Laminated Flooring Installation Tips
When investing in a new floating laminate floor or any other flooring one should take precaution to assure that the floor will not only look great but also perform great. Here are a few tips on laminate flooring installation that will assist you in achieving your goals.
While the requirement of one manufacturer may differ from another the following information is common to many manufacturers. When purchasing a floor always obtain and read the installation instructions for the floor you are purchasing. The instructions for most laminate manufacturers may be found by clicking here.
Unfortunately as flooring inspectors we see many installations where the person installing the floor claimed to be an expert but did not install the floor as required by the manufacturer. Failing to follow the manufacturers installation instructions is a huge laminate floor problem as it often voids the warranty.
Subfloor Requirements of a floating floor
Concrete
- Perform a mat test to check for moisture. If any indication of a high moisture content perform a calcium chloride test. Moisture content should not exceed 2.5% on a dry weight basis or the floor may fail.
- New concrete needs to cure for a minimum of 60 days.
- Use an approved vapor barrier. Most companies require a vapor barrier even when the floor is covered by vinyl, linoleum, tile or sheet flooring.
Vinyl & Linoleum Subfloor
- Usually you can install over these if they are clean and level.
Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
- This is the one floor that most floating floors cannot be installed over and it needs to be removed unless approved by the manufacturer. If the carpet is glue down be sure to thoroughly clean the surface of glue residues.
Ceramic Tile and Stone Subfloor
- These will normally not require removal but they must be leveled to within 5 mm in a 3 m radius. A vapor barrier may be required, particularly over concrete.
Hardwood Subfloor
- Test for moisture content, it must be stable and between 6 and 10%.
- Correct the floor to eliminate any movement. If the subfloor sags, inspect the joist below for twist or weakness. If the subfloor is uneven or cupped at the joist, recheck the moisture making sure it is in the 6 – 10% range.
- Check for excessive moisture in the crawl space or basement including signs of potential water problems.
- Sand or plane high areas and patch or fill low areas with an appropriate leveling compound, or cover with a rigid underlayment.
- Do not use a vapor barrier on top of wood floors.
Identification of Common Laminate Floor Problems
| Concern | Identifying Characteristics | Possible Causes | Recommended Actions | Responsibility |
| Indentation Damage | Dent in floor with fracture marks in the plastic. | Impact to surface or dropped object | Repair with the approved filler or replace board | Consumer or installer |
| Indentation Manufacturing Voids | Dent in floor without fracture marks in plastic. | Missing paper, damaged core, will show as irregular shape depression. | Repair with the approved filler or replace board | Manufacturer or installer if a highly visible defect. |
| Scratches, Cuts | Scratches showed up after installation or cross between boards | Plastic toys, improper furniture protectors, dragging furniture, abrasive soil. | Replacement of scratched boards | Consumer, or installer if occurred during installation |
| Scratches Manufacturing | Scratches seen at time or following installation. Do not cross boards, generally in straight line. May repeat on multiple boards. | Scratching during manufacturing. | Replacement of scratched boards | Manufacturer, or installer if highly visible and installed anyway. |
| Scuffing | Dull, wide marks or scratch like areas. | Chairs with plastic castors, hard plastic toys | Take preventative action, replace scuffed boards | Consumer |
| Water Damage Bottom up | Warped floor, swelling at multiple seams in localized or large area | Water leaks, no vapor barrier on concrete | Replace | Consumer if leak
Installer if no vapor barrier |
| Water Damage Top down | Swelling at both sides of seams, gaps in seams, voids in glue | Improper joining and/or gluing | Replace | Installer |
| Out of Rack | Boards not aligned parallel on both sides and ends, seen on floor from point on where misalignment started. | Failure to align and tightly join starter row. | Replace as needed | Installer |
| Out of Square | A floor that is out of square will affect alignment on out of square planks only and not entire area. | Milling | Replace as needed | Manufacturer |
