Why does laminate diverge after installation? What should I do? Why laminate seams are coming apart, how to fix it. Why does laminate flooring squeak?

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He prefers to do repairs on his own, trying to save the family budget on hired workers. Some people prefer to entrust the work to the craftsmen, guided by the latter’s experience and professionalism, and their ability to foresee the maximum possible difficulties in carrying out repair work.

In both the first and second cases, there is a chance, after time, to see obvious repair defects. For example, guests who come to your place for a glass of tea may notice that the seams on the laminate are coming apart. It is possible that you yourself will see the defects some time after the repair.

The reason for discrepancies in laminate flooring is not always in the “crooked hands” of the installer. There may be several of them - and we will look at all of them in this article, and also tell you what to do and how to correct this unpleasant circumstance.

Why laminate flooring diverges - reasons

The indoor air is too dry. Residents of apartments where flooring was installed often notice small gaps between the floor boards in the winter, when the houses begin to be actively heated using central heating. The coating dries out and discrepancies form in the seams between the boards. The likelihood of such defects also increases if the installation was carried out in the rainy off-season, when the air humidity is quite high. Therefore, when repairing, it is important to take into account even such a factor as weather conditions.
Uneven base for laminate flooring. Under no circumstances agree to the proposal to lay a laminate floor on old chipboard boards, or, even better, on a plank covering in old houses made from ordinary wooden boards. Underestimating the preparatory stage for laying laminate flooring is the same as agreeing in advance to further periodic repair work.

It is absolutely important to carry out all measuring activities with basic equipment and make sure that the floor is truly level. If the master convinces you that he has a “diamond eye”, that he simply sees that everything is fine, you can lay the floor without thinking - drive such a master in the neck. Promises without calculated confirmation in 95% of cases have nothing to do with reality. Otherwise, you can end up with a laminate that sags in “pits” even at the end seams or rises like a “fur coat” in some places. Which, moreover, also creaks in the best traditions of old-school horror films about old haunted houses.

Failure to comply with installation technology. We are talking about incorrect gaps at the walls. By “wrong” gaps we mean both too large and too small. They cause uneven load on the floor. As a result, the boards seem to “walk” around the room, looking for a comfortable position.
Small construction debris getting into the joints between the boards: pebbles, grains of sand, sawdust. This will not create large gaps, but the boards will constantly creak due to incorrect and loose closure of the locks. To avoid this, many craftsmen coat the end and longitudinal joints with a special glue or wax composition. What to cover, what composition to choose - you better consult with a specialist in the store. This improves traction, reduces the chance of debris getting caught, and also prevents squeaking in the future.

What to do if the laminate has come apart?

If the seams on the laminate are coming apart due to its drying out, then this problem can be easily eliminated: just turn on the humidifier. Using a dampener on a regular basis will eliminate small gaps at the end and longitudinal joints and prevent large cracks from forming between the seams of the boards. If you use “warm floor” technology, then the use of such a device becomes mandatory.

If the laminate locks come apart for the reason described in point 2 (that is, if the base under the floor was not level enough), then we recommend carefully disassembling the floor, making a new concrete screed - this is considered the best option for the base under the laminate floor - and laying everything again. Such radical measures will cost effort and money. However, you will get a long-lasting result that is pleasing to the eye. It is better to disassemble the laminate board by slightly tapping it from the edge of the room, in the least visible place. You should not disassemble the floor from the middle of the room, even if there are major discrepancies between the locks between the boards.

When the laminate “walks” due to non-compliance with the flooring technology around the perimeter of the room, there is no need to completely disassemble the covering. It is enough to determine where the gaps are large and where they are too small, saw the boards in the second case, and in the first case add wedges, hiding them under the baseboard. This will redistribute the load on the coating and make it denser.

Laminate discrepancy due to manufacturer defects

Sometimes it happens that everything was done according to technology, but the laminate still creaks, comes apart, and has an unpleasant appearance. In this case, it is worth talking about the original defect of the batch that came to you. During operation, the fasteners break. This is not always noticeable, and many owners struggle to find out why the floor creaks when the reason, in the literal sense of the word, lies on the surface.

You can figure out how to choose the right coating yourself. Different brands of laminate have two options for locks that are cut on the boards: “click” and “lock”. They differ in shape, and their price also gives them away - the second locks, as a rule, belong to cheap brands. In the end, all the information is indicated on the packaging label, and any consultant will be able to answer your question “What kind of lock is installed on the board?”

“Lock” locks reduce the cost of the material, but require a more scrupulous approach to installation. If you still decide to use the labor of a floor laying specialist, then purchasing laminate flooring with “lock” locks will suit you. If you are laying the floor yourself, and you do not have much experience in this matter - only a video or photo of a master class on laying a floor from the Internet, then you should give preference to laminate with “click” locks. Then the likelihood of avoiding gender discrepancy becomes much lower.

