Why Is My Laminate Floor Not Laying Flat

Laminate flooring is said to float because it is not fastened to the sub floor.

Why is my laminate floor not laying flat.

Very common installation mistake. The block of wood can be a scrap piece of wood as long as it is flat on both sides. You must check and control the flatness. 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.

The bulges probably mean that the floor is not flat which means starting over again i m afraid. Installers avoid it by laying a moisture barrier between the laminate and the subfloor. Not all vinyl plank flooring requires a glue down installation process. Also check for any damp areas this would swell the laminate if wood.

Use caution when using a block of wood and a mallet on some laminate flooring. And don t forget to lay an underlay felt or a rubber composite type floor covering. All the individual pieces interlock into one sheet that lays or floats on the sub floor. When properly installed it should have a gap of approximately 1 4 inch from the walls of the room on all sides.

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. Some locking systems are can be damaged from the tapping. Loose lay vinyl flooring is extremely popular because of its durability and easy installation process but it does have a tendency to buckle if heavy furniture is dragged across the surface of the floor. This situation can be easily remedied.