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What to do if the laminate is swollen: causes and remedies for swelling. What to do if the laminate is swollen from water: eliminating the causes and effective ways to solve the problem What to do if the laminate is swollen at the joints

With such a popular and generally durable flooring as laminate, problems can arise. One of these troubles is the swelling of individual boards. The RMNT website will tell you why laminate flooring can swell and how to deal with this problem yourself.

To begin with, let's deal with the reasons why the laminate may swell:

1. There is no gap between the boards and the wall. There must be a gap of at least 1 centimeter wide! Then you close it with a plinth and nothing will be visible. The gap between the laminate and the wall is needed as a margin in case the flooring expands due to temperature and moisture. In addition, the gap serves as ventilation, preventing excessive moisture build-up on the laminate.
2. The technology of laying the laminate is broken. The portal site provided detailed instructions for laying the laminate with your own hands. We highly recommend sticking with it! A poorly prepared base, an incorrectly chosen substrate, fastening individual boards with nails, a wet floor can cause the coating to swell after a few days.
3. Moisture ingress into the gaps between the boards, as well as excessive humidity in the room. If something is spilled on a regular laminate, the consequences can be disastrous. And you need to wash it only 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 the places where the laminate rests against the wall, there is no gap.
3. Very carefully with an electric 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 up, and it is desirable, on the contrary, to press the swollen area with something heavy enough.
5. Wait until the laminate takes 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! Fasten door locks and other elements directly to the floor screed. And skirting boards - only to the wall, not to the laminate, in order to prevent swelling.

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

1. Bring a new bar 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 getting to the damaged one.
3. All boards are numbered, so that later they can be laid in the same order.
4. Replaces damaged or damaged, swollen boards.
5. We carry out the laying in the reverse order and put the plinth in place.

If you spilled something on the laminate and it swelled for this reason, you need to act quickly:

• Remove damaged boards immediately.
• Leave the slats to dry. If the laminate was of good quality, it is likely that it will take on its original appearance. Otherwise, you will need to change the boards.
• Don't forget to wipe off the water that got 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 exploited, the color has definitely changed. In this case, we advise you to castling - dismantle the boards from under the cabinet or table, put them in a conspicuous place, and mount new ones there. And it will be very difficult for an outsider to see the differences between the old and new lamellae.

Laminate flooring is one of the most popular flooring today. Moreover, it is used both in houses and apartments, and in offices. This demand is due to the excellent performance characteristics of the material, durability and strength. However, this material is afraid of moisture, so you need to know what to do if the laminate is swollen. After all, this issue does not have to be solved by a complete replacement of the coating.

Causes of bloating

This phenomenon can be caused by several reasons. Moreover, it is expressed in different ways - there are waves, places of swelling or irregularities. And in the beginning it is important to correctly determine the causes. And then eliminate the consequences.

Reasons why the laminate swells:

• poor-quality base - if the base floor is poorly prepared, irregularities remain on it. This will damage the finish. In this case, the consequences can only be eliminated by complete dismantling. Then level the base, and lay the floors again. In this case, damaged slats will have to be replaced.
• water ingress on laminate floors - a one-time impact will not harm it. But when moisture gets on the laminate all the time, there will be trouble. Especially if the technology was violated during installation, and gaps appeared between the planks. In this case, swelling will occur quickly.
• low-quality material - cheap types of this material swell from time to time. In such a situation, only one way out is a complete replacement.
• the laying technology is violated - if the installation does not take into account the temperature gaps or the panels are glued to the base base, due to changes in temperature and humidity, the strips will begin to warp.

Important! Laminate is a floating floor. Therefore, it is mounted so that it does not come into contact with the walls. The gap should be 1 cm. This allows the panels to expand freely.

If swelling at the joints

Sometimes the laminate swells directly at the joints between the planks. There are reasons for this:

• poor quality of the material - when the laminate is cheap, the locks are of poor quality. And this leads to bloating.
• the substrate of the wrong thickness is selected - depending on the thickness of the planks themselves, the substrate is also selected. If you put a thick and soft lining under a thin laminate, this will lead to squeezing of the planks. As a result, the locks crack.

Cleaning can also be to blame for the fact that the laminate floor warps. It is important to remember that this material is afraid of moisture. Therefore, you do not need to pour too much - just wipe with a wrung out cloth.

