Why Do Laminate Floors Float

Floor coverings like laminate luxury vinyl or engineered wood flooring may be snapped together to create a one piece uniform surface rather like a jigsaw puzzle.

Why do laminate floors float. Excessive water on the surface of the floor can also lead to buckling or warping. Laminate flooring planks are generally joined together along the edges and end with a modified tongue and groove system often known as click lock or fold and lock. High moisture content in the air can sometimes lead to buckling or warping. Ensure that the subfloor is even during installation and there is no moisture retention in the floor area.

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 floors need to be swept or vacuumed often to keep them clean. Laminate floor peaking on the other side of the spectrum is peaking which is caused when boards are pushed up against each other. Buckling diagram from kronotex.

Thankfully you do not have to undertake major renovation projects like removing the entire floor to remedy the situation. Floating floors are an ideal option if you don t want to glue laminate planks to the subfloor. Laminate flooring is affected by water in a number of ways. In all cases the root cause is a failure to follow the written installation instructions provided by the laminate flooring manufacturer.

For this reason it is important never to wet mop a laminate floor. Keep in mind that most laminate floors are floating floors. The floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room s relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling. They float above the subsurface to allow for expansion and contraction in reaction to a room s humidity level.

Build direct notes that the most common reason laminate floorboards peak is due to a lack of expansion space between the moldings and the floor. Since it is a floating floor the planks tend to contract when it is cool and expand when it is warm. Dirt is an enemy to laminate since it scratches and dulls the finish of the floor. Because of their unique construction floating floor planks are designed to connect with adjoining.

Therefore it is crucial to take precautions to prevent buckling.