I hired a contractor to install my luxury vinyl plank flooring, but it started buckling in the middle of the living room. After trying various fixes like self-leveling concrete and replacing damaged pieces, it's still buckling and unseating. I'm looking for advice on how to resolve this issue without needing to buy underlayment for the entire house or paying someone else to do the work again.
3 Answers
One mistake was not getting back to the contractor when you first noticed the issue. Now that you took it on, he's off the hook. Buckling usually happens if the flooring isn't laid flat or if there aren't proper gaps around the edges. You might need to check the installation guidelines and see if the surface is level. And make sure the grooves and tongues are undamaged to avoid further issues.
When it comes to installation, if it’s too tight against the walls, it'll buckle because of the flooring's tendency to expand and contract. I’d recommend checking with the manufacturer about the required gap. You can cover that gap later with baseboards or molding to keep it looking neat.
It sounds like trying to go the cheap route might end up costing you more in the long run. Honestly, you might just have to live with it for now, save up some money, and fix it properly later.
Exactly! If there's not enough space around the walls, or if the floor isn't even, that will definitely lead to problems. You might want to check those gaps and possibly pull the baseboards to see what's going on.