Laminate Floor Swelling

If you discover a bubble at the center of the flooring seam during inspection it is an indication that there is no adequate expansion gap forcing the boards to squeeze and swell on seams.

Laminate floor swelling.

If a small amount of water has leaked toward the edges of the flooring pull up any quarter round shoe molding or baseboards around the perimeter. The best way to fix constant bubbling on laminate flooring is to get rid of excess moisture under the planks. Laminate flooring is a great option for many homes but one of its disadvantages is that it isn t water resistant. Just had 12mm laminate installed my kitchen and living room that flow together both over a crawl space install guy put a straight edge over the areas and as i expected not level he used about 3 bags of henry floor level on the bad spots also used a quality vapor silent floor underlayment the problem i have is the floor in some areas creak as i.

Laminate flooring that swells due to moisture should be disassembled and new pieces installed. Stack the planks in order of removal to make cutting easier if it will be necessary. Create expansion joints and use a dehumidifier in the room to reduce moisture content causing the bubbles and swelling. We stopped using that washroom completely and after three months the swelling of the laminate disappeared almost completely.

Probably we did not install the toilet bowl correctly so water was leaking under the laminate floor there was no water or moist on the surface of the laminate. A little water goes a long way on a laminate floor. If the water is not pervasive you may be able to extract it with a wet dry vacuum. If the bubbles are in one board it means the board is already damaged and needs to be taken away.

The problem with laminate floors is that too much water seeps into the cracks between the planks and can cause swelling and damage that is irreversible. You may need to replace the subfloor and the water damaged planks to maintain a uniform look. These floors can last for years and don t require much maintenance along the way. First inspect carefully the area that is swollen.

For most areas of laminate flooring in your home a dry or dust mop may be all that is needed for regular cleaning. Small spills that are quickly cleaned up won t harm your laminate flooring but other factors such as appliance condensation leaks constant high humidity damp sub floor or large spills or water leaks that seep in the crack between the laminate planks can damage your flooring. That said the wood in the laminate floors is prone to water damage if it s not treated properly. Sticky or dirty sections.

Laminate flooring is popular among homeowners because it looks nice and is durable. To do this remove the baseboard or quarter round and then take the flooring apart one row at a time until you reach the swollen section of flooring.