I want to lay 'real wood' actually (as opposed to 'solid wood'), but believe the process is the same as laminate. I've just come across something for the first time though, in instructions that Homebase provide off their website; they are saying that if I want to lay the boards in the same direction as the existing floorboards (ie towards/away from the window), then I have to put down a 4-6mm fibre-board underlay, at 45 degrees to the new boards. This sounds like lots of faffing about to cut the underlay boards to fit the room (rather than just rolling out some underlay from corner to corner), so the question is, what if I don't follow their advice and just use a foam underlay running 'across' the room, then lay the new floor in the same direction as the existing one?
No other companies have listed this as a requirement, so are they (Homebase) just being over cautious, or are the others being 'loose with the truth'? TIA matty