Air Bubbles in Laminate Flooring - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Bigman · 07-04-2006, 12:35 PM

I layed laminate flooring in our house I just built in Phoenix AZ. The widest place is approximately 60 feet, 1900 square feet total. Now that it is getting hot here, we have big air bubbles under the laminate. I left the 1/4 to 3/8 inch gaps at all of the edges, but we still have these air bubbles. This just started last week. Appreciate any suggestions.

Glasshousebltr · 07-04-2006, 12:53 PM

The 1\4 inch is to keep the floor from buckling up. If I read you correctly it sounds like you have bubbles in your finish.

Did you apply urethane or some other protective treatment over a prefinished product?

Bob

**Teetorbilt** · 07-04-2006, 01:03 PM

60 ft. is a stretch for laminate without transitions but I've done it here. Check your edge spacing, 1/4-3/8" won't get it over that span. Here, I go to 1/2-5/8" and use the shoe mould (which I hate) or go to compound base.

PrecisionFloors · 07-04-2006, 01:42 PM

Teetor hit the nail on the head...60ft is double any manufacturers recommended span without an expansion joint. If your base is not top set you have an easy out, just pull all of the base and re-set on top, should give you another 3/8" of clearance. If you're already under the base you will have to pull it anyway and run around the perimeter with a toe-kick saw.

Bigman · 07-04-2006, 01:44 PM

No these are big air bubbles under the laminate. The largest is about 2' wide and 6-8 feet long. Then there are several other smaller ones.

PrecisionFloors · 07-05-2006, 05:10 PM

They are not air bubbles, I assure you...the floor is tight somewhere, look around the perimeter and at all door casings. The other possible explanation is that your subfloor is extremely un-level.

**Teetorbilt** · 07-05-2006, 05:24 PM

Another thought is that your vapor barrier wasn't installed correctly and you are getting some damp areas causing swelling in spots.

**Floorwizard** · 07-07-2006, 09:56 PM

were there low spots in the substrate?

**ProWallGuy** · 07-07-2006, 10:04 PM

I'm not knowledgeable on flooring by any means, but I read Bigman's post to mean linoleum or sheet vinyl. Not sure what laminate is either. But I have seen big air bubbles in sheet vinyl flooring.

Donedat · 07-10-2006, 09:11 PM

Tear it out and relay it. You may get lucky and be able to find the same brand. If you do, you can just fixe the bad area...maybe.

PrecisionFloors · 07-10-2006, 09:48 PM

If he has subfloor problems tearing it out and re-laying will only accomplish the wasting of time and money...if it is tight (which I think is most likely the problem) there is no need in tearing out the floor. I have yet to see a laminate installation related problem I couldn't fix without a handfull of new boards and time.

J DoubleD FLoor · 07-11-2006, 06:20 AM

Couple questions for you,
Did you even use a vapor barrier?
Did you nail it anywhere? (hope the answer is no to that one)
Did you let the product aclimate to the house?

And yes if you are installing laminate over 30ft spans then you need to leave a larger expansion gap to prevent binding and buckling.

Donedat · 07-11-2006, 09:28 AM

You can fix laminant that easy? I've kinda steered away from laminants because the are hard to repair. But, I guess the click-lock systems are a bit easier because they are not glued together.

But, if he has sub-floor problems then he should pull the floor back, fix the problems and then relay the flooring. We're just guessing what the problem is. Pull the floor back and check it out, carefully though, inflicting minimal damage.

**Teetorbilt** · 07-11-2006, 12:08 PM

Donedat, shhhhhh. You're going to kill a moneymaker

Repairing laminate flooring is really pretty easy. Look here

http://www.armstrong.com/resflram/na...icle18121.html

PrecisionFloors · 07-11-2006, 09:11 PM

Donedat, by all means do not steer away from it because of that reason! If you (or any one else for that matter) need any info on repars feel free to give me a call during business hours (9-6 eastern). If you become proficient at it, there is not a floor covering material out there that is a better money maker than laminate. To give you an idea...I have grossed $2600 so far this week (labor only!)...and its tuesday. (I ain't braggin or tryin to blow up my internet penis, just givin a reference point) All on laminate...all on jobs that I am 99.99% sure I will never see again unless it is to install more. It is quick, clean easy money on most jobs.

Donedat · 07-13-2006, 09:50 PM

Thanks guys. I usually refer all laminate jobs to the local carpet store. I don't even like to do prefinished flooring...but I do...rarely, that is, compared to site finished floors.

J DoubleD FLoor · 07-24-2006, 01:38 AM

You've been missin out on a HUGE moneymaker there Donedat. But, Just remember the Product your using is a big deciding factor on what can be done with it. I.E. Pergo ... very easy to take back up without damaging the boards, But, TrafficMaster, UGH

sigeltx · 09-04-2007, 03:32 PM

Bigman, it seems most of the responders here do not understand your situation. I installed laminate wood flooring last summer and fall throughout my home. Now that it is summertime again, the floor has buckled, with air bubbles underneath. The worst area is probably a two-foot square. I used the upgraded vapor barrier and have high-quality plywood subflooring throughout. My foundation is pier and beam; no moisture is reaching the floor from underneath. I left 1/2" expansion room all around but this seems to be inadequate. Have you figured out a solution?

Mike Costello · 09-04-2007, 04:15 PM

The key here is that the widest point is 60 feet. Dollars to doughnuts ,thats the reason why the floor is buckling.
Consider the amount of flooring and the wieght of it. Those wimpy little tongues will not hold the floor flat while its trying to push all that laminate.

Another common reason for buckling is door casings. Either they could be pinching the floor if they were not undercut enough or there is an obstruction that wasnt seen under the casing.

Seems most of the FLOORING guys understand the problem pretty well given the limited info there Sparky,lol.

Floordude · 09-05-2007, 09:07 PM

If you placed a straight edge on the flooring where this "air bubble" is, is the straight edge going to sit flat? If not, your flooring is locked in. Do you have heavy furniture sitting on opposite sides of the room? Did you run the laminate through the doorways, or did you split the rooms as required, with "T" moldings?

Or is there a spot that flexs down when you step on it? If so, you needed to flatten the substrate to the strict manufacturers specs of 1/8 in 6 feet.

"Air Bubble" sounds like a buckling laminate. Locked in with no where to go but upward.