Laminate flooring is known for its durability, but there is one problem that can occur: buckling.
When it comes to laminate flooring, it’s important to remember that it is a floating floor. This means that it is not permanently attached to the subfloor and instead “floats” on the surface. The reason for this is to allow the floor to expand and contract with temperature changes. While this expansion and contraction may not be visible to the naked eye, it is a crucial characteristic of laminate flooring.
However, when the floor is obstructed from floating or damaged by moisture, problems can arise. The planks may “buckle” or compress together, leading to humps, uneven surfaces, and unsightly marks. In extreme cases, the flooring can even lift entirely from the subfloor.
To prevent buckling and keep your laminate flooring in top condition, it is essential to take precautions.
Why Is My Flooring Buckling?
There are several reasons why laminate flooring may buckle. These factors include:
- Improper installation: If the flooring is installed too tightly or pinched down under heavy objects like cabinets, it may not be able to properly float, resulting in buckling.
- Insufficient expansion gap: Without a proper gap between the flooring and the walls, the laminate cannot expand properly and may buckle. Check out our recommended best practices for the expansion gap to avoid this issue.
- Underlayment issues: Without a vapor barrier, moisture can seep into the flooring and cause it to buckle. It is crucial to install your flooring with the appropriate underlayment to prevent this. Read our underlayment guide here.
- Water and moisture damage: Excessive exposure to moisture can cause the laminate flooring to swell and buckle. Take measures to protect your flooring from water damage.
- Lack of acclimation: If the flooring is not given enough time to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the room before installation, it may buckle. Allow adequate acclimation time to avoid this problem.
- Extreme room temperature: Installing laminate flooring in a room with an unusually high or low temperature can lead to buckling. Maintain a comfortable room temperature to prevent this issue.
Buckling is most commonly observed near walls, where the flooring’s expansion is restricted due to a lack of space.
Let’s Get Started!
Discovering buckling in your laminate flooring? Follow these essential steps for a successful repair:
- Identify the root cause of the buckling
- Resolve the underlying issue causing the buckling
- Replace or repair the damaged planks with ease using our step-by-step guide below.
How to Fix the Cause of the Buckling
Most commonly, buckling flooring is caused by movement restrictions or water damage. Here’s what you need to know to fix these issues.
Buckling Due to Movement Restrictions
Laminate flooring is a type of floating floor that requires space to expand and contract as temperatures fluctuate. Here are some helpful guidelines to ensure proper movement of the flooring:
- Check that the wall base/moldings do not pinch the laminate flooring. There should be a small gap between the flooring and the bottom of the molding.
- Ensure there is a sufficient expansion gap around all walls and stationary objects in the room.
- Reposition heavy furniture and use felt pads to distribute the weight evenly on the flooring.
- Increase the expansion gap around the perimeter of the room.
- Widen the expansion gap at the molding transitions.
- If the flooring was installed under cabinets, either add dilatation or remove the laminate under the cabinets and leave an expansion gap.
Buckling Due to Water Damage
Water damage can lead to buckling in flooring, a common problem. Laminate flooring, which has a wood core, can swell and expand when it comes into contact with moisture. To tackle this issue, here are some essential steps to follow:
- Identify the Source: Water damage can originate from various sources, such as a leaking dishwasher. If you find a specific appliance or area that is the source of the problem, consider replacing it to resolve the issue.
- Cement Subfloors: Moisture from the ground can infiltrate cement subfloors and cause buckling. To safeguard your flooring, use an underlayment with a moisture or vapor barrier.
- Moisture-Prone Areas: In areas like kitchens or bathrooms where moisture is prevalent, use water-resistant glue during installation. This extra layer of protection can help prevent future buckling problems. Consider opting for a waterproof flooring option, such as luxury vinyl plank, for added peace of mind.
- Basement Floors: If your flooring is installed in a basement, check for any water leaks from the walls or floor. Address these issues before installing new laminate flooring. For ongoing moisture concerns, consider using waterproof luxury vinyl plank flooring.
