Laminate flooring is a hard-wearing and attractive floor. To keep this flooring in good condition so you may enjoy it for years to come, you need to take care of it.
Neglecting the floor, not doing regular maintenance or incorrect installation procedures can result in your laminate floor lifting.
Mat Floors shares tips on how to stop your laminate floors from curling.
Laminate flooring construction
The flooring material is a composite of wood fibres and adhesives, pressed into board planks that are similar to hardwood flooring planks.
Most brands have a version of the traditional tongue and groove joining system, with one long and one short edge groove, and the other two edges featuring a tongue.
The floor snaps together in rows, with the rows snapping into each other to create a solid surface. If the flooring is cut and installed properly, it should stand up to normal traffic for years with no problems.
Main causes for lifting
The reasons why laminate floors lift are simple. If the subfloor underneath is not completely level, the pressure of walking across the floor will lever the boards up at the opposite end.
If the installation was done correctly, with staggered end joints from row to row, the floor will usually absorb the pressure from people walking across the floor, keeping the laminate from lifting.
If the installation was done correctly, with staggered end joints from row to row, the floor will usually absorb this pressure. End joints that are not aligned will cause the floor to lift or bounce.
Water on your floor can also cause the boards to buckle, forcing a plank to bend in the centre, pulling it out of line with the others.
Laminate floors can lift for a number of reasons, but it’s usually due to substandard products, moisture in the subfloor, poor workmanship during installation or a combination of all these factors.
• Inadequate expansion gaps
The recommended gap from the wall or doorway, making allowance for expansion and contraction, is between 8mm and 10mm. Any obstruction in these spaces will prevent the laminate from moving freely, resulting in it lifting.
• Moisture
When laminate flooring boards get wet, they swell, and because they are wedged tightly together and have nowhere to go, the edges or middles lift and curl.
You can’t fix this problem by simply driving screws from underneath. If you remove the source of the moisture, which may be excess room humidity, the boards may dry out and regain their original shape to some degree.
Special cleaning pads, which look similar to a mop, are available for use. They have replaceable wipes that wrap around the pads and attract dust and dirt. These make cleaning laminate floors easy.
Moisture can also come from the ground where the concrete has been levelled recently, causing moisture to rise, resulting in a water damaged floor. The dampness on the walls will have the same results.
Another issue surrounding moisture is that the damp proof membrane is sometimes not overlapping and taped all the way when installed. This allows moisture to creep in.
Adverse conditions like flooding will do nothing for the situation either. Incorrect cleaning methods and excessive liquid will also cause problems.
• Uneven subfloors
When the floor is uneven, the laminate boards essentially copy every nook and cranny of the underlying surface, causing stress on the boards. As a result is they lift.
• Incorrect product application
Installing a laminate product in the wrong area, for example the shower, is not conducive to laminate conditions because of the humidity and moisture in the air.
Care tips for laminate floors
When the floor is uneven, the laminate boards essentially copy every nook and cranny of the underlying surface, causing stress on the boards. As a result they lift.
Laminate flooring requires straightforward aftercare. Cleaning laminate flooring, if carried out regularly, can keep your floors looking new for many years to come.
A simple brush over with a soft headed brush or a slightly damp mop is all that is needed. Follow this by vacuuming around the edges of the room.
Special cleaning pads, which look similar to a mop, are available for use. They have replaceable wipes that wrap around the pads and attract dust and dirt. These make cleaning laminate floors easy.
If you use a mop, make sure you do not soak the floor as this could cause the edges of the boards to expand, and the whole floor may start to buckle.
Article courtesy of www.matfloors.co.za.
Source: www.property24.com