A common reason why the laminate rises is the wrong installation technology. It is expressed in the absence of a gap between the coating and the walls. And it should be at least 8 mm, and in rooms with high humidity, this seam increases to 15 mm.

So, if the reason is technology, then the following works are done:

• first of all, the plinth is dismantled;
• when the slats are removed, the problem will immediately become clear, if the matter is in the gap - the laminate will rest against the walls;
• once a problem is identified, it can be fixed. To do this, you will need to cut off the excess parts of the lamellae.
• There are two technologies for installing laminate - locking, which is used most often, and adhesive. If the floor is laid according to the second option, you will have to cut it in place.
• along the perimeter of the canvas, an even mark is made for indentation. With the help of a jigsaw or grinder, a cut is made.
• if the system is castle, then it is better to take out the first rows. This is done simply, although if the coating is greatly expanded, and the laminate panels rest tightly against the wall, you will have to pry over the edge. In this case, it is more correct to make a propyl in place.
• after the gap is made, insert the removed planks into place and level the swollen laminate. To do this, just press on the places of warpage - the panels will fall into place.

When trimming, you need to take into account the width of the plinth - it must cover the formed gap. Pay attention to how it is attached to the wall. There should be a gap of 2-3 mm between it and the floor.

If moisture is to blame

If the laminate is swollen with water, you will need to disassemble the surface. There is an option that the moisture will evaporate on its own. For this:

• you need to wipe the places where water gets in;
• then ventilate the room.

But you need to understand that this option is suitable in cases where the water has not had time to absorb much. This method will not work for cheap grades of material, because. they are rarely resistant to moisture.

Therefore, most often it has to be disassembled. The sequence of actions if the laminate is swollen:

• skirting boards are carefully removed. It is worth paying attention to the state of the compensation gap - if it is not there, it is better to immediately eliminate this problem.
• the floors are gradually disassembled to the place where swelling is found;
• now it is desirable to disassemble a few more panels and dry the base and substrate. Yes, and the surrounding planks will not hurt to ventilate.
• after that, the damaged panels are replaced, and the laminate is laid back, and the skirting boards are installed.

However, one unpleasant nuance may arise here - if the coating is old, it has lost its original color anyway. Therefore, it may be difficult to select replacement panels.

In this case, you can offer a simple way out of the situation. In any room, there are blind spots: under the table or other furniture or in the corners. Those. those places that are not conspicuous.

Important! When laying laminate flooring, it is best to leave a few panels in reserve. They will come in handy in case of local repairs.

You can take a laminate from such places and replace it with a damaged one. And put the new one where it is not visible.

Bloating protection

In order not to puzzle over how to fix the damaged coating, preventive measures are provided. They are simple:

• follow the terms of use of the coverage. Remember that the laminate is afraid of moisture, so its class must be chosen carefully.
• it is better to give preference to proven materials. Cheap panels will not last long.
• special attention should be paid to preparation. The base floor must be level and dry, and the underlay must be suitable.
• we must not forget that the laminate must float, i.e. the canvas is in no case fixed to the base.
• withstand compensation gaps;
• Cleaning should be damp and ensure that there is no excessive moisture.

These measures will help prevent damage to the flooring.

Moisture protection for laminate flooring

Sometimes laminate flooring is placed in rooms with high humidity, where it can rise over time. To save yourself from this, you can use special polishes or wax.

Better to use wax. It is natural, adds shine and protects from exposure to high humidity. For parquet, this is a classic version of the protective coating.

The application technology itself is simple:

• a thin layer of wax is applied to the laminate;
• then you need to grind on the floor with a typewriter or manually - with a soft cloth;
• rubbing is done twice, as a result, the laminate should remain clean. The wax itself fills the joints, cracks and cracks, thus preventing the penetration of moisture;
• after the procedure, the laminate should stand for about 12 hours, during which time it is advisable to ventilate the room.

Another anti-bloating method that can either be combined with rubbing or used separately is the use of impregnation. It is applied to the ends of the panels during installation. This impregnation effectively prevents the absorption of water when it enters between the joints.