How to Repair Buckling Laminate Flooring
If your laminate flooring has buckled, don’t worry, there may still be a chance to repair it. Follow these steps to replace the damaged planks and restore your flooring:
For minor damages that affect only a small portion of your flooring, follow these steps to replace the damaged planks effectively:
- Prepare for the repair by removing moldings around the damaged area.
- Carefully uninstall the laminate flooring in the problem zone.
- Thoroughly clean and prep the subfloor, ensuring there is no moisture damage and that the underlayment (if applicable) is in good condition.
- Check the locking system of the flooring. If it’s undamaged, you can proceed with reinstalling the flooring.
- Replace any damaged planks as needed.
- Reinstall the flooring and moldings, making sure everything is secure.
It’s important to address the root cause of the buckling to prevent it from happening again. If the buckling has affected a larger area that can’t be repaired, you’ll need to replace the entire flooring.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, our team of flooring experts is ready to help you determine the best course of action for your project.
Still have questions on if your buckling laminate flooring? Contact one of our flooring experts today!
Related Topics
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- Help! My Flooring has been Discontinued!
- Can I Use A Buffer Attachment On My Laminate Flooring To Remove Scuff Marks?
228 comments
Hi, my contractor recently installed Armstrong Prysm Luxury Vinyl Plank throughout my house. He installed the flooring before the cabinets were put down. The cabinets were installed and the quartz top put on and now the floor has bubbles throughout even in the room that do not have cabinets. Last weekend they came back and took the baseboards off and there was no expansion gap. They cut the edges in most of the walls but not all. They also uninstalled some of the flooring and put a thin layer of cement to even out the areas that we felt the bubbles and hollow spots. Neither of these helped, we still have hollow spots and bubbles. The contractor doesn’t know what to do to solve this. Armstrong came out and ruled it as an installation issue. I’m concerned that since they installed the cabinets over the floating floor that it might be impossible to fix. They want to inject glue in the bubble areas but I am not comfortable with that. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Hello, thank you for reaching out. In this instance I would always recommend doing what the manufacturer says, however it seems that you have done this. I do apologize for not having any further advice.
Cut around cupboards with toe kick saw and multi tool that will let it expand
Thanks for the recommendation Heath!
Hello,
What a helpful list. Thank you! I am not a licensed flooring installer. I manage properties for foreign investors in Miami Beach and 3 months ago contracted a professional to install laminate floors after a plumbing problem caused water damage and the original floors had to be removed.
My question is, how high and low are extreme temperatures? Since installation (3 months) the unit has been vacant with the temperature set at 80 degrees. The contractor blames this “high” temperature as the cause as he claims it was up to 84. Since I looked at your list, I remembered that, during the weeks of installation, his contractors had the temperature on 60 degrees. Again, I am not a licensed in this area but neither temperature seems extreme.
He has offered to “fix” them. However, he claims that he will not be responsible for them after this because he believes the only cause is the 80 degree temperature and that he did nothing wrong in installation. I cannot bring more cost to the owner, as the condo has been nothing but a financial hardship. It just needs to be fixed and sold. Can you offer expertise in how the contractor can be certain he is making the proper repairs? When I told him that I did not believe 80 degrees was enough of a temperature extreme to cause the problem, he wanted me to say the cause.
Thank you,
Sunny Beach Realtor
Hi Sunny, thanks for reaching out. We would consider temperatures over 100°F to be extreme, so the 84 degrees in the unit should not have caused any buckling. Did you installer leave a proper expansion gap around the perimeter of the room? Is it possible that there is moisture remaining on the subfloor from the plumbing damage? Did your installer acclimate the flooring prior to installation? There are a number of questions for your installer, and a number of reasons why the flooring could have buckled. Laminate flooring that is installed properly should not buckle, as long as the subfloor is flat, there is nothing restricting your flooring from floating, there is no moisture damage or extreme changes in temperature. Please give us a call if you have any further questions!
