I d recommend not having the laminate that close to the fireplace at all because the heat may cause the laminate to bubble or warp.
Laminate flooring around fireplace.
Some carpenters use a special saw to undercut the rock so the flooring fits under it but nothing looks better than trimmed flooring cut to fit.
Sometimes the heat can be directed at the flooring you use in front of the fireplace.
Step 4 mark the boards to cut.
Glue and staple it into.
To undercut a fireplace you will need a specialized tool.
One approach is undercutting the edges of the hearth to receive the flooring.
The laminate needs room to expand and contract.
Place the flooring boards against the fireplace and staple or nail them into place.
Video of the day.
It might be more work but it adds the look of craftsmanship to your floor.
You have options for trimming a laminate floor where it meets a flush or raised hearth at a fireplace.
Place a 1 4 round shoe molding on top of the board against the fireplace to hide the gap.
The heat a gas fireplace produces is typically directed out.
To install the flooring around a curved fireplace hearth lay a strip of cork around the perimeter of the brick base of the fireplace.
This will fill space yet still allow the floor to expand and contract.
The idea when undercutting fireplaces for laminate flooring is to cut out the bottom of the fireplace so the laminate or hardwood flooring will slide under and look as if the fireplace was built on top of the flooring.
Laminate flooring won t fit tight against most fireplaces.
If you have a plastic based flooring like a laminate material or another type of flooring that could melt or crack under constant heat consider using a hearth rug.