Home / Repair / How to fix it if the laminate has come apart at the joints

How to fix it if the laminate has come apart at the joints

Renovating an apartment is usually quite a troublesome task. Although, it is no less pleasant, because it is a fact of updating the atmosphere in the house, laying the foundation for a new stage in the life of the apartment owners. Some people prefer to do repairs on their own, trying to save the family budget on hired workers. Some people prefer to entrust the work to the craftsmen, guided by the latter’s experience and professionalism, and their ability to foresee the maximum possible difficulties in carrying out repair work.

Why laminate flooring diverges - reasons

The indoor air is too dry. Residents of apartments where flooring was installed often notice small gaps between the floor boards in the winter, when the houses begin to be actively heated using central heating. The coating dries out and discrepancies form in the seams between the boards. The likelihood of such defects also increases if the installation was carried out in the rainy off-season, when the air humidity is quite high. Therefore, when repairing, it is important to take into account even such a factor as weather conditions.
Uneven base for laminate flooring. Under no circumstances agree to the proposal to lay a laminate floor on old chipboard boards, or, even better, on a plank covering in old houses made from ordinary wooden boards. Underestimating the preparatory stage for laying laminate flooring is the same as agreeing in advance to further periodic repair work.

Failure to comply with installation technology. We are talking about incorrect gaps at the walls. By “wrong” gaps we mean both too large and too small. They cause uneven load on the floor. As a result, the boards seem to “walk” around the room, looking for a comfortable position.
Small construction debris getting into the joints between the boards: pebbles, grains of sand, sawdust. This will not create large gaps, but the boards will constantly creak due to incorrect and loose closure of the locks. To avoid this, many craftsmen coat the end and longitudinal joints with a special glue or wax composition. What to cover, what composition to choose - you better consult a specialist in the store. This improves traction, reduces the chance of debris getting caught, and also prevents squeaking in the future.

What to do if the laminate has come apart?

If the seams on the laminate are coming apart due to its drying out, then this problem can be easily eliminated: just turn on the humidifier. Using a dampener on a regular basis will eliminate small gaps at the end and longitudinal joints and prevent large cracks from forming between the seams of the boards. If you use “warm floor” technology, then the use of such a device becomes mandatory.

Laminate discrepancy due to manufacturer defects

“Lock” locks reduce the cost of the material, but require a more scrupulous approach to installation. If you still decide to use the labor of a floor laying specialist, then purchasing laminate flooring with “lock” locks will suit you. If you are laying the floor yourself, and you don’t have much experience in this matter, just or a photo of a master class on laying a floor from the Internet. then you should give preference to laminate with “click” locks. Then the likelihood of avoiding gender discrepancy becomes much lower.

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Laminate coating has always been considered very durable and highly reliable. But over time, such floors may begin to deform. There is often only one reason - the panels have come apart. How to seal seams on laminate flooring, what technological operations are needed?

There are several main reasons when laminate flooring comes apart. Let's take a closer look at some of them.

Creak

When the floor covering comes apart, as soon as you step on the laminated parquet, it immediately begins to creak. This may happen several months after completion of installation work. This is the sound produced by laminate flooring that diverges. Of course, the resulting seam in the laminate will not spoil the interior of the room. However, an annoying squeak will only cause one irritation. What to do if the laminate flooring comes apart?

There are several factors influencing the appearance of squeaking, and each of them affects the coating in its own way. When moving to a new apartment, the panels may move apart due to the natural shrinkage of the building. Typically this process continues for several years after the house is put into operation.

The panels may come apart due to large differences in humidity, as well as temperature fluctuations. For example, when the coating is located under the heating system. Panel separation may occur due to excessively rapid heating. To cope with this problem, you need to slow down the temperature increase. It should be increased every 24 hours by one degree until comfortable conditions are achieved.

Very often, the cause of squeaking is incorrect technology for installing panels, as well as poorly performed preparatory operations. As a rule, boards begin to creak for the following reasons:

the concrete base is poorly organized;
the thickness of the substrate is too large;
the installation was carried out without the use of special thresholds that are placed under the laminate panels;
there are no indentations from the wall surface.

Good to know! One of the reasons for the appearance of squeaking may be a long baseboard. When it is packed too tightly, it expands slightly. As a result, invisible bends are formed. Their protruding parts rub against the boards when someone walks on the floor.

Sometimes squeaking is caused by dust, which is formed due to poorly made concrete screed. When the latter is performed in violation of the technological process, tiny particles appear very quickly, which cause an unpleasant squeak.

To correct the base, you need to carry out repeated competent installation. To do this you need:

clean the main surface well;
check the operation of the locking system;
make sure that the ends of the plates are in tight contact.

