Why Do Laminate Floors Float

Laminate flooring is affected by water in a number of ways.

Why do laminate floors float.

High moisture content in the air can sometimes 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. Thankfully you do not have to undertake major renovation projects like removing the entire floor to remedy the situation. Since it is a floating floor the planks tend to contract when it is cool and expand when it is warm.

Buckling occurs when laminate flooring does not have enough space to contract and expand with temperature changes. 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. They float above the subsurface to allow for expansion and contraction in reaction to a room s humidity level. 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. In all cases the root cause is a failure to follow the written installation instructions provided by the laminate flooring manufacturer. The floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room s relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling. Therefore it is crucial to take precautions to prevent buckling.

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. Floating floors are an ideal option if you don t want to glue laminate planks to the subfloor. Excessive water on the surface of the floor can also lead to buckling or warping. If your laminate floor is moving and shifting you can fix it by closing any gaps between the floorboards.

Buckling diagram from kronotex. However sweeping or vacuuming improperly can do more damage to your laminate than the dirt. For this reason it is important never to wet mop a laminate floor. Laminate floor peaking on the other side of the spectrum is peaking which is caused when boards are pushed up against each other.

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.