I had a manufactured wood floor installed less than a year ago in a large room, and there is now an enormous visible bubble in the floor that rises nearly an inch above the floor. The floor is installed on a concrete slab and the contractors placed a very thin (looked like styrofoam) layer between the concrete and the floor. I live in Virginia, so winters are moderately cold and dry while summer is very hot and extremely humid. The floor was installed in October and has been fantastic until this problem.
I have tried desiccants (damp-rid) and running the air conditioning constantly to reduce the humidity. The bubble shrank but is not going away. I am going to buy a dehumidifier and hope that will help solve the problem, but know nothing about flooring and am worried there is an underlying cause dehumidifying my space will not solve.
If there is a bubble this large in a floor that has been there for a week, is there permanent damage to the floor? Is this bubble a result of improper installation? Would something like this be covered by warranty on the floor, contractor error, or am I going to get stuck with a bill to repair the floor?
I would greatly appreciate your advice!
Hi Drew, thanks for your question! Are you talking about a laminate wood floor? Have you spilled anything on it? Humidity and moisture are main causes of bubbling, usually from a spill or room temperature. It seems like the room temperature may be your case. If you have a laminate, the bubbling is of the printed top layer. Once this has bubbled, it will never go away. It could reduce in size, but the bubble will always be present. Unfortunately, if your floors were not in a temperature controlled space, it will not be covered under your warranty. To repair the bubbling, the only permanent option is to replace the plank.
It is very important to keep a consistent room temperature. If you have a drastic change in temperature, your floors could potentially buckle due to absorbing the moisture in the air. Hope this helps!
Manufactured wood not laminate….
Hi Michael, we do not have an article on hardwood floors buckling, but you may find this one helpful: http://www.flooring.org/blog/how-to-repair-buckled-hardwood-flooring/
Drew. I have a similar bubble in laminate. Pretty big size. It comes back right at this time of year and then goes away in a couple months. In michigan. Its the heat and humidity. I am planning to add more gaps in the perimeter.
Thanks for sharing Drew!
Hello! I am renting a townhome and a whole gallon of milk spilled onto the laminate floor. I immediately cleaned it and the smell of spoiled milk lasted about a week. It eventually went away but the floor buckled very badly. About 3 days ago a rotten smell of spoiled milk or something came about and the whole downstairs stinks. I couldn’t figure out what was causing the smell since the milk problem was gone, but i sniffed where the floor buckled (since i was never able to clean underneath the floor) and i think that’s where the smell is coming from. I have no idea why the milk smell would suddenly get worse or of no where but i want to clean it with water and vinegar so it seeps under the floor and gets rid of the smell but my problem is I’m afraid it’s going to make the floor buckle even more. Since I’m not the owner i don’t want to take out the floor and replace it myself, and i don’t want to get a fine from the landlord either. Any ideas?
Hi Chey, sorry to hear about your spilled milk issue! From your description, it seems that the milk seeped into the wood and possibly underneath. With a laminate, it will soak up any moisture that it comes in contact, as it is a wood product. I also worry that there is milk trapped under the planks and mold could be starting to grow. I wish I had better news for you, but unfortunately, your best bet is to replace the floors. The milk is already soaked within the planks, so no cleaning agent will be able to remove that. We’d recommend talking with your landlord about the floors. If it’s only a couple planks, and it is still an available floor, replacing the floors shouldn’t be too hard or expensive. It will be best to take care of this sooner than later, especially since mold could be an issue. Best of luck! If you have any other questions, feel free to call us at 800-520-0961.
My floors in the basement level are Warping but the surface do not look damaged, what should I do?
Hi Johanna, thanks for your question. Considering this is a basement, there are a few causes that may need addressed before trying to fix the floors. First, I think of water or humidity affecting the flooring. Is it a temperature controlled space? Do you possibly have water seeping in from the foundation or walls? If moisture is beneath the planks, this could be causing the warping. Second, do you have the proper expansion gap on the edges? If the expansion gap isn’t large enough to accommodate expansion and contraction, the floors may be moving and buckling at the joints. These are two things I would look into first. If it’s water damage, unfortunately, the best bet is to replace the flooring. Since we cannot see it in person, we may recommend having a local professional come out and look at the flooring condition. Hope this helps!