Recently I installed click-down laminate flooring in my bathroom over old vinyl flooring. I think I followed all the installation instructions but I’ve noticed that the flooring is starting to lift at the edges and buckle in the middle of the floor. What’s wrong with this product or did I made a mistake when I installed it?

Laminate flooring materials have become popular in recent years because they are very durable and close in appearance to the hardwoods, softwoods and tiles they imitate. So you find them being installed in commercial and residential buildings often in locations where they cannot be expected to perform reliably.

Click-down laminates use high density press board as a base for a water proof surface design. The modified tongues and grooves on each panel lock into adjacent laminate panels to form a floating floor. However, water spills from kitchen sinks, showers and bathtubs, or laundry sinks can seep through the interlocking seams between the panels and penetrate the porous high density particle board base materials.  If this happens, the individual panels swell with moisture. Once the panels are swollen, lifting and buckling are inevitable. Even if dried, the panels will not shrink to their original shape. Most manufactures of laminate flooring do not recommend or warranty their product in areas like bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms or anywhere near a source of water.

In fact, the most reliable flooring materials in locations with a water source are ceramic tiles and sheet vinyl or vinyl tile flooring. These surfaces are impervious to water, easily cleaned and provide years of maintenance free service. Further, when making flooring choices for rooms with water sources avoid wall to wall carpeting because it traps and holds moisture.      

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This article was written by Steven Cannon, a Registered Building Official and partner in Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. It originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

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