| No Underlay Foam | Buckling | No foam results in gluing to the underlayment and floor is no longer floating | Replace | Installer |
| Concave Bowing | Center of the plank is lower in elevation than the edges in length or width. | Installed on wet subfloor. No moisture barrier. Improper acclimation. Water damage. Manufacturing defect | Wait 6 weeks after installation to inspect. If in excess of tolerance, replace. | Installer if installed over wet floor, improper acclimation or no vapor barrier. Consumer if water damage. Manufacturer |
| Convex Bowing | Center of the plank is higher in elevation than the edges in length and width. | Manufacturing related condition | Wait 6 weeks after installation to inspect. If in excess of tolerance replace. | Manufacturer |
| Delamination | Laminate not adhering to core. May appear as a bubble on plank surface, delamination on edge about width of tapping block. | Laminate moves, hollow sound, improperly used tapping block, swelling due to improper gluing | Plank or section replacement | Installer if not properly glued or installation damage. Manufacturer if laminate not attached. |
| Proud Edges | Height difference between planks when installed | Milling | Assess on basis of size and number and if outside of acceptable range, replace as required. | Manufacturer, Installer if highly visible and floor should not have been installed. |
| Pattern Misaligned | Pattern no aligned on the core | Improper manufacturing alignment | Plank or section replacement | Manufacturer, installer if highly visible and should not have been installed. |
| Foggy Laminate | Milky appearance throughout plank | Manufacturing | Replace section or as needed. | Manufacturer |
| Sheen Variation | Sheen varies between planks with some dull and others shiny. Usually light dependant | Manufacturing | Replace section or as needed. | Manufacturer |
| Color Variation | Plank varies in color from the true color or design | Manufacturing or mixed pattern | Plank or section replacement | Installer if wrong color or highly visible, otherwise manufacturer |
| Foreign matter under laminate | Particles under laminate that show up either as marks, spots or lumps. | Dust or debris during manufacturing. Generally light dependent and not seen until after installation. | Replace as needed | Manufacturer, installer if highly visible as it should have been seen and not installed. |
| Improper Milling | Floor unlevel or not square in areas | Product out of square, defective tongue or groove. | Replace as needed | Manufacturer, installer if highly visible as it should have been seen and not installed. |
| Chattermarks (Cuttermarks) | Widthwise, wavy or rippled bands. Not seen in all lighting. | Skips during sanding | Replace | Manufacturer, installer if highly visible as it should have been seen and not installed. |
Laminate Flooring Terms
Acclimation: The adaptation of the laminate floor to its installation environment.
Backer (Backing): In laminated flooring the bottom layer is called backer layer or balancing layer and is usually made from a resin-impregnated Kraft paper. The backer is designed to be the same weight as the wearlayer to provide balance and stability. If the backer is lighter or heavier than the wearlayer, the boards will cup or bow after installation and cannot be repaired.
Base Shoe: Similar to quarter round in profile, it is a molding designed for attaching to a base molding to cover the expansion space.
Bow: In lumber the distortion in which there is a deviation, in a direction perpendicular to the flat face as measured from a straight line from end to end.
Chipboard: Paperboard formulated for a variety of purposes and under a variety of specifications including two of the more common that may or may not be included are strength and color. It is usually fabricated from paper stock with a relatively low density in the thickness of 0.006 inch and up.
Core: In laminated flooring, the core provides for strength and impact resistance and can be made from high or medium-density fiberboard, particle (chipboard, or polyurethane foam. Particleboard and fiberboard are produced from compressed wood fibers mixed with bonding agents and is vulnerable to moisture.
Crook: The distortion that occurs within a board that has a deviation in a direction perpendicular to the edge, from a straight line from end to end of the piece.
Crosspull: A condition that occurs at an end-joint with the ends of flooring strips pulled in opposite directions.
Crowning: A “convex” or “crowned” condition or appearance where the center of individual strips becomes higher than the edges. (Opposite of cupping.)
