Common Laminate & Floating Floor Problems with Corrections

We're here to help, and our fantastic Tech & Install team has delivered once again.  This article explains some problems that may be experienced and how to fix them with laminat & floating floors.

Common Laminate and floating floor problems with corrections
Job site related

- Peaking

- Buckling

- Gapping

- Mold and mildew

- Expanding HDF

- Chipped corners

Manufacture defect

-off register

Repairs

Peaking

Peaking refers to a situation in which the laminate floor boards push up against each other and result in high points at the joints. There are a number of reasons why this can happen. The most common cause of peaking is a lack of expansion space between the laminate floor and the walls around the perimeter of the installation, or a lack of expansion space between the laminate floor and laminate moldings. This situation can be easily remedied. Simply follow the peaking board’s perpendicular to the wall or molding, remove the necessary molding- if against the wall, remove the baseboard and cutout a section or enough of the laminate board that meets the wall or molding that will give the floor more space to expand. (Diagram 1 & 2) The peaking will not however dissipate immediately, it maybe necessary to place a weighted object on the peaking areas for a period of time.

Another reason for peaking could be due to the fact that the moldings in the doorways or around the perimeter of the room have been fixed/nailed to the floor, thus preventing the floor from expanding. Remember that a laminate floor is a floating floor and must not be fixed to the sub floor or moldings at any point as this will not allow the floor to expand and contract, as these floors naturally do.

Peaking can also arise due to the fact that a continuous area of flooring is too long in one direction without a center “T” molding expansion joint to relieve the pressure. This will generally happen in areas where the floor runs for over 27’ foot in any direction – this number differs per manufacturer.

Buckling or Warping

Buckling or warping is almost always as a result of moisture and/ or water damage. Laminate flooring is affected by water in a number of ways. High moisture content in the air can sometimes lead to buckling or warping. Excessive water on the surface of the floor can also lead to buckling or warping. For this reason, it is important never to wet mop a laminate floor. The most common cause of edge-warping or buckling is water or dampness rising from the subfloor in conjunction with the lack of a sufficient moisture barrier.

Buckling or warping can also be as a result of an inferior product construction. Laminate floor surfaces are laminated under extremely high pressure. For this reason, it is necessary to have a balancing layer on the bottom of the boards. This layer is made up of a rigid material that equalizes the pressure exerted form above.

Gapping

Gapping is not common with laminate flooring. Gapping is a situation in which the laminate flooring boards tend to pull away from one another resulting in gaps between the boards. This situation will occur if the temperature drops to a point way below what is considered normal (60°-80°). For this reason, it is very important to acclimatize your flooring to the room temperature and conditions of the room in which the laminate is to be installed, before installation.

Mold and Mildew

Issues concerning mold and mildew are gaining increased attention from both residential and commercial property owners as well as the public at large. In virtually all situations if there is a mold issue, there is an excessive moisture issue. In order to prevent, control, or eradicate mold and mildew, one must first identify, evaluate, and eliminate the source of excessive moisture.

Prior to removing an existing flooring or installing a new floor or repairing an existing laminate floor, if there are visible indications of mold or mildew or the presence of a strong musty odor in the area where flooring is to be removed or installed, the source of the problem should be identified and corrected.

Expanding High Density Fiber Board (HDF)

The core (middle section) of a laminate floor plank is made from HDF. Most laminate cores however are treated with water repellent chemicals. If your flooring is water damaged, your only remedy is to replace the affected boards.

Chipped Corners

Excessive chipping on corners can be as a result of any of the following:

a) Wrong methods of installation used. Use care when using a tapping block and mallets to install floating floors. Often poor installation can result in marks, indentations and chipping.

b) Cleaning the floor with a vacuum cleaner-beater bar attachment.

c) Poor handling

Off register a manufacturing defect

Off register is a situation in which the flooring pattern on one flooring board does not match up the pattern on the connecting board. Manufacturers do allow for a variance. This situation however almost never occurs, and in the event it does, just replace with extra materials on hand.

Repairs

Although very durable, it is normal to find minor scratches as result of daily wear and tear. Fortunately, this situation is easily remedied with the aid of a laminate floor repair kit, available at your local home centers. These kits may include acrylic or latex putty, wax pencils or crayons and are color coded to match the floor. Take a plank of flooring with you for color matching.

For more serious damage, it might be necessary to replace the damaged boards. The introduction of glueless laminate flooring has resulted in a floor that is both easy to install and repair. For this, you will need additional laminate flooring.

