Swollen laminate – causes and solutions

Popular and generally durable flooring like laminate can be problematic. One such problem is the swelling of individual boards. Our tips site will tell you why laminate flooring can swell and how to deal with this problem yourself..

First, let’s figure out the reasons why the laminate can swell:

1. There is no gap between the boards and the wall. There must be a gap of at least 1 centimeter! Then you cover it with a baseboard and nothing will be visible. The gap between the laminate and the wall is needed as a reserve in case of expansion of the flooring under the influence of temperature and moisture. In addition, the gap serves as ventilation, preventing excessive moisture build-up across the laminate..
2. The laminate laying technology has been violated. The portal provided detailed instructions on how to lay the laminate with your own hands. We strongly advise you to stick to it! A poorly prepared substrate, an incorrectly selected substrate, fastening individual boards with nails, a damp floor can cause the coating to swell after a few days.
3. Moisture penetration into the cracks between the boards, as well as excessive humidity in the room. If something is spilled on a regular laminate, the consequences can be dire. And you only need to wash it with a slightly damp cloth or mop.

Now let’s talk about solving this problem. If your laminate is swollen due to the fact that you forgot to leave a gap between the wall and the coating, you need to proceed as follows:

1. Remove skirting boards.
2. Find places where the laminate rests against the wall, there is no gap.
3. Very carefully, with a jigsaw, trim the lamellas in this place so that a gap of at least 1 centimeter remains.
4. Remove from the floor covering everything that can prevent it from straightening, and it is advisable, on the contrary, to press the swollen area with something heavy enough.
5. Wait until the laminate returns to its original shape, the swelling will disappear.

Important! Do not forget that you also need to leave a gap around the heating pipes, do not put the laminate close to them, cut a little more than necessary.

Important! Fix the door clips and other elements directly to the floor screed. And skirting boards – only to the wall, not to the laminate, to prevent swelling.

If one of the laminate boards is completely damaged as a result of improper installation, it must be replaced:

1. Bring a new plank to this room and leave it there for at least a day to adapt to the conditions.
2. Now you need to start dismantling the entire row of boards. We start by dismantling the plinth, then we remove the boards one by one, from the wall, gradually reaching the damaged.
3. We number all the boards, so that later they can be laid in the same order.
4. Replaces damaged or damaged, swollen boards.
5. We carry out the installation in the reverse order and put the plinth in place.

If you spill something on the laminate and it swells up for this reason, you need to act quickly:

• Remove damaged boards urgently.
• Leave the lamellas to dry. If the laminate was of good quality, chances are that it will return to its original appearance. Otherwise, you will need to change boards.
• Remember to wipe off any water that has gotten under the boards and replace the backing that has also been damaged by the liquid.
• Re-install the removed laminate.

If the coating has been lying for several years, then it is very difficult to choose the lamellas exactly according to the texture and color! The laminate was actively used, the color changed for sure. In this case, we advise you to castling – to dismantle the boards from under the cabinet or table, put them in a prominent place, and mount new ones there. And it will be very difficult for an outside eye to see the differences between the old and new lamellas..

In general, repairing a swollen laminate is no more difficult than restoring parquet.