You have just bought and installed your brand new flooring but it is already bouncing and lifting?! Many people share the same pain with you. However, don’t worry, there are ways you can fix these problems.
To that end, make sure you check this list of reasons why your flooring is bouncing and lifting and how to deal with it!
Why is my floor bouncing and lifting and how to fix/prevent it?
Indeed, it can be very frustrating to find your new floor already not looking like you imagined it to be. However, there are many possible reasons why this inconvenience has occurred.
First, there may be moisture problems. This problem often occurs if the concrete slab, or any subfloor, had previously accumulated some moisture. To prevent this from happening, make sure your subfloor is always dry, level, and clean before you start installing a new one. Likewise, make sure you also use floor underlayment to avoid issues such as floor lifting. Not only this, a good and quality floor underlayment will ensure that your current floor is long-lasting and sturdier. There are various kinds of floor underlayment, but try to invest well in this essential part of your floor and thus ensure moisture prevention, as well as noise reduction!
Not laid down properly
Another most frequent cause of floor bounding and lifting is poor installation of it. Any type of flooring is installed by carefully connecting different pieces of it into a complete unit. However, this is easier said than done. Indeed, this job requires high precision and accuracy.
Therefore, it most often requires a rather professional touch, so restrain from doing this job on your own.
Nevertheless, even with professionals, a mistake can happen. For instance, in case there is even a slight imperfection with interlocking flooring pieces in the course of installation. By the same token, there may well occur gaps between the planks as a result of the flooring not being straightly lined up, and the result might be just what you have now – lifting the floor. This can happen to the floor such as laminate, so make sure you find out about all the necessary and useful tips on how to solve this problem. Fortunately, these problems are not insolvable, what is more, they can be handled well with a few tricks!
Fixing the problem
As already put, the uneven floor is one of the most common issues that people have to face in terms of flooring. You can deal with this problem by trying to lift several pieces of the floor in the area where it is lifting or bouncing. Once you do this, check for the above-mentioned causes such as underlayment – see whether there is any; moisture, try to dry it; or if you figured the sections of the floor were not carefully aligned, try to fix it.
Likewise, inspect whether there are any depressed areas, or if there is any obstacle such as dirt or accumulated dust that may be lifting the flooring area. If, however, you find that there is a lifted subfloor, you may try grinding it in order to level it up with the rest of the floor! If you manage to properly do all this by yourself, the last challenge is placing back the flooring sections. Make sure you don’t repeat the common installation mistake of inaccurately installing the flooring sections!
Fixing lifting caused by lack of an expansion gap
In order to correct lifting due to a lack of expansion space between the floor and the wall, you may opt for cutting the boards at the borders to provide the gap. After removing the wall molding, cut the floorboards using a jigsaw or a spacer. 0.25-inch expansion gaps are suggested for laminate flooring. Lastly, make sure you replace the molding to complete the project.
Seek professional help
Ideally, you should always seek professional help when it comes to delicate issues such as lifting and reinstalling the flooring. This way, you will avoid making the problem bigger than it was. This is especially delicate when lifting some parts of the floor for there is the likelihood that you might have to lift the whole floor if you badly messed up with one part. What is more, you may spend days dealing with the flooring but in vain.
This way you may spend both time and effort and in the end, you will have to ask for help. Therefore, given the fact flooring is often a complicated job, it indeed requires a rather professional touch, so always make sure you at least consult a professional for a piece of advice!
Flooring problems can indeed be frustrating, but with a little help, they can be solved in almost no time!