Cupping: A “concave” or “dished” condition or appearance where the center of individual strips becomes lower than the edges. (Opposite of crowning.)
Cure: The change of adhesives properties by chemical reaction (which may be condensation, polymerization, or vulcanization) resulting in the development of maximum strength. Commonly accomplished by the action of heat or a catalyst, with or without pressure.
Decorative Layer: In laminate flooring, a decorative layer or print film is adhered on top of the core board giving the floor its hardwood or tile look. This decorative layer is a printed, high-resolution photo-reproduction of wood grain, natural stone or laminate tile pattern.
Delamination: The separation of layers in a laminate, through failure within the adhesive or at the bond between the adhesive and laminate.
Distressed: Creation of an antique or timeworn appearance by creating an artificial texture of a floor by techniques such as scraping, scratching and gouging.
Dry Wall: Interior covering material, such as hardboard, plywood or gypsum board that is applied in large sheets or panels.
End Joint: The joint created where two pieces of flooring are joined end to end.
End Molding/Carpet Reducer: Used as a transition from laminate floors to different flooring surfaces when the reducer does not allow enough height, such as on high-pile carpet or thick laminate tile.
Equilibrium Moisture Content: The moisture content at which a wood neither gains nor loses moisture when surrounded by air at a given relative humidity and temperature.
Expansion: In laminate expansion is growth resulting from an increase in moisture.
Fiberboard: A widely used generic term that is inclusive of sheet materials of widely varying densities manufactured of refined or partially refined wood or vegetable fibers. A variety of materials and bonding agents are added to increase strength, resistance to moisture, fire or decay and to improve other qualities.
Filler: 1. In woodworking, any substance that is used to fill the holes and irregularities in planed or sanded surfaces to decrease the porosity of the surface before applying a finish coat. 2. A wood putty, plastic wood or other material that is used to fill cracks, knot holes, worm holes, etc.
Fire Resistance: A materials ability to withstand fire or give protection from it.
Fire Retardant: A chemical or preparation of chemicals that is used to retard the spread of fire over the surface or to reduce flammability.
Flakeboard: A particle panel that is composed of flakes.
Flame Spread: The development of a flame away from its source of ignition such as across the surface of a liquid or a solid, or through the volume of a gaseous mixture.
Floating Floor: Floating floor is a term that describes a method of installing a floor rather than a specific type of flooring material. In this method, the individual planks or boards attach to each other. A padded underlayment sits between the subfloor and the laminate planks. The planks sit directly on the underlayment and are not anchored to the subfloor on the bottom but rather are anchored on the edges.
Glued Laminate Flooring: These are the original laminate floors that do require a special formulated glue to be applied to the tongue and grooved areas for each plank. Once the glue is dried the planks are almost impossible to pull apart. These floors are offered in both planks and squares.
Glueless Laminate Flooring: An installation method where the planks or squares simply interlock together.
High Pressure Laminate: Laminates molded and cured at pressures not lower than 1,000 lb per sq in. (70 kg per sq cm) and more commonly in the range of 1,200 to 2,000 lb per sq in. (84 to 140 kg per sq cm).
Hydroscopic: The ability of a substance to absorb and retain moisture or lose or throw off moisture. Wood as a hydroscopic material expands with the absorption of water and shrinks with the loss of moisture.
Joist: Parallel beam used in series to support floor or ceiling loads and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls.
Laminate: A manufactured product that simulates the look of hardwood, laminate tile, natural stone and many other types of flooring.
Laminate Flooring: Laminate flooring is a hard surface floor covering consisting of a fiberboard core, printed paper pattern with a melamine wear layer and backing and usually with a tongue and groove construction for ease of installation.
Laminated Wood: An assembly that is made by bonding layers of materials with an adhesive. 2. Sometimes referred to edge-glued lumber items such as treads, etc.
Manufacturing Defects: Defects or blemishes that develop during manufacturing.