However, you need to understand that these measures are not a panacea - if the coating is constantly exposed to high humidity or water gets in, swelling cannot be avoided. Therefore, you need to follow the conditions of use, and treat the laminate floor with care. Well, in case of emergency, you can always make local repairs.

To date, laminate is the most popular floor covering that can be assembled or dismantled independently without the help of special workers. But there are a number of reasons due to which the uniformity of the floor covering can be disturbed, for example, as a large amount of water gets on its surface.

You should not panic, there are many ways to eliminate the deformation after damage. It is not necessary to call the repair service, as having studied the issue, you can easily deal with this problem yourself.

Eliminate bloating with an iron.

This is the most effective and easiest way to eliminate swelling under the laminate, but there are a few nuances that must be observed:

• The laminate must be of high quality, as a bad laminate does not respond to such actions and will most likely require dismantling and replacement.
• There must be no water in the substrate.
• You will need a metal ruler and an iron.

To eliminate swelling on the laminated surface, you need to put the iron on medium or below medium heat. We put a metal ruler on the strip of joints of two panels, most often swelling occurs there, and iron it until the moisture has completely evaporated and the irregularities are straightened. It is very important to observe the temperature regime, overheating of the surface can lead to damage to the laminated panels.

How to avoid bloating?

Before laying the laminate, it is best to put a specialized film under it, this is more necessary for those who live on the ground floor so that the moisture coming from the basement does not lift the laminate. The joints of the plates should be thoroughly glued with special adhesive sealants so that moisture does not get under the plinth.

In order to prevent accidental swelling of the laminate, you should follow the basic rules for caring for it:

• If the class of panels is 31 or 32, then cleaning is allowed only with a broom or vacuum cleaner (not water-based);
• Class 33 and 34 materials can be cleaned with a combination of dry and wet cleaning.

Conclusion

If a swelling appears on the laminate, it should be urgently eliminated, the neglect of the condition can lead to the replacement of one or even several plates. Often, in order to obtain the same color tone when replacing, it is allowed to remove the plates from closed places located under furniture or carpets. If a source of moisture ingress is detected, it is necessary to eliminate it and seal the coating. If the floor was damaged by the carelessness of the owners, then you should try to exclude these situations.

When carrying out construction and repair work, the laminate has recently enjoyed continued popularity. However, there are cases when, due to improper installation or operation, such a coating begins to deteriorate and swell. What to do if the laminate in the apartment or office is swollen, we will tell further in the article with photo and video materials.

Laminated panels can be successfully used in a wide variety of premises - residential, office, as well as public places. Such a demand for this material is due to its quality and aesthetic properties.

Benefits of laminate flooring include:

• affordable price;
• ease and speed of laying panels;
• attractive appearance;
• strength and durability with proper care.

However, even the most durable coating requires careful maintenance and respect. Swelling of the laminate, if it occurs, can spoil the beauty of your floor and, moreover, create inconvenience during its operation.

Causes of damage to the laminate floor

If the laminate in your apartment is swollen, this is not a reason to lay a new floor. Although such a coating has recently become quite affordable, re-laying it can still cause a lot of absolutely unnecessary trouble. It is much more important in this situation to understand if the laminate is swollen - how to correct the situation.

Laminate imperfections can look like:

• waves;
• warped surface;
• bloating.

There are several main reasons why the laminate in the apartment is swollen. And before proceeding with the repair work, you should understand these reasons in detail.

Why does laminate flooring deteriorate?

Laminate flooring generally deteriorates due to one of the following reasons:

1. low quality material;
2. improper operation or ingress of large amounts of water on the coating;
3. incorrect styling without observing the technology.

It is worth noting that if your laminate is rearing up, what to do next will depend on what exactly provoked its damage.

You can determine the true cause of the swelling of the laminate by its appearance:

• When the coating begins to warp, forming peculiar waves, it can be concluded that during its installation, the technological indents between the coating and the wall were not observed. Due to the expansion of the material under the influence of changes in humidity and temperature, it expanded and swelled.
• If the laminate is bulging at the joints, it means that too much moisture has got on it.

Note that it is advisable to make a cardinal replacement of the laminated coating only in cases where it is precisely established that it is of very low quality. In other situations, it is quite simple to make only light alignment and do-it-yourself redecoration of the laminate indiscriminately, saving money.

water damage

Ruining a laminate floor can be quite simple: dropping a cup of drink, spilling water from a vase, being too zealous when mopping the floor, and many other options.

