Why Is My Laminate Floor Not Laying Flat

Some locking systems are can be damaged from the tapping.

Why is my laminate floor not laying flat.

Laminate flooring is said to float because it is not fastened to the sub floor. Installers avoid it by laying a moisture barrier between the laminate and the subfloor. All the individual pieces interlock into one sheet that lays or floats on the sub floor. Very common installation mistake.

When you remove the floor boards and replace them be sure to cover the subfloor with a layer of plastic or tarpaper so it doesn t happen again. Use caution when using a block of wood and a mallet on some laminate flooring. The block of wood can be a scrap piece of wood as long as it is flat on both sides. The bulges probably mean that the floor is not flat which means starting over again i m afraid.

Laminate flooring is designed to be installed as floated floor thus it is not nailed or glued to the sub floor and works as one big pancake that expands and contract with temperature humidity changes. And don t forget to lay an underlay felt or a rubber composite type floor covering. You must check and control the flatness. This situation can be easily remedied.

When properly installed it should have a gap of approximately 1 4 inch from the walls of the room on all sides. Also check for any damp areas this would swell the laminate if wood. 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. Not all vinyl plank flooring requires a glue down installation process.