After this, you need to re-lay the panels, checking the tightness of their connection.

The panels started to come apart

Since laminate is made from wood that contains cellulose, during its installation it is necessary to create special compensating gaps.

All panels must be the same thickness. A deviation not exceeding 2 mm is allowed. If the height discrepancy is much greater than the specified value, the boards begin to diverge and the gaps between them widen. The joints will be located directly at the break. There will be strong friction at this point, which will cause a loud cracking noise.

If during installation the builders left a large gap around the entire perimeter, the contacts of the laminate boards may expand. When a vertical load occurs, strong friction occurs, producing a characteristic sound. How to fix this situation?

The most effective way to correct such a defect is to dismantle the floor covering. The contacts and all surfaces of the panels are cleaned. Then re-installation is carried out. To carry out such work, a special laminate grout is used, which can be purchased on the construction market.

Helpful advice! When installing laminate boards, you should not use scraps that have sawn edges. Such panels are the fastest to deform.

Quite often, the seam begins to expand due to poor quality material. The locking joints do not hold the panels well, which is why they begin to separate. This problem can be dealt with in several ways:

if the defect is very minor, you can ignore it;
you can rub the seam with a special mixture;
carry out a complete replacement of the finishing material by laying a higher quality laminate.

Blistering of boards

To allow natural expansion to occur, the builders did not provide special gaps. As a result, the boards begin to heave in the most intense places. The panels are raised above the floor level. The reason for this rise may be contact with water or high humidity.

Helpful advice! When installing laminate, each panel is treated with water-repellent wax. A special water-repellent polish also gives a good effect.

To correct the situation, you can do different things. For example, dismantling a failed panel. But such work will not be able to solve the problem fully. Time will pass and the panel will swell again.

Before starting work, check whether the work was carried out correctly and whether the installation complied with the technological requirements. This is especially true for creating a technological gap around the perimeter of all walls.

If it is not possible to determine the source of such a defect, you will have to completely replace the coating. But before installation, each panel should be treated with a special mixture.

If such a defect is discovered when joining two different coatings, for example, ceramic tiles and laminate, try to carry out the restoration work yourself. To do this, the edge of the laminate that is in contact with the tile is cut off.

Of course, you can fix laminate defects yourself. But this will require a lot of time, special knowledge and construction skills.

If you find it difficult to carry out such work, it is better to turn to professionals who will quickly determine the cause of the defect and eliminate the problem. The restored coating will regain its original appearance and functional qualities.

An easy way to get rid of gaps between laminate panels is shown in the video.

It's been no more than a year since the floors in your apartment or country house received a beautiful floor covering. However, over time, you find a few scratches on the surface or notice that the seams on the laminate are coming apart.

Our editors will help you figure out the reason, and also give you some tips on what to do if the laminate has come apart.

The repair will not be a big problem and you can do it yourself, without resorting to the services of a repairman, if you follow the following tips.

Cleaning and caulking

Before you begin the repair, thoroughly clean the damaged area from dust and various stains, melt the wax and rub the indentation, then polish this area until shiny with a piece of soft cloth.

If there are gouges or very noticeable scratches on the floor, sand them out, then carefully fill them with the appropriate color of putty and remove any excess. Drying time can be found in the instructions that come with the putty.

Heavy stains, such as paint or glue stains, can be removed with our special floor cleaner. Pre-wipe these areas with a cloth soaked in acetic acid. Do not use abrasive or alkaline products that damage the decorative surface.

There can be several reasons why laminate flooring comes apart, and the main ones are installation errors, excess humidity, or, conversely, dryness in the room.

Another question that is asked quite often on construction forums is why seams on laminate flooring come apart. The most likely reason is also an error by the technicians. If during installation they do not provide the necessary gap, about 1 centimeter, between the laminate and the wall, then the so-called “deformation” gap will allow the laminate to “walk” when humidity and temperature change and a seam may form in the middle of the room.

Video

Our expert's answer:

low air humidity in room. In winter, when central heating is on, people more often begin to notice that the laminate flooring is walking. The floor covering dries out and micro-gaps appear.
The seams on the laminate are coming apart. What to do?

They can be easily eliminated: just turn on the humidifier.
Uneven surface. Many “masters” underestimate the preparatory stage of work and suggest laying laminate flooring on an old chipboard floor. Even if the floor seems level, it does not mean that it is. The result: in some places the laminate sags, diverges, or becomes a fur coat. The floor also cracks in such cases. This method of installation will not save you from such a problem as creaking floors, and if everything works out, it will not last long. Our advice: disassemble the coating and eliminate any unevenness. The best option for laminate flooring is a concrete screed.
Violation of laying technology.
Incorrect wall clearances around the perimeter of the room. Too big or too small - they do not allow you to properly distribute the load on the floor. In some places the laminate is starting to come apart. You can correct the gaps by filing boards where there is little space, or by inserting small “wedges” where there is free space.
Manufacturer defect

Our reader named Mikhail sent the following question:

Why did the laminate begin to wear out after a year of use? Moreover, they did not lay it with their own hands, but hired seemingly qualified workers.