To replace boards that are situated close to walls or moldings, follow these steps:

1. Start by removing the baseboard or molding. Do this carefully so as not to damage the molding.

2. Remove the boards starting from the molding until the damaged board is accessible.

3. Replace the damaged board and then the rest of the boards you removed, by clicking them back in place.

4. Replace the molding.

The process of repairing a laminate floorboard closer to the center of the room is more detailed and time consuming. The process involves removing the damaged board utilizing a saw or router, then replacing the board utilizing a sufficient water resistant adhesive. Contact a professional installer or follow these steps.

1) Mark the damaged board 1-1/2” from ends and side. Drill 3/16” holes at corners of marked area.

2) Cut along lines between the drilled holes and remove the center section. Then cut remaining piece in the center on both sides and remove.

3) Prepare a replacement board by cutting and removing the factory tongue along the long and short end of the board. The figure below represents the two common types of locking systems available.

4) Apply a resinous (PVA) adhesive to the cut edges and replace the board by aligning the groove on the replacement board with the tongue of the abutting board, and snap back into place.

5) Make sure all edges are even on either side of the joints. Utilize a heavy object to apply pressure for at least 24 hours. Make sure the weight is evenly distributed across the new piece.

Prevention is better than cure. Place floor mats at door entrances in order to reduce the amount of sand tracked into the house. It is a good idea to place felt pads under furniture legs, as this will prevent scratching caused by dragging the furniture across the floor. Also, keep large pets' nails groomed.

 

Comments

Sorry about that, Josh. If you contact our Tech & Install department at 800-366-4204 someone can better assist you with the issue. Thank you for your inquiry. -Lumber Liquidators

[Josh]

Good evening.

I am currently replacing about 15 laminate floors that were water damaged after a pipe cracked in the adjacent wall. I am noticing that the newer planks are a fraction thinner than the old boards (about 3 year old boards). The new boards are the same make and model. I am also noticing that when I am locking the new boards in, they do not lay flat against the ground but are at a slight angle, I can ouch the board onto the ground, but the previous board then angles up. My service is flat and clean. Will the boards eventually flatten if I continue to install?

Hey Mary Lu, you could try an area rug around the tank to protect the floor. If you contact Sales at 800-476-0007, a representative will be able to offer more advice. Thank you for your inquiry! -Lumber Liquidators

Hi Donna, this question would be better answered by our Tech & Installation team. Please contact them at 800-366-4204. Thanks for your inquiry!

[Mary Lu]

We have two fish tanks and are going to switch flooring from carpet to laminate flooring. What is suggested to protect floor from unnoticed leaks that might happen?

[donna blackburn]

Hi can laminate flooring be sealed once it has already been laid...thankyou

[Adil Javed]

Thank you so much for sharing this great blog.Very inspiring and helpful too.Hope you continue to share more of your ideas.I will definitely love to read !
www.timberlandflooring.com.au/products/floating-flooring.html

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hi Cobria,

Because there are so many different floors and cleaners, we can only recommend our Bellawood hardwood and laminate cleaner.

Laminate flooring is made to be easy to care for, consequently no waxing is required. Typically, all that is required is sweeping to remove surface grit and occasional spot treatment with a manufacturer's recommended cleanser. Strong cleaners are neither required nor recommended; "Wet flood mopping" is also not recommended for cleaning, laminate floors are moisture resistant not water proof. For specific care instructions please contact Tech & Install at 800-366-4204. Thank you for your inquiry!

[Cobria]

Since you are not able to wet laminate floors . What is best used for cleaning? If have feet prints on my floor and need to somehow remove. Thanx for you help.

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hi Patricia, this question would be better answered by Tech & Installation. You can reach them at 800-366-4204 and a representative who knows a bit more about the issue can offer some help. Thank you for your inquiry!

[patricia hughes]

Our puppy has wet on our laminate flooring,unfortunatley we did not find it straight away,It has resulted in some lifting on a small section,is there some way to repair it without replacing the board?
Thanks
Patricia

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hi Terry, I would contact our Tech & Installation Department at 800-366-4204 about this problem. Someone can better assist you that way. Thanks!

[terry mcghehey]

My problem is that is some areas near the walls the entire board slides toward the wall and leaves a gap between that board and the next board, at the ends of the boards.

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hi Linton, the piano shouldn't cause a problem, but it's difficult to know without more info. I would suggest calling our Tech & Installation Department at 800-366-4204. Someone can better assist you that way. Thanks for your inquiry!

