Are you facing bulking and lifting problems with your newly placed Laminate floors? Do you want to straighten out your floor and make it look beautiful again? Well, look no further, because we have the perfect solutions for you. In this guide, we bring you everything you need to know about lifting laminate floors and how to fix them.
Customers highly demand laminate boards due to their ease of installation and low cost. However, there are more people like you that face the same problems with their laminate floors. If you are looking to solve the problems you are facing regarding your laminate floors, be sure to keep reading.
Contents
What Are Laminate Floors
Laminate floors are a relatively recent type of floor wood. It is a multi-layer synthetic material and fused with a clear external layer. The layer acts as protection to the layer of wood underneath it.
Laminate flooring has very easy installation methods and is relatively easy to maintain. Due to these reasons, it had soon taken over the more traditional hardwood flooring.
Pros
- Relatively easy to clean
- Low cost
- Easy to install
- Easy to maintain
- Stain resistance
- Non- Allergic
Cons
- Water spill and moisture can cause swelling in boards.
- Easily chips from surface.
- Cannot be used in bathrooms
- Can be damaged easily
- Can make unwanted noises
- Involves presence if chemicals
- Feels hard underfoot
Reasons For Lifting
If you see your laminate flooring starting to lift at certain places, do not panic. It can happen due to a number of reasons. Before you act, you need to understand these reasons and locate the source of your problems.
Change In Moisture And Temperature
Despite its durability, laminate flooring is strongly affected by changes in temperature and humidity levels in your house. Prolonged exposure to moisture and humid conditions can cause your boards to swell and feel bouncy.
Humid conditions can cause your boards to swell or shrink depending on the level of humidity. This is turn, can cause the boards to lift. Be sure to keep your moisture levels in check before you attempt to fix the problem.
Water Leaks And Spills
On a similar note to our previous problem, we also have damage from water leaks and spills. Water seeping into laminate floors and cause the floors to absorb the water and swell. As a result, the boards may lift and move out of place.
There may be several sources of water damage, like water coming from the lower subfloor due to damaged water pipes.
Additionally, if you have laminate flooring in your kitchen or outside bathrooms, keep a lookout for water spills. Spilled water can pass down the gaps of the flooring and cause an unwanted expansion in the boards.
Improper Installation Of Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring rests on top of a soft underlayer, for example foam. Throughout changing seasons, the flooring may expand or contract. For this reason, keeping a sufficient gap around the floor is necessary.
At times, there may be an insufficient amount of gap for the boards to expand. This can happen due to improper installation of the floorboards. As a result, when boards expand, they can exert force against the walls and get displaced from certain places. This can cause the flooring to lift.
Another installation problem can occur when there is no under layer to support the floating system. This is a terrible mistake and should be fixed immediately as this can cause multiple problems at the same time.
Sub-Floor Problems
Often, the surface of the sub-floors of your house may be uneven. Placing the laminate flooring on an uneven surface can cause the boards to lift from certain areas.
If the Sub-Floor has pipes running through it without any water protection, your floor is prone to water damage. A moisture barrier on the sub-floor is essential.
How To Fix Lifting Of Laminate Flooring
As you have seen, there can be various reasons for which a laminate floor can lift. Before you go on to fix them, you need to locate the source of the problem and then act accordingly.
Check Possible Sources Of Water
If your flooring has swelled, it mostly occurred due to absorption of water. Carefully check your walls and floors for possible water leaks. If you are not an expert in these, you should call in professional help.
If your sub-floor is made of cement and carries water pipes, moisture can leak from it. Install a water barrier above the sub-floor to prevent vapor coming in contact with your laminate flooring.
You can also use water-resistant glues in the gaps of your flooring to prevent water from seeping in. This is helpful in places like kitchens where water is likely to come in contact with the flooring.
Floatation System And Expansion Gap
One major problem can be the restriction in floating and expansion. Laminate floorboards expand and contract throughout seasonal changes. To address this problem, there needs to be a proper gap between the walls and your floorboards. There also needs to be adequate space between the flooring and the lower moulding.
An easy fix to this is to increase spaces between the flooring and walls. Doing this ensures that your boards do not lift over each other even if they expand.
Know More
How to Clean Waterproof Laminate Floors
Best Vacuum Mop for Hardwood Floors
How to Fix Squeaky Laminate Floors
How to Get Rid of Mold Under Laminate Flooring
Properly Install Your Flooring
The problems of lifting can be greatly reduced by proper installation of the laminate flooring. The steps are easy but if you have never done this, consider getting professional help.
First, remove the baseboards around the room and clean the floor. Check if the subfloor is entirely flat. If not, try to level it with appropriate measures.
To allow floatation, place a layer of foam over your sub-floor. Placing a vapor barrier is also recommended. Start placing the planks in a row until you reach the other end. Cut off extra parts of the flooring to manage proper size.
Final Thoughts
Even if you are experienced, it is still better to seek professional help when installing or repairing your flooring. I hope this has helped you to deal with your problems of lifting laminate floors and you no longer have any issues.