Laminate flooring is held together by a mechanical click system made out of wood products.
Does humidity make a laminate floor buckle.
Beyond improper humidity levels in the crawlspace and basement there are more potential causes for hardwood floor buckling.
When any wood floor buckles it s because the wood has picked up moisture.
Laminate flooring is made to last however sometimes you can run into issues and one of the most common issues is buckling laminate flooring.
This additional moisture causes the wood to swell and yes break your heart.
When the water that causes cupping comes from plumbing appliance or building leaks or from site grading problems it is often straightforward to diagnose the problem.
Moisture seeps into the fiberboard core of a board and swells it causing the board to push against the one next to it and curl upward if you catch this problem quickly you might dodge a bullet and get away without the need for extensive repairs but that s rare.
Since it is a floating floor the planks tend to contract when it is cool and expand when.
Laminate contains resin and compressed layers of wood material so it does resist damage or buckling better than solid hardwood.
However unlike wood it will also contract if it is exposed to extremely low levels of humidity which can expose gaps between individual flooring tiles and boards.
Low humidity levels can also have an impact on your flooring.
If this wood dries out excessively the clicking system may fail.
When it is extraordinarily dry below 30 humidity the flooring shrinks pulling each plank away from the other.
Laminate floors buckle because they get wet.
However if the laminate flooring is not installed properly or is exposed to moisture it may buckle.
Laminate is less affected by these changes than solid hardwood floors but it s still a consideration.
Hardwood floors buckle when the humidity levels in the lower levels of the house are too high in the crawlspace or basement explains the basement health association in the article negative effects on hardwood floors.
Because laminate is installed using a tongue in groove click to lock system this expansion can push the sides of each plank into each other causing them to buckle.
In this case the moisture reached a level in the flooring that was sufficient to generate areas of buckling and splits in some boards.
Similar to hardwood flooring laminate flooring will swell up if exposed to extensive humidity levels which can create an uneven flooring surface.
Preventing buckling is relatively simple if addressed during the floor s installation.
Laminate floors and humidity.
