Laminate Flooring Rising Up

However there are a number of factors that may cause a laminate floor to lift up in places after installation.

Laminate flooring rising up. It could also happen if the laminate gets wet. When a laminate floor covering is squeaking on the other hand it could be because the subfloor isn t level there s no underpadding or the boards have expanded and then shrunk again. Laminate flooring that swells due to moisture should be disassembled and new pieces installed.

We have laminate flooring in our kitchen lounge and over the winter which are cold and damp here in new zealand the flooring has begun to rise up in a couple of places. To determine if your floor is rising up place a long straight edge such as a level or straight yard stick across the floor. When you want to replace laminate flooring or need to access the subfloor underneath carefully take up the interlocking pieces of laminate.

To do so clear the room and remove any molding such as baseboards and transition strips that is installed on top of the laminate flooring around the edges of the room. If you have no high spots in your floor the problem is with the sub floor or floor joists and will likely require the services of a professional carpenter to remedy. This typically involves a plank or series of planks and the causes can include expansion after installation moisture or flooding or problems with your subfloor among others.

Any high spots should be immediately apparent. Face nailing through laminate flooring. This is probably why your floor is flexing up and down and squeaks.

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. It was fitted by the previous owner and it appeared that they had left enough gap around the edge for expansion but it turns out they didn t. If you have glueless laminate flooring installed there is a chance that it could start to warp and rise up in the middle at some point.

This is a common problem and it is associated with a faulty installation technique in most cases. Stack the planks in order of removal to make cutting easier if it will be necessary. The causes for laminate floor to lift are fairly simple.