Our expert's answer:

Without a specific picture, we can assume several options: low humidity in the room, uneven surface under the laminate, violation of installation technology (even the most venerable professionals can make mistakes), manufacturer defects, etc.

Let's take a closer look at the most likely reasons. So, why does laminate flooring come apart?

The size of the discrepancies is small, barely noticeable to the eye. The reason most likely lies in low air humidity in room. In winter, when central heating is on, people more often begin to notice that the laminate flooring is walking. The floor covering dries out and micro-gaps appear. They can be easily eliminated: just turn on the humidifier.
Uneven surface.
Why laminate flooring diverges: answer from a specialist vopros-remont.ru

Many “masters” underestimate the preparatory stage of work and suggest laying laminate flooring on an old chipboard floor. Even if the floor seems level, it does not mean that it is. The result: in some places the laminate sags, diverges, or becomes a fur coat. The floor also cracks in such cases. This method of installation will not save you from such a problem as creaking floors, and if everything works out, it will not last long. Our advice: disassemble the coating and eliminate any unevenness. The best option for laminate flooring is a concrete screed.
Violation of laying technology. Incorrect wall clearances around the perimeter of the room. Too big or too small - they do not allow you to properly distribute the load on the floor. In some places the laminate is starting to come apart. You can correct the gaps by filing boards where there is little space, or by inserting small “wedges” where there is free space.
This also includes small, unnoticed by the master, debris (stones, sawdust) that got into the joints of the boards, as a result, some of them do not fit tightly together. The floor crunches due to friction. To avoid such problems, many people coat the locks with a little glue or wax when laying them for more reliable adhesion.
Manufacturer defect. Simply put, you bought low-quality laminate. During operation, the unreliable fastenings broke. And so we have to look for the answer to the question of why the laminate is coming apart. Advice: choose the click lock option, it is more reliable. Lock locks make laminate cheaper, but the installation process is more labor-intensive and often these locks cannot withstand the load during operation.

We hope that this information helped you find out why the laminate was falling apart and allowed you to eliminate this problem.

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Home / Repair / How to fix it if the laminate has come apart at the joints

How to fix it if the laminate has come apart at the joints

Why laminate flooring diverges - reasons

The indoor air is too dry. Residents of apartments where flooring was installed often notice small gaps between the floor boards in the winter, when the houses begin to be actively heated using central heating. The coating dries out and discrepancies form in the seams between the boards. The likelihood of such defects also increases if the installation was carried out in the rainy off-season, when the air humidity is quite high. Therefore, when repairing, it is important to take into account even such a factor as weather conditions.
Uneven base for laminate flooring. Under no circumstances agree to the proposal to lay a laminate floor on old chipboard boards, or, even better, on a plank covering in old houses made from ordinary wooden boards. Underestimating the preparatory stage for laying laminate flooring is the same as agreeing in advance to further periodic repair work.

Failure to comply with installation technology. We are talking about incorrect gaps at the walls. By “wrong” gaps we mean both too large and too small. They cause uneven load on the floor. As a result, the boards seem to “walk” around the room, looking for a comfortable position.
Small construction debris getting into the joints between the boards: pebbles, grains of sand, sawdust. This will not create large gaps, but the boards will constantly creak due to incorrect and loose closure of the locks. To avoid this, many craftsmen coat the end and longitudinal joints with a special glue or wax composition. What to cover, what composition to choose - you better consult a specialist in the store. This improves traction, reduces the chance of debris getting caught, and also prevents squeaking in the future.

What to do if the laminate has come apart?

Laminate discrepancy due to manufacturer defects

The laminate is coming apart

This is not always noticeable, and many owners struggle to find out why the floor creaks when the reason, in the literal sense of the word, lies on the surface.

You can figure out how to choose the right coating yourself.

Different brands of laminate have two options for locks that are cut on the boards: “click” and “lock”. They differ in shape, and their price also gives them away - the second locks, as a rule, belong to cheap brands. In the end, all the information is indicated on the packaging label, and any consultant will be able to answer your question “What kind of lock is installed on the board?”

“Lock” locks reduce the cost of the material, but require a more scrupulous approach to installation. If you still decide to use the labor of a floor laying specialist, then purchasing laminate flooring with “lock” locks will suit you. If you are laying the floor yourself, and you don’t have much experience in this matter, just or a photo of a master class on laying a floor from the Internet. then you should give preference to laminate with “click” locks. Then the likelihood of avoiding gender discrepancy becomes much lower.