However, not everyone knows what to do if the laminate is swollen from water. In such a case, there is a certain algorithm of actions.

If your coating is made of an expensive and high-quality material that can repel moisture, then, perhaps, after complete drying, it will return to its original appearance, that is, the irregularities will be smoothed out. However, if the laminate is from the middle price category, you will have to tinker a little.

Firstly, it is important to know that most of the liquid accumulates under the laminated panels, so immediately after water hits the floor, it must be thoroughly blotted, and the panels disassembled and left to dry completely so that the laminate does not swell from the water.

If the laminate is swollen from water - how to fix the situation in another way - you can partially dismantle and replace the panels with new ones. However, here it is worth considering the condition and degree of deterioration of the floor. If the laminate has been in operation for a long time and is partially worn out, then it is not rational to replace damaged panels with new ones, since their shade will not match.

For such cases, it is better to use already used panels located somewhere under furniture or in secluded places. Old panels from there can be laid instead of damaged ones, and new pieces of laminate can be inserted in these areas.

It is worth noting that you can extend the life of the laminate and protect it from the harmful effects of water by regular polishing or rubbing with paraffins.

Laying flaws

Quite often, situations arise when it turns out that due to incorrect installation, the laminate has swelled - what to do in such a situation, the owners often do not know.

This phenomenon occurs mainly due to the lack of technological gaps between the wall and the coating. Since the laminate is made of wooden panels, it expands under the influence of moisture and temperature changes, and since there is no free space, it begins to bulge and bristle.

You can fix the situation as follows:

• remove the plinth around the perimeter of the room;
• dismantle part of the panels in order to mark up, leaving an indent from the wall to the laminate of at least 1.5 cm;
• saw off unnecessary pieces of coating according to the markup;
• attach the plinth back.

Note that sometimes the laminate begins to deform due to fasteners for the door leaf. In this case, the best way out would be to drill a hole in the laminate for such clamps.

Prevention of swelling of the laminate

It is quite possible to avoid possible troubles with laminate flooring if you follow some rules for its installation and operation.

First of all, when laying, do not forget about the gaps between the coating and the wall so that the laminate does not swell over time.

When installing such a coating in rooms with high humidity, take care of additional protection of the laminate with water-repellent impregnation.

The most important nuance is that the quality always justifies the money spent. Therefore, do not try to buy cheaper - as a result, you can spend much more.

Results

Thus, if you want to keep the laminate in its original form for a long time, follow the rules for its operation. And if problems nevertheless arose and the laminate began to deform, following our recommendations, you can restore it to its former beauty.

Laminate is one of the most popular floor coverings in our country. Ease of installation and quick installation are the main advantages of laminate over other products of this type on the construction market. Although it is not too difficult to care for it, at times the laminate will warp (i.e. the laminate will swell). In the vast majority of cases, this outcome cannot be called fatal - the problem can be fixed, but for this it will be necessary to carry out a series of repairs.

Causes of swelling of the laminate

There are several good reasons for laminate flooring to bulge, especially when it comes to cheap flooring. The main negative factors are:

• The absence of so-called compensation gaps, the size of which, according to the standards, is from 8 to 12 mm. The final number here depends on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room in which the installation takes place. These gaps are located between the wall and the lamellas and play the role of a buffer zone. The fact is that the wood raw material from which the laminate is made can narrow or expand under the influence of temperature changes or changes in humidity levels. If there are no gaps, then the canvas, expanding, will certainly swell, resting one edge against the wall;
• Moisture exposure. Of course, accidentally spilling a cup of water will not cause harm, especially if you immediately collect the water and dry the floor surface immediately after. However, prolonged contact with water leads to swelling of the canvas, which will subsequently need to be completely or partially replaced;
• Unsatisfactory quality of the laminate. This is especially true for cheap products. Such an outcome is a vivid example of unreasonable savings, which translates into the need for subsequent spending on expensive repairs, most often consisting in a complete replacement of the floor;
• Moldings. Installed in openings or directly on the floor, they often interfere with expanding slats. It must be remembered that the flooring made of laminate cannot be fixed directly to the base, it must always be mounted by a floating method;
• Poor quality foundation. A poorly prepared base can lead to deformation of the laminate, but this can only be corrected by completely dismantling both the lamellas and the substrate. Instead of old boards, you need to take new, high-quality ones, and fresh seams must be treated with a specially suitable sealant.

