Gaps in laminate floor (subfloor, vacuum, plank, installing)

[riaelise]

Good morning C-Ders,

This isn't a big issue, but within the past year or so, I've been noticing some gaps in the laminate floor planks in our kitchen and upper bedroom and to a lesser degree, my upper floor hallway. Since the kitchen laminate is light colored and the gaps are noticable (about 1/16" I guestimate) they kind of bug me. Not sure why they appeared. Can't blame it on the installation because two different installers installed the upstairs and the kitchen, and for five years there were no gaps. My questions are:

1. How can I fix these gaps? ARe they easily repairable without having to relay the floor.

2. Do you believe there are any potentially major underlying issues other than simple home settling as the culprit? Background info: home is a new construction, the soil I believe to be expansive. It is 7.5 years old. We do get the occasional hairline cracks/separation in the drywall at definite places (i.e. where drywall has been affixed to studs, caulk lines), which is completely repairable by spackle. We haven't seen cracked tiles or laminate that's out of place.

Again, all of this has been noticable for the past year (Year 7 in the house). Not sure if that has any bearing on anything.

Thanks

[SXN]

Could just be the house settling or any number of things. Have you looked out for termites? If left unchecked would have been about 5-7 years until and you'd start noticing issues popping up like you describe. You'd probably also notice their swarms though and dead bugs by your windows.

Just one of many things you can hopefully start ruling out...

[akck]

I laid laminate tiles in our kitchen several years ago. After I was finished, the floor looked like it was a solid piece of laminate. The following spring, you could see every line between each tile. I chalk it up to the tiles shrinking over the winter. Since you live in a warmer climate, I assume it just took longer for the shrinkage to occur. I'll be interested if anyone else has a cure for this, but I'm not hopeful.

[K'ledgeBldr]

If the floor was a "floating floor" that was "snapped in" (i.e., no nails or glue holding it down) then it is probably moving/"disconnected" around due to the expansion gap around the perimeter. The width of this gap is supposed to be about the same as the thickness of the flooring. You can remove the shoe moulding around the sides and look for a gap.
Are the gaps you're seeing in the long axis of the boards; or at the but ends? The problem you're experiencing is "usually" in the long axis-

This gap is needed for expansion and contraction. If it is too big I would take off all the shoe moulding, vacuum the joints, and tap, push, wedge, or otherwise close the gap(s) of the wood back together. Use small brad or finish nails to "set" the flooring in place (if it's on subfloor). There are hardened finish nails that can be used if the flooring is on slab. Or if you still have some flooring left over- add a rip to close down the gap.

Just another one of the those reasons why I abhor laminate.

FYI-
http://www.eplf.com/en/pdf/eplf.verl....annexa.en.pdf

[chris410]

I had some floating laminate wood floors in my last house, after i finished installing it, i had noticed that a few gaps had appeared (near where I had begun laying it) this aggrevated me greatly, but not enough to rip up the entire floor and re-lay it.

So I just got some caulking that matched the floor and filled in the gap, I was lucky to find a caulking that matched very good and it was not noticable at all. Is it the perfect solution, no, but its an "easy fix" suggestion.