clean: grit, staples and old adhesive left behind are the #1 future creak source.
Cracks: small hairline cracks are fine; wide/uneven or moving cracks need treatment before you lay oak.