Melamine Resin: A resin used to help improve the moisture resistance and durability of the core board of laminate flooring.
Moldings: Trim pieces that cover the space that is allowed for the flooring to expand and move naturally on top of the subfloor. Also used as the transition to an adjacent floor. Moldings for laminate floors are usually slightly larger than their wood or laminate tile counterparts.
Moisture Content: The amount of moisture expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven dry wood.
Nosing: A trim used to cover the outside corner of a step.
Oriented Strand Board: A particle panel composed of strand-type flakes with purposefully aligned directions which make a panel stronger, stiffer, and with improved dimensional properties in the alignment directions than a panel composed of random flake orientation.
Overlapping Stair Nosing: A nosing that is similar to a flush stair nosing except the nose overlaps the exposed edge of your floor. The overlapping stair nosing is secured to the sub floor and not to the laminate floor so the floor remains free to move.
Particleboard: A generic term for a material manufactured from wood particles or other cellulosic material and a binder.
Peaking Seams: Laminate plank edges that have risen at the joint.
Plank: A laminate floor panel that is typically 5 or 6 inches wide.
Plugs: Dowels that simulate the Colonial American plugged or pegged plank appearance.
Prefinished: A floor that is finished during the manufacturing process and requires installation only.
Pre-Glued Laminate : A laminate flooring that has the glue already applied to the tongue and grooves. A thin, plastic underlayment is needed to seal out moisture and prevent the glue from sticking to the substrate.
Quarter Round Trim: A trim that is installed where the laminate floor meets the wall or baseboard.
Reducer Strip: The transitional piece installers use to connect the laminate with another type of floor covering such as vinyl, thin laminate tile, or low-pile carpeting.
Relative Humidity: A ration of the amount of water vapor that is present in the air to that which the air would hold at saturation at the same temperature. While usually considered on the basis of the weight of the vapor, for accuracy it should be considered on the basis of vapor pressures.
Screens: The quality of the laminate partially has to do with the photography and the number of photographs per style, which is known as “screens”. The more screens a product has, the more variation it can offer. And the more “authentic” the laminate looks.
Seams: The junction where the panels connect together.
Square Nosing / Universal Edge: Used where the laminate flooring butts up to carpeting, or various vertical surfaces where the edge will be exposed, such as along a fireplace.
Stain: A discoloration that develops in or on a floor and is other than the natural color.
Stud: Structural unit used as supporting element in walls and partitions.
Surface-Finish: A finish material, which penetrates the pores of the wood, providing a finish that is in the wood rather than on the surface.
Step Down Stair Nose: A coordinating molding piece providing the proper transition for all the steps in a home.
Tile: A laminate panel in a geometric shape – square.
T-Molding: Commonly used in doorways to join two laminate floors in adjoining rooms. It’s also recommended when making transitions from a laminate floor to another floor that is approximately the same height.
Underlayment: A material used between the laminate flooring and the subfloor that acts as a sound and moisture barrier and also allows the floor to expand and contract with changes in the temperature. V-Joint: A plank flooring term that indicates that the edges are eased or beveled to simulate cracks in floors of early Colonial American homes.
Vapor Barrier: A material with a high resistance to vapor movement that is used to control condensation or prevent migration of moisture.
Waferboard: A particle panel product that is made of wafer-type flakes. It is usually produced to provide equal properties in all directions parallel to the plane of the panel.
Wearlayer: In laminated flooring the wearlayer usually consist of multiple layers of Kraft paper that has been impregnated with phenolic resins and pressed together under high heat and pressure. This is the HPL (high-pressure lamination) process, the first step of the CPL (continuous pressure lamination) process, the second being the attachment of the wearlayer and backer layer to the core. The bottom layer of Kraft paper is imprinted with a photograph that provides the floors pattern or design.