Causes of swelling of the laminate at the joints

Sometimes the laminate also swells at the locks, or joints. This also has its reasons, such as:

• Inappropriate substrate. It should be noted that boards with a thickness of 7 mm. must be laid on, the thickness of which will not exceed 2 mm. If the thickness of the boards is slightly greater, up to 12 mm, then the thickness of the substrate can be greater, up to 3 mm. If it became necessary to lay a thick substrate, it is important to choose dense models - or polystyrene, you can also take a special fiberboard;
• Sloppy. Dilution of dampness and an excessive amount of water during cleaning can affect the appearance of the lamellas in a bad way. It is necessary to wring out the rag strongly when washing the floors, and not pour water over the laminate;
• Poor quality of the HDF-plate, which is located on the inside of the lamella. You can avoid this problem if you purchase products made on the basis of high density boards.

How to eliminate the unpleasant consequences of bloating?

There is always some water left under a floor that is swollen with moisture. To remove it and correct the defect caused by it, it is necessary to adhere to a clear plan of action:

• Carefully remove the plinth from the side where the damaged laminate is located;
• Consistently disassemble the floor covering up to the swollen area;
• Dry the substrate thoroughly;
• Lay new slats to replace damaged panels;
• Reassemble the floor.

If the flooring has served faithfully for several years, then it will not be easy to find exactly the same panels in the store to replace the old ones. To do this, you can use those panels that are hidden by various furniture in the room. If the laminate is being laid for the first time, then it will not be superfluous to leave a few panels in reserve, in case of such circumstances. Sometimes wet and swollen lamellas can dry out and return to their original state on their own, but this only happens with high-quality products.

You can get rid of the deformation of the laminate, caused by the absence of gaps between the walls and the floor surface, by removing all the obstacles and obstacles in the way of the expanding lamellae. A wall-mounted laminate needs careful trimming, which must be done as follows:

• Carefully remove the plinth;
• Make marks with a pencil in those places where the laminate rests against the wall surface;
• Carefully remove the protruding areas with some kind of cutting tool.

The result should be a free space between the wall and the floor, 1.5-2 cm wide. The final size of the gap is affected by the width of the plinth. It is important that the skirting board completely covers all gaps.

In some rooms, pipes of the heating system also come out from under the floor. The distance between them and the laminate should be exactly the same, up to 2 cm. It should be borne in mind that the door latch cannot be mounted directly on the laminated panels - this will lead to surface deformation. Installation of this element should be carried out to the floor screed, through a hole cut in the flooring boards.

How to protect laminate from swelling

You can prevent unpleasant moments associated with the deformation of the laminate by following proven and effective tips:

• You need to buy only high-quality products manufactured by trusted companies;
• The operating conditions of the laminate must correspond to its class;
• The base of the floor must be well prepared, the waterproofing layer must be reliable;
• If necessary, the panels can be glued together;
• Wet cleaning should be carried out in such a way that excessive moisture does not fall on the surface of the laminate;
• Laminate flooring should be treated regularly with water-repellent polishes.

How to cover the laminate from water?

To protect your home laminate flooring, you can use a special wax. Such wax is able to reliably protect the inside of the lamellas from accidental water penetration. Additional impregnation can also protect the floor from swelling caused by wet cleaning or spilled water. This tool is applied to the seams between the boards with a spatula, after cleaning the surface of the lamellas from dirt and dust.

After a thin layer of wax is applied to the floor, it must be polished. This can be done both manually, with a rag, and with a monodisc polishing machine. The main thing is that after polishing is completed, the wax is completely removed from the panels themselves and remains only at the joints and in cracks on the surface of the boards, if any. After applying the wax, the laminate is polished twice - the procedure is repeated after a few hours. After polishing, the floor cannot be walked for 10 hours. It must be remembered that the vapors of drying wax are toxic, so it is necessary to work in a respirator and ventilate the room well.