[Linton Pointon]

have laminate floors in entire 1500 sq ft house have aproblem with an uneven floor that is a high spot in the flooring is it possibe that the weight of ab upright piano can be the problem as suggested by the builder if so what is the solution other than getting rid of the piano

thanks

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hi Steph, I would suggest calling our Installation Team at 800-366-4204. They may know a little more about the issue and be able to help. Thanks for your inquiry!

[Steph]

Hi, we have laminate flooring in our laundry room. It is backed by foam. We had a leak and had water all over the floor. We are fairly certain there is some underneath. Is there a way to dry this out without ripping up the flooring? And if we don't rip it up, will it mold? The floor is less than a year old and we woild hate to have ruined it so soon. The flooring is on a concrete slab. Thanks!

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hey Cathy,

As far as the floor is concerned, you will be fine as long as you put the 6 mil poly back in place. The poly will block any moisture coming from the slab.

However if the slab is still wet you may want to give it a little more time to dry out. Even though the floor is protected you don't want too much moisture trapped underneath. If you were told the slab was dry and you haven't had any problems prior, I would re-install the same way.

[Cathy]

I have laminate flooring in my entire downstairs and love it. I recently had a slab leak in one room, we were able to remove the flooring without it being damaged, the plastic moisture barrier worked great, only one board had water damage. We only knew we had a leak because we were feeling warm spots on the floor. We had a company come out and run a dehumidifier for a week to dry out the cement slab. We were told there was still moisture in the cement and that we should use a sealer before we reinstall the flooring. If we never had issues with moisture before the leak do we really new to seal and if so what kind of sealer would you recommend. I went to Home Depot and Lowes and neither one knew what I should use.

[Lumber Liquidators]

Hi Mike, I can understand why you're worried! It's hard to give you a complete answer since I don't know more specifics about the floor. Your best bet would be to call our Customer Care team at 800-366-4204. A representative should be able to recommend a way to test what's causing the problem. Thanks for your inquiry, and I hope the issue gets resolved!

[Mike]

Hi, just had laminate floor installed about a month ago. The colour is walnut. It looks great however I notice that when I wear white socks that the colour is transferring to the socks and staining them. Is this something that would deminish over time? Is this normal? I'm mostly worried about my 1 year old crawling around on the floor....

[Lumber Liquidators]

Tom, since it isn't one of our floors we can't be absolutely sure. I would check your warranty and installation instructions online for your specific product.

For our laminates, we believe ideal values are between 55°-85° temperatures and 20% - 70% humidity. You could try using a dehumidifier in the room to reduce moisture level. For more information, you can go to our Flooring 101 guide on www.lumberliquidators.com and search "Moisture Reduction Strategies." That PDF may help!

[Tom Sizemore]

We placed Armstrong Presidential oak laminate flooring in our condo. It was installed over an existing lenolium flooring using a vapor barrier and premium padding. Almost ten months later we are seeing one edge of some boards (throughout an
1,100 sq.ft. area) rise slightly. Is this "peaking","buckling" or what? There is no pattern to the rising boards. Many are fifteen to twenty-five feet from the other boards. Generally, there is just one edge that is risen per board. Report before install said moisture level was 9% (so called independent inspector said it is now 15 to 20%).Slapb is well above grade. There have been no leaks water mopping of floor. If problem is moisture, how could it increase that much? What is recommended install moisture level? Need help, please.

[Lumber Liquidators]

Larry, if you call 800-366-4204 and ask to speak with Tech and Installation, someone can better assist you with your question. Hope this helps!

[LARRY HERRING]

I HAVE A LAMINATE WOOD FLOOR OF WHICH THE BUILDER GLUED DIRECTLY TO THE CONCRETE FLOOR; UNFORTUATELY A SLIGHT BUT NOTICEABLE GAP HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE ENTIRE FLOOR / ACROSS SEVERAL ROOMS INDICATING THE WOOD FLOOR JOINT IS EXACTLY ON A CONTROL CUT IN THE SLAB WHICH HAS EXPANED SLIGHTLY. THE GAP IS ONLY ABOUT 1/16 TO 1/8 INCH SO THE BUILDER WILL DO NOTHING; ( HE HAS SINCE CHANGE THEIR PROCESS AND DOES THE CONTROL CUTS CORNER TO CORNER ON NEW CONSTRUCTION) IT HAS REMAINED AT THIS GAP FOR 4 YEARS; ANY SUGGESTIONS? THE LAMINATE FLOOR IS TONGUE/GROVE;