Q: My husband and I recently installed the laminate hardwood look snap-together type flooring according to mfg instructions, in our kitchen. We didn’t lay a subfloor because our floor was fairly level, I don’t want to say perfect, because nothing is perfect, but not bad.
Now we are noticing spots through the kitchen where it actually feels like the joints are pulling apart or the “tongue” side has broken. All joints were completely tight when first installed. Short of removing and starting over, is there anyway to fix this?
Thanks
Susan, Ohio
A: Typically when gaps occur it is because of one of a few reasons. Now, as long as you gave the laminate plenty of time to acclimate to your home, then this should not be a moisture problem. The most common cause of gapping is when flooring dries out and begins to contract.
Assuming that this is not the case, then it may be a matter of variations in the subfloor which are too great for your underlayment to account for. Underlayment can typically account for variations of 1/32″ and some very high grade underlayments can account for more; however, anything beyond this needs to be leveled out. If you are feeling the floor flex a bit under your feet as you walk over it, then this is a low spot in your subfloor which is causing the floor itself to move well beyond tolerances, and thus can be slowly breaking down the locking system.
To determine the problem, first test the moisture in your floor. This can be done using a simple moisture tester purchased at a local home improvement store for around $25. Also, test the relative humidity in the air of your home. You should have a moisture content in the flooring of between 5-7% and a relative humidity somewhere between 40-50%. If this is not the case, your problem is moisture and gapping typically means it is too dry, so you will need to get a humidifier and run it to restore moisture into the environment.
If the moisture readings check out, then this is most likely a movement issue. This will mean removing flooring to get to the damaged areas, then checking the subfloor height. If there is a dip beyond 1/16″ or so, you absolutely will need to level out the subfloor. Also, make sure the underlayment you are using is sufficient and that the floor itself is not moving too much when walked over. Keep in mind tolerance is 1/32″ of movement.
