How to Repair a Laminate Floor Joint
- 1). Remove the moldings that run parallel to the laminate floor joint that is peaking. If there isn’t enough room between the floor and the wall, this may be the problem. Cut off a narrow piece of the laminate boards nearest the wall and put the boards back in place. Allow at least 1/4 inch for expansion. Allow some time for the laminate floor joint to settle back into place before replacing the moldings.
- 2). Remove all the moldings around the room if nails from the moldings hold the floor in place. Attaching the molding directly to the flooring may cause laminate floor peaking because there is no room for the joints to expand naturally. Let the floor settle into place. Replace the molding, but secure it only to the walls above the flooring.
- 3). Keep the temperature in the room where the laminate floor is within the temperature range specified by its manufacturer. Extreme cold can cause the laminate floor planks to shrink, which can cause gaps between them. Warming the room gradually should fix the problem.
- 4). Cut out a board with a damaged joint. If the board isn’t close enough to the wall to unlock the nearest boards to replace it, the last option is to cut it out. Mark the board you are replacing 1½ inches in from all sides. Drill 3/16-inch holes in the corners of your marked lines and at two additional spots along each long side.
- 5). Saw along the line you marked being careful not to cut deeper than the laminate flooring Stop at the drill holes on each corner. Pry out the center portion of the board. Gently pry out the remaining portion of the laminate plank. Remove any glue from the surrounding planks.
- 6). Make sure the replacement plank fits over the hole exactly. Trim to fit if necessary.
- 7). Cut off the bottom portion of the laminate plank’s groove. Apply glue to all edges of the replacement plank. Set the plank in place. Wipe up any excess glue from the floor’s surface. Put evenly distributed weight on the plank for 24 hours to give the glue time to set.
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