Run the hair dryer along the swollen flooring until you start to see it contract. Then, use a roller or straight edge to flatten it out. If the piece of laminate starts to swell even more while drying it, you will need to replace it.

What causes a floor to swell?

Leaking appliances or moisture from a concrete subfloor can buckle your wood floors. When it gets wet and moisturized, the wood needs to accommodate the moisture. Thus, causing the hardwood planks to swell. It would need to move upward and expand, which leads to buckling of the wood floor.

How do you fix a bloated floor?





How to repair minor damage and bubbles

  1. Firstly, you may try the X-acto knife on the bubbling spot to fix the issue. …
  2. Secondly, rolling up the floor is another way to smooth the laminate surface. …
  3. Drying the damaged area with a hairdryer or heater may resolve your bubbling up to the surface.

Why is my floor bulging upwards?

When a floor board starts to bulge, it’s usually because it is warped. Hardwood floors usually warp because they have been exposed to water, or excessive humidity. The water causes the fibers in the wood to swell and shrink. A board that is severely bulged will most likely need to be replaced.

Is there a way to fix swollen laminate flooring?

The best fix for swollen laminate flooring is to disassemble the floor and install new boards after addressing the source of water that damaged the board. Remove the board, one row at a time until you get into the bubbling board, and replace it with a new one.

How do you fix a lifted hardwood floor?

If it’s the subfloor itself that is lifting, driving shims between it and a joist is one way to prevent movement. Another it to install special hardware to anchor the floor to the joist.

Can you flatten swollen laminate flooring?





To dry a piece of laminate that has swollen from moisture, you can usually use a hair dryer. Run the hair dryer along the swollen flooring until you start to see it contract. Then, use a roller or straight edge to flatten it out.

How do you fix a pop up in laminate flooring?

You can fix flooring gaps using a floor gap fixer or wood glue, buckling/lifting by getting rid of moisture and cutting an extension gap, and popping up by flattening your subfloor. Scratches can be fixed using wood putty, wax filler sticks/pencil, while putty or acrylic filler may help with chips.

Why has my laminate flooring raised?

There are a few reasons why your laminate floor may be lifting, such as moisture under flooring, lack of proper expansion spacing, improper installation, climate change, or uneven slab or subfloor surfaces. Lifting, buckling, warping, or peaking in laminate flooring is unsightly and potentially unsafe.

Why is my laminate floor peaking?

Peaking commonly happens when there isn’t an expansion gap between the floor and the walls, when the expansion gap is too small, or if the moldings are attached to the laminate flooring. To find the underlying issue: Follow the peaking boards to the nearest wall.

Why is my laminate floor bubbling up?



The main cause of bubbling in laminate floors is moisture although it may also be caused by poor quality flooring or the lack of an expansion gap. It can easily be fixed by using wood glue, replacing the entire surface (in the case of widespread damage), or cutting an expansion gap.

How do you fix bumpy laminate floors?

5 Ways to Fix Bouncy Laminate Flooring

  1. Addressing the Moisture Issues. One of the main reasons why floating floors like laminate may bounce is because of temperature and moisture issues. …
  2. Adding Bridging. …
  3. Installing a Layer of Plywood. …
  4. Adding a Beam or Wall. …
  5. Replacing Boards.

Can warped laminate flooring be repaired?



The only way to repair a warped laminate floor is to replace the damaged planks. You can’t coax them back to their original state with a hair dryer or iron. There are two ways to replace a plank. One is to disassemble the floor, and the other is to cut the plank out of the floor with a circular saw.

Does laminate flooring swell when wet?

How Does Water Damage Laminate Flooring? Water damages laminate flooring by soaking into the layers. Once inside the boards, it causes them to swell and warp.

What happens if water gets under waterproof laminate flooring?

While water under laminate may eventually dry out on its own, it’ll typically cause damage before that occurs. If you try to wait, the odds are relatively high that irreparable damage will occur to at least some of your floorboards.

Can laminate flooring be saved after flooding?

Fear not! Moisture under your laminate flooring can be treated. Whether your floor got wet from a leak or your floor was flooded, you can prevent mold from growing and repair your laminate flooring. Wet floors can swell or warp, but you can fix water damage in most cases.