Laminate is an economical and attractive choice for many homeowners who love the look and feel of hardwood floors. But—for many different reasons—sometimes your laminate flooring can develop gaps in between planks. Fortunately, with a few tools and some free time, you can fix those areas to keep your laminate floors safe, level, and gap-free.
Prepping to Fix Laminate Flooring Gaps
Understanding the cause of your flooring’s gaps is important because it empowers you to prevent future gaps from developing in the first place. Sometimes it’s far better to address the underlying cause first, then filling in the gaps.
One of the most common reasons why your laminate floor planks might develop gaps has to do with the local weather, particularly humidity levels. When humidity rises, your laminate planks can absorb some of that environmental moisture, which then evaporates. That process causes the flooring to contract and swell, and that in turn creates gaps.
Other potential causes of gapping laminate planks include improper installation; frequent spills that aren’t immediately and properly cleaned up, causing accumulated moisture; uneven subflooring beneath the laminate planks; or a malformed or malfunctioning locking mechanism for the planks.
Choosing the Right Repair Method
Another important thing to keep in mind is that there are a few different methods to remove gaps in laminate flooring. The method we’re describing is ideal for small, narrow gaps. In most cases, that will be sufficient to resolve the issue. However, if the gap is wide or large, you might need a more expensive, time-intensive method to fix it.
You’ll want to keep a sharp eye out for any warping or misalignment in your laminate planks on an ongoing basis, but particularly during and after any periods of high humidity in your area. That will help you notice developing gaps when they’re small, before they become more expensive to fix.
If you do see gaps, it’s important to address them as soon as possible so you can use this lower-cost fill-in method instead of using wood shims or other material. In some extreme cases, you might need to replace a portion of the flooring itself to fix the problem.
Before You Start Working
Before you begin to repair and fill the gaps in your laminate flooring, it’s important to thoroughly inspect the adjacent boards and the gap itself for any dirt or foreign objects. If you don’t clean out the surface area of the gap, the wood glue or filler might not properly adhere. Depending on the size of the gap, you can use a toothpick, a clean cotton swab, or a wooden orange manicure stick to remove any dirt, dust, or other unwanted particles that have come to rest inside the gap.
