How to Replace Laminate Flooring With Glue & Weights

Draw a straight line, parallel to and 1 1/2-inch in from the long edge of the plank that needs to be replaced. Draw three more lines, each parallel to and 1 1/2-inch in from the other three edges.

Drill relief holes in the flooring plank. Drill four holes at the four corners where the four lines you made in Step 1 meet. Drill a second set of four holes in the four corners of the plank. Take care not to drill into the adjoining planks. That makes eight holes. Drill a ninth hole on one long edge of the plank, one-third of the way down it's length. Drill a 10th hole on the same edge, two-thirds of the way down the length. Drill two more holes in the same fashion on the plank's other long edge to make the 12th and 13th holes at one-third and two-thirds of the length of the plank respectively.

Set your electric hand saw to cut to a depth equal to the thickness of your laminate plank.

Saw through the plank along the lines you made in Step 1.

Saw relief cuts in the plank. Saw out from the first set of four relief holes made in step two diagonally out to the second set of relief holes. Saw a relief cut that runs perpendicularly from the long sawed line out to the ninth relief hole. Make a second relief cut from that same sawed line out to the 10th relief hole to make a second perpendicular relief cut. Repeat on the other side of the plank to make two more short, perpendicular relief cuts that run from the long sawed line out to the 11th then the 12th relief hole.

Remove the center plank section with the help of a crow bar. Lift the edge pieces of floating laminate planks up and down to remove them from the adjoining planks. Glued laminate plank edges must be snapped off with the help of pliers. Place a small piece of scrap wood under the edge of the laminate plank when you snap to protect the underlayment beneath.

Scrape any dried glue off of the adjoining floor planks with a chisel. Remove the glue from hard-to-reach sections of the grooves with the help of a small, cut section of the tongue from a scrap piece of laminate.

Vacuum the debris from the area.

Cut the replacement plank's grooves and tongues to fit the space where the plank was removed. Use a utility knife. Many laminate planks fit into place once the grooves of one short side and one long side are removed. The tongues are left in place. However, the way a specific plank fits together depends on the manufacturer and the installation method. Follow your flooring's guide for plank replacement for cutting instructions. Dry fit the plank in the hole after you cut to make sure the cut is accurate.

Coat the four edges of the replacement plank with the laminate flooring glue recommended by the manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for application methods and amounts.

Install the new plank. Insert the tongue on the long side of the replacement plank into the groove of the existing floor plank. Press the plank into position. Or, follow the specific instructions listed by your flooring's manufacturer.

Wipe the excess glue from the flooring with a damp cloth.

Place weights on the replacement plank. Space them evenly so most of the area of the plank is weighted down, including the edges. Leave the weights in place until the cure time listed by the glue's manufacturer has elapsed.