# Laminate floor is cupping and gaps. Installation issue?



## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

Was the concrete checked for water content before the installation? 
Were all the materials manufacturer's instructions followed?


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## keysermtl (Jan 26, 2010)

That is my suspicion that there was preexisting moisture that was ignored or not tested for. I was not here for the installation.


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## just tile (Jan 17, 2010)

i always check moisture content before installing any type of wood or laminate floors.cant tell from pics if it's from moisture or over tapped and left that way. either way it would be installer error. not sure what your claim would be with the installer but the previous owner could push for you.good luck.


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## just tile (Jan 17, 2010)

my bad. i miss read the question and the contractor should be 100% responsible for that floor. does he have inssurance to cover the problem? he should atleast be willing to come and try to fix the problem. i would ha a moisture test done first. to see what kind of problem you really have.good luck.


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## vhugh1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hi all, I am in the flooring Industry and have handled hundreds of complaints and warranty issues with laminate flooring, major culprits are # 1. Inproper installation #2. Big time, inproper maintenace! The cupping from the surface looks to be from improper maintenace, such as Wet mopping, typically from wrong type of cleaning solution being used! Do not use- Steam mops! Spong mops! Lysol ,pinesol, mop n glo, murphys oil soap, swiffer wet jets, only use micro fiber type mops with a hard surface laminate flooring cleaner! Just spray and Use mop head dry! It doesnt get any easier , people have to get away from the old fashined methods. Half the problem is nobody educates contractors and home owners on proper issues, also each and every carton of flooring comes with proper install and maintenace and warranty info, but let me tell you, maybe one out of ten will read it!


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Cupping is usually caused by moisture coming from underneath.


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## msv (Dec 4, 2009)

*first* of all, i don't see anything in your post related to DIY... this is a DIY forum....
*second*... Lack of moisture barrier under underlayment is installer's fault (although some underlayments - the ones with a plastic side and a foam side - have the moisture barrier- aka plastic side- included).
*third*... by the look of those two end joints, it isn't moisture causing it... that's water... only times i've seen laminate react like that was when water was present and infiltrated the joint between two boards. High moisture level would have affected your floor differently... first, the WHOLE floor would expand equally (in your first picture only those 2 end joints look affected), which contradicts the gaps. By expanding, the wood would push against the walls if no proper expansion space was left, and it would begin to lift somewhere in the middle of the floor, but the long joints would lift, not the end ones.(TOO MUCH space near the baseboards is not a bad thing, as long as moulding covers it. NOT ENOUGH on the other hand, will cause problems)
*fourth*... the gaps are probably an installer problem.* laminate FLOATING floors are supposed to be able to move freely AS ONE PIECE if the installation was done correctly and the locking system on each board was not damaged.. so if it expands, it expands as one piece, if it contracts , it contracts as one piece.* The free movement of some pieces might have been obstructed by heavy pieces of furniture or by nailing the shoemoulding through the floor into the subfloor, as opposed to nailing into baseboard(which is the correct way). 
My bet is that a little bit of everything i named above is contributing to your problem.
As far as fixing it.... i hope you mean replacing it, cause that's what it's gonna take. there was a thread earlier this month about re-using already installed laminate. you have to check with your manufacturer, but i'm pretty sure they won't warrant a floor that is reinstalled, as the locking mechanism might be damaged by either the first install or the tear out...
good luck.
Oh, one more question... when did you first start to notice these problems? because 9 weeks is a long time for the floor to acclimate and just then start reacting to conditions....

I attached a picture so that you can see what cupping looks like (i admit mine is a little extreme:whistling2


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## alandal (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi, we just installed the laminate floor, which looks extremely like yours. Just wonder what brand is yours?

Also, the gaps showing in your pictures are not right. This type of floor is tongue-and-groove which should not leave that big gap (1/4 ") even under very moisture condition.

I'm worried about mine now ....


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Was your floor moisture-tested? Did the installer leave expansion gaps. Was there a moisture barrier used. Was the flooring installed according to the instructoins? Was it acclimated? If you can answer yes to all these questions, you probably will be ok as long as your floor doesn't get a lot of surface moisture.


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## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

Hmm..pic 1 to me looks like water damage but pics 2 and 3 look more like an install flaw, maybe the floor edging was tacked down or something like baseboard or quarter round. To be fair to the installer, we have had an unpecendented amount of humidity in the area and can cause havoc to everything in a house. Especially laminate and MDF.


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## Vinnieman (Mar 26, 2013)

Is there any way to repair anything like moisture damage? I've detected something similar to my laminate, but I beleive it's a spill that no one noticed, (damn kids!) and now the surface of my laminate is puffed up from water seeping into the joints. I'm assuming I'm S.O.L.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Vinniman please go back and add your own post, To confusing trying to keep the ansewers straight.


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