Why Is My Laminate Floor Lifting?

Is your hardwood floor beginning to bubble, lift, or separate? Many homeowners experience issues with their laminate floors. Understanding why this happens can help you fix and prevent these problems. Several factors can cause your laminate flooring to lift, including an uneven subfloor, moisture issues, insufficient expansion gaps, improper installation, and lack of acclimation. Additionally, temperature fluctuations, manufacturing defects, heavy furniture pressure, and inadequate underlayment could be some of the main reasons. No matter what the reason, you can get laminate floor installation services from a trusted contractor to keep your flooring smooth. 

Common Causes of Laminate Floor Lifting

Let’s look at the most common issues that cause laminate floors to lift and how you can keep them from happening in your home.

1. Uneven Subfloor

When walking on your laminate floor, you shouldn’t feel like hiking over hills and slopes. If your subfloor is uneven, the gaps between your laminate planks will expand. It makes the locks between the planks less tight, which makes them lift.

2. Moisture Problems

Water damage can severely affect laminate floors. Laminate swells and lifts at the edges or seams when water seeps up from below. Common causes are pipes that leak, basements with a lot of moisture, and concrete floors that aren’t sealed properly. 

3. Expansion Gaps

There must be proper airflow beneath laminate floors. If you don’t leave adequate space around the room’s edges for expansion, your flooring won’t have room to adjust to temperature and humidity changes. This trapped force causes the planks to lift.

4. Poor Installation Quality

If your floor is not installed properly, even high-quality laminate will break. Some mistakes people often make are not spacing out the end joints, squeezing the planks together too tightly, or using the wrong underpadding. 

5. Improper Acclimation

Laminate flooring needs time to get used to the conditions in your house. Skipping adjustment is like going to the beach in winter clothes.  If you don’t let the laminate cure, it will grow or contract after installation, which can cause gaps or lift. 

6. Temperature Fluctuations

Laminate quickly expands and contracts when the temperature changes a lot. Places with direct sunlight or rooms with radiant warmth are particularly at risk. These changes stress the links between the planks. 

7. Manufacturing Defects

It’s not always you who’s wrong sometimes; it’s the service. Manufacturing defects in laminate planks can cause them to lift, even with proper installation. Check the planks before putting them down, and keep the guarantee information close at hand. 

8. Heavy Furniture

That beautiful solid wood dining table might ruin your laminate. Excessive weight from furniture can restrict natural expansion, causing the flooring to lift. To avoid pressure points, use furniture pads and spread your weight out properly.

9. Underlayment

Proper underlayment beneath your laminate flooring is essential for comfort, stability, and moisture protection. The correct underlayment helps smooth minor subfloor imperfections, reduces noise, and provides moisture resistance. However, if you use the wrong type, it can lift.

How to Fix Lifted Laminate Floor?

Here is the step-by-step process to repair laminate floors:

• Step 1: Identify the Cause: Before making repairs, check for water damage and see if the bouncy laminate floor is near walls or most-used places.
• Step 2: Remove Baseboards: Carefully remove the baseboards along the affected walls to access the expansion gap and assess the flooring’s ability to expand.
• Step 3: Inspect Damaged Planks: Start disassembling the floor from the nearest wall and work toward the damaged areas. Check for signs of water damage or broken locking mechanisms.
• Step 4: Replace or Reattach Planks: If a plank is damaged, replace it with a matching one. If the plank is still in good condition, clean the locking mechanisms and reinstall it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Step 5: Finalize Repairs: Put weights over the fixed area for 24 hours, replace baseboards without touching the flooring directly, and seal any potential moisture entry points.

How Long Does Laminate Flooring Last?

Laminate flooring can last 15 to 25 years when installed and maintained properly. Higher-quality products typically have a longer lifespan, but high-traffic areas may show signs of wear more quickly. To extend the life of your laminate flooring:

• Clean it regularly.
• Wipe up spills immediately.
• Use furniture pads and avoid dragging heavy items.

Conclusion

Laminate floors often lift because of uneven subfloors, moisture issues, insufficient expansion gaps, poor fitting, incorrect acclimation, temperature changes, manufacturing flaws, heavy furniture pressure, and underlayment. Knowing these reasons can help you keep your flooring in good shape. If you’re considering replacing your whole floor or just a few tiles, remember that the right planning and installation are the keys to a long-lasting laminate floor. You can get laminate floor installation services from a reputable company to keep your flooring in top condition.