Acclimation of Laminate Flooring
The manufacturers of most laminate floors require the cartons of flooring to be acclimated for 48 to 72 hours prior to installation. Acclimation requires conditioning of the flooring material at or near occupancy level. Check the installation instructions to see how they want the material stacked for installation and if the cartons are to be opened or left unopened.
The flooring material needs to be acclimated in the area of installation. This means that if the laminate is to be installed in the family room it should be acclimated in that room.
Storing the laminate flooring in the garage is not acclimation even if the garage is attached. Storage of the material at the store or warehouse of the dealer or installer is not acclimation unless the floor is to be installed in the store or warehouse.
Not all laminate manufacturers require acclimation. If the dealer or installer says it is not necessary to acclimate insist that they show you where the manufacturer states that in writing. Don’t make the manufacturers, dealers or installers problem yours. If they say that the floor does not require acclimation insist on getting this in writing.
When a floor acclimates the product is adjusting to the humidity of the area of installation.
All wet work in the area of installation such as plastering and painting must be completed prior to the start of acclimation. All windows and doors must be installed prior to the start of acclimation. The heating and air conditioning system must be operational at or near occupancy levels. If installing over concrete the concrete should have been tested and found to be at acceptable levels for the installation of the laminate.
When a floor is not acclimated prior to installation it can be hard to click together chipping or damaging the edges of the laminate. A floor that is not acclimated to its environment is more likely to experience problems such as expansion, tenting, squeaking and buckling after installation.
If you are unsure of the laminate manufacturers installation requirements a copy of them is often contained in each carton. Most manufacturers’ installation instructions are also available on LaminateFloorProblems.com
Laminate Floor Manufacturer Installation & Care Instructions
For the contact information, installation and care instructions of a laminate manufacturer click on a link below. If you need the installation or care instructions of a manufacturer that is not listed, contact Laminate Floor Problems and we will add that manufacturer if available.
Dream Home Laminate Flooring
Konecto Laminate & Vinyl Floor
Water Damage Laminate Floor
Water Damage to Laminate Flooring
Plumbing and Appliance Leaks
Water damage from plumbing and appliance leaks such as dishwashers, water heaters, washing machines and ice makers can result in buckling of a laminate floor. Often these leaks are very slow and go unnoticed.
Slow leaks are often difficult to identify as they are below the laminate where they penetrate into the laminates core material.
While you may not see the leak an inspector can tell that excess moisture is there by use of a moisture meter.
Flooding
Severe plumping leaks such as a pipe break or overflowing toilet will usually result in buckling of a laminate floor.
Water Damage to Laminate Floor From Concrete
Moisture can enter into the back of a laminate floor resulting in cupping. An entire floor may cup from a concrete floor that is too wet. This can occur even when a vapor barrier has been used below the laminate floor.
Testing for Moisture
All concrete floors should be tested for moisture prior to installation of the laminate floor covering.
Newly poured concrete should be allowed to cure for at least 60 days prior to installation of the laminate floor.
There are a number of ways to tests for moisture. Many of these such as electronic testing and calcium chloride testing should be performed by companies such as The Weinheimer Group LLC that have the proper training and equipment.
Easy Consumer or Installer Test for Concrete Moisture
Below is a test that can be used inexpensively, without training. This test is acceptable by many laminate flooring manufacturers.
Materials:
- 6 mil polyethylene film
- Duct tape.
Procedure:
- Using duct tape completely seal a 2′ x 2′ section of the polyethylene film down to an area of clean concrete. It is best to do this in several locations where the laminate floor is to be installed. At least one test per 500 square feet.
- After 72 hours remove the plastic. (one week is better)
- If the concrete is dark or wet below the plastic the subfloor is too wet to install a laminate floor.
Water Damage Maintenance and Pet Damage
- Spills and improper wet cleaning of a laminate floor can cause swelling at the laminate joints. This is often seen as puffy areas along the edge of the planks and frequently crosses between plank edges.
