If your laminate floor has become water-logged due to excessive moisture levels, there are a few simple repairs you can perform.
First and foremost, dry the area. This will prevent further swelling while protecting flooring from water damage.
Use a hair dryer on the affected zone to dispel any trapped air bubbles and prevent laminate planks from expanding further. This will stop their swelling back again.
Dry the Area
If your laminate flooring has become waterlogged after flooding, it is imperative that it dries as soon as possible in order to minimize further damage and prepare it for repair. You can accomplish this task by opening windows, adding fans or using a dehumidifier.
Before beginning repairs on any damaged area, ensure that the subfloor is dry. It may take days (or more) for floodwater-soaked floors to fully dry out so it is best to check for moisture on the subfloor after you’ve cleared away most of its remaining pooled waters.
Depending on the cause of flooding, replacing all boards may not be necessary if drying out quickly is achieved. However, if an external factor caused it, such as a defective dishwasher or leaky pipe was to blame, you will most likely need to take additional measures such as replacing affected planks with new ones.
While treating the affected areas with dry heat, you will also need to inspect any damage and assess how much of your floor requires repair. Minor damages might only require replacing one or two planks while moderate swelling could necessitate replacing all or most of it.
As you examine the damage, look out for areas in which swollen planks have fallen too far or warped; in these instances, sand down the affected area and apply wood filler where necessary.
Once this step has been completed, sand the surface of the laminate again to ensure that your filler material adheres securely to the floor. When this has been accomplished, apply varnish over the filled-in area and allow it to dry before proceeding further with this project.
If the damage occurs on only one or two planks, a laminate replacement kit may help restore them and reduce damage caused by swollen areas that spread to other planks in time.
Laminate floors are known for being durable and straightforward to maintain, yet if they become damaged due to flooding, extra steps may need to be taken in order to ensure they do not incur further damage. As well as repairing them, additional steps will likely include waterproofing the area as well.
Apply a Laminate Repair Product
Swollen laminate flooring can be an annoying issue, but it can often be repaired without replacing any of the damaged planks. Laminate is an economical and hardwearing floor option that looks similar to wood but is less susceptible to scratches or discoloration than hardwood.
But laminate flooring can be vulnerable to moisture damage and swelling up under prolonged exposure to excessive water. If any bubbling or lifting spots appear in your laminate floor, act quickly and address them before the situation worsens further.
First and foremost, you need to determine and remove the source of moisture in your home – be it from a leaky pipe beneath laminate flooring or an inadequate moisture barrier – in order to repair that area successfully. After eliminating all possible sources, remove them completely before trying to repair any damaged areas.
Once you’ve eliminated the source of moisture, dry the affected area thoroughly with a dehumidifier or fan. A hair dryer may also help, though be sure to keep airflow low so as to avoid further shrinkage.
Swollen laminate floors typically result from one of three factors: excessive moisture levels, inadequate expansion gaps or installation issues. With excessive moisture levels, planks expand when exposed to warmth and humidity causing expansion gaps to narrow. If this occurs during installation process issues can also arise which results in expansion gaps becoming insufficient resulting in swelling laminate floor planks buckling under their own weight and becoming damaged over time.
If your floor has become distended due to insufficient expansion gaps, increasing the distance between each laminate board can help. Usually this step will be done during installation but if something went awry this is where you can step in yourself and fix it yourself.
Insufficient expansion gaps can occur if a flooring installer doesn’t leave enough room for planks to expand as they heat up and humidify over time, leading to potential buckling of flooring over time. If insufficient expansion gaps are left unaddressed, they could even result in buckled flooring!
Once your area is dry, apply a laminate repair product to any swollen areas and make any necessary repairs. Following that, apply a protective coating over the repaired area in order to prevent further damage and help it look as good as new while protecting it against future wear and tear.
Poke the Bubbles
When laminate floorboards become overswollen with excess moisture, they often form bubbles. Small bubbles shouldn’t pose much of a problem and can usually be easily addressed; however, larger or humped-shaped bubbles should be considered a serious hazard and replaced as soon as possible.
Laminate flooring can be a good option for many homeowners looking for low maintenance alternatives to carpeting, especially those seeking something with less surface wear and tear than carpet. Because laminate is composed of wood shavings and sawdust, which absorbs water quickly. Unfortunately, water can lead to irreparable damage in this material, meaning more frequent maintenance could be needed than expected.
Swollen laminate floors can be an inconvenience, but there are ways to repair them without replacing all of the flooring altogether. Here are a few suggestions to help address this problem:
Prior to installing new floorboards, first verify the cause of any swelling isn’t due to a water leakage issue such as plumbing or appliance malfunction, which could have an effect. Checking around any swollen floorboards for signs of water damage should also help.
If the source of your swelling is from water leakage, consider installing a dehumidifier to reduce humidity in the room and thus help prevent future swellings from reoccurring. Doing so may prevent future swellings.
Another option for repairing your plank is using a laminate repair product, which will aid in its recovery. Apply the product over any areas where there is swelling before pressing down to flatten out its surface.
Once the repair product has set, you can sand any rough spots to restore the surface and maintain a beautiful aesthetic for years to come. This will restore the look of the flooring while prolonging its useful life.
Make use of an X-Acto knife to puncture tiny holes into the bubbles to break them up and allow airflow through them. However, large-sized holes could damage the appearance of your laminate.
Use a hair dryer to remove the bubbles in your floor and repair swollen areas; however, too much heat could dry out material and create further problems.
Replace Individual Planks
Laminate flooring can be an economical and easy-to-maintain flooring option for homeowners who prioritize affordability, aesthetics and low maintenance costs. Unfortunately, laminates may be vulnerable to moisture damage that causes swelling and bubbles on the floor surface – something which can be extremely frustrating to deal with.
Good news is there are multiple solutions available to repair swollen laminate flooring without replacing it entirely. With some effort and the appropriate tools, you can restore your floors back to their original state and give them back their beauty.
As first step, you need to assess the damage. This involves looking closely at all boards within a room for bubbles or warped pieces as well as noting any boards which do not fit together evenly or have gaps between them.
Once you’ve identified damaged areas, mark them with colored tape or sticky notes so you can track progress and ensure you remove all damaged planks.
Apply a laminate repair product directly onto the affected area, following instructions on the packaging carefully to ensure an effective repair job is performed. Allow 24 hours for it to set before using it again.
If the laminate repair product works as intended, you can replace individual planks one at a time. To do this, disassemble damaged flooring row by row until reaching the section that requires replacement; to make this task simpler you may stack planks one on top of each other for easier dismantling and assembly.
This solution is best used when dealing with minor swelling that falls below the threshold for replacement, such as with laminate. It reduces the likelihood of new swelling arising; if necessary, replacement kits can still be utilized.
Water spills, high moisture levels and insufficient expansion gaps between planks are often responsible for why laminate floors swell up, leading to bubble formation on the floor surface. When an installer neglects to close up these gaps, laminate will start swelling and bubbles will appear within its base causing its foundation to expand as a result of excess air entering through gaps that should have been present when installed.
