Laminate flooring, despite its strength and durability, can swell due to various reasons. Swollen planks look bad and destroy laminate’s smooth finish. The good news is that you can repair the swollen laminate floor without replacing it.
Repairing Swollen Laminate Flooring
In case of moisture
Laminate floors can swell due to excessive moisture. Sometimes water leakage causes laminate planks to swell, and sometimes moisture from the atmosphere does the damage.
Also check: What Is a Good Laminate Floor Thickness?
It is necessary to find out the source of incoming water under the laminate. Many times faulty appliances like dishwashers, refrigerator or washing machines can leak water. Fix the leaking appliance to stop water influx.
Install a dehumidifier if there is no water leakage and the swelling is due to excessive moisture in the room. You can use a hairdryer to remove to remove bubbles and a roller to flatten the swollen parts.
In case of air
Moisture inside the planks will turn into air when summer arrives. The air bubbles are trapped inside the planks and swell them. Poke tiny holes in the bubbles using an X-Acto knife. Poking big holes will ruing the floor’s outlook. Make sure you poke only one hole for one bubble. The air will escape when you press the bubbles gently, resulting in flat laminate planks.
In case of lack of expansion or contraction gaps
When installing laminate flooring, it is essential to leave the expansion gap of a minimum of ¼ inch. Laminate floors expand and contract due to temperature changes. Therefore, installers leave an expansion gap around the floor perimeter to avoid buckling.
If your laminate floor has buckling issues, cut off the tongue against the wall. Use spacers to make sure the gap is uniform. Run a floor roller to deal with swollen planks.
How to Avoid Laminate Flooring Swelling?
- Clean spills as soon as possible. Standing water starts to seep through laminate within 30-40 minutes.
- Leave expansion or contraction gap of ½ or ¼ inches during installation.
- Always use a dehumidifier to lower down the humidity level.
- In the summer season, you can also use an air conditioner to keep the humidity level low.
- Always use a dry mop to clean the floor instead of a wet mop. If you need to run a wet mop on the floor, then squeeze it well before using it.
- Use laminate-safe cleaning products on your laminate flooring.
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