- The most common cause of edge swelling over a large area is wet mopping or using popular floor cleaning equipment such as but not limited to the Swiffer Wet Jet.
- Sometimes it takes a year or two of use before maintenance related issues start to show up. Some floors may never experience noticeable damage by these cleaning methods and others will experience severe damage. Water damage is rarely covered by the laminate manufacturer.
- Spills and damage from pet urine are usually localized and show as swelled areas between planks. This is a site related condition and not a laminate floor problem and will almost never covered by a manufacturer warranty.
Sealant Around Laminate Edges
- Some laminate flooring manufacturers require a sealant to be used around objects such as sliding glass doors, kitchen cabinets, water hearers and in other areas prone to leaks and moisture.
- The proper sealant must be used to prevent lock in of the floor.
- The sealant must be properly applied or voids will be left for moisture to enter.
- Failure to use a sealant as specified by the laminate flooring manufacturer can void a warranty.
Expansion Space Around Walls and Fixed Objects
Expansion Space Walls and Fixed Objects
During laminate floor installation the proper expansion space must be left around all walls and vertical surfaces.
Without the proper expansion space a floor may buckle and gap due to the normal expansion and contraction of the laminate floating floor.
Expansion space must be left around fixed objects such as pipes, cabinets, fireplace hearths, sliding glass door tracks, floor outlets, floor vents and thresholds.
The size of the required expansion space can range from 1/8″ to more than 1/4″ depending upon the manufacturer and product.
The failure to leave proper expansion space locks in the floor and can resulting in buckling or tenting of the floor and separation at the floor joints.
An installer must also be careful not to leave a space wider than the door base or molding that is used along the wall or other fixed object to cover the expansion space.
On floating floors that click together the problem is often seen as gaps developing at the seams.
When a floor is tenting upward and lifting off of the subfloor it is obvious that the laminate has expanded and is locked in at some point.
T-Molding
Most laminate manufacturers require that a T-Molding be installed at all doorways under 4 feet wide.
The T-Molding allows the laminate floating floor to expand and contract.
Failure to use the T-Molding will often cause the laminate floor to tent, buckle or develop gaps.
Do not fasten T-Molding through the laminate floor or with fasteners against the edge of the laminate floor as this will lock the floor in.
Under Cutting Door Jambs
Door Jambs need to be undercut to allow for expansion space.
When a jamb is undercut as poorly as seen in photograph this is an installation related concern.
When door casings are not undercut and the floor is locked in this also becomes an installation related concern.
Laminate Floor Care and Maintenance
Protect Floor from Scratching
While laminate flooring has a harder finish than many types of floor covering, all types of floors can loose their appearance from dirt. Abrasive soil scratches and cuts at a floor surface resulting in a dull appearance.
- Trap dirt, sand and grit by using doormats at outside entrances.
- Use felt protectors under chair, table and other furniture legs. On large items that may scratch a floor place a piece of felt under it.
- Use a dust mop, or vacuum to remove loose dirt or grit. (Avoid uprights or carpet attachments as these may scratch the floor.
Cleaning Laminate Floors
- Damp mop with warm water; do not saturate the floor and change the water as necessary to keep clean.
Cleaning Spots and Small Areas
- Use a clean damp cloth or clean sponge to wipe up most spots. Grease, chocolate, juice or wine. Use warm water and one of the following: mild detergent, vinegar or ammonia. (Never use excessive water)
- Crayon, asphalt, dried foods, shoe or nail polish, ink, paint or other materials that would stain most floors: Rub with a clean rag dampened with mineral spirits, denatured alcohol or acetone (nail polish remover). The room should be well ventilated.
- Candle wax, chewing gum harden with ice, then gently scrape with a blunt scraper. Wipe with warm water and a clean white cloth.
Don’ts
- Never clean with abrasive cleaners, scouring powder or steel wool.
- Do not sand, use wax, polish or varnish.
- Do not allow liquid to stand on a floor.
