What Can Be Done About Uneven Laminate Locking Floors?

Save Extra Flooring

• It’s always a good practice to save extra planks or tiles in case you need to remedy uneven laminate flooring. This way you will have a better chance to get a good match in color and texture. Manufacturers change styles and colors, so flooring purchased five years ago may not be on the market when you need it. Be sure to purchase a bit extra before your original installation.

Replace Flooring

• Pull up the planks around the uneven section. You may have to start at the wall, using a crowbar to get started. Examine the subfloor and the glue, if there is any. Sand down the glue so the subfloor is level, or use an adhesive stripper to remove the old glue. If you can salvage the laminate flooring, do so, and reapply new glue on the re-leveled subfloor. If not, cut a piece of flooring remnant.

Add Float Material

• When you lift up the laminate piece that’s causing the problem, you might find that the underlayment has rotted. This is common in rooms with excessive moisture, such as bathrooms. In this case, you will have to remove the laminate, tear out the rotten subfloor and replace. Subfloors in bathrooms and kitchens should be either treated plywood or cement backer board.

Repair Kits

• Many flooring manufacturers make floor repair kits, available at home improvement stores or on the Internet. You can also level an uneven floor using floor leveling compound. Both of these require you to pull up the uneven section of the laminate floor.