The wood materials in laminate flooring expand and contract with moisture.  If your flooring wasn't intalled at the right humidity, or if you are introducing moisture into the flooring with incorrect cleaning methods, it will bubble and buckle (popping up in areas.) Humidity is one of the ways that moisture can be introduced into your flooring, and the amount of moisture in the air can cause your laminate to change widths. Manufacturers generally recommend that you install your laminate flooring in no more than 60% humidity and no less than 30% humidity.

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To ensure your floor is protected from too much moisture in the air, maintain the humidity within 30% to 60%.  If there is too little humidity the rooms with laminate flooring you can use a humidifier. If the rooms are too humid, you can use a de-humidifier to help lessen the moisture in the air.  Even rain can have an effect on the moisture in your home, but if you have central heating and cooling that you use regularly, it should not affect your floor too much.

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It is also very important to make sure that you leave the proper expansion gaps around the perimeter of your installation to allow your floor to expand and contract when the humidity in the home changes. As always, we would highly recommend looking at your warranty and installation information included in your box of flooring to be sure your levels meet the floor’s manufacturer requirements.       

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Alternately, direct water damage can cause “bubbling” around the edges of the planks. Damage like this can also be caused from too much humidity in the air. Similarly, this can be caused by water or other liquid seeping into the laminate flooring joints, where the locking system connects.

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Preventing Floor Bubbling and Buckling​

1. Acclimate your flooring for 48 hours in the room you’re installing it in. 

2. Leave an expansion gap of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch around all walls and stationary structures (such as pillars)

3. If you are installing on a cement subfloor, use a moisture barrier

4. Run your A/C in the summer to keep humidity down in your home

5. Clean up spills immediately after they occur

6. Never leave standing water on the floors after cleaning.

 

How to Repair Bubbled or Buckled Laminate Flooring​

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for these types of flooring mishaps. When it comes to fixing the cause of the buckling, there is really only one way to do it. The most important thing to note is to not walk on your buckled floor! It will permanently damage the locking system. Depending on your situation and the size of the damage, you may be forced to replace entire room. In a good case scenario, after fixing the reason of the buckling, you can uninstall the planks, replace heavily damaged planks, and reinstall the rest of the room.

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1. Remove moldings to prepare to replace the flooring

2. Uninstall the laminate up to the problem zone

3. Check the locking system.

4. If it is undamaged, simply reinstall the planks that are popped up

5. If the flooring is damaged, such as bubbled, replace the damaged planks with new ones

6. Reinstall the flooring, making sure to leave a larger expansion gap, around a 1/2 inch away from the wall

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