The elegance and beauty of laminate floor planks complement any home. However, if a plank is damaged, the flooring’s aesthetic appeal gets ruined.
Do you replace the plank by hiring a professional and spending a fortune? Fortunately, no.
If you are willing to put in the time and have a little bit of patience, replacing a damaged laminate plank is actually rather simple.
Replacing laminate flooring can be intimidating for the average DIY-er. There are a lot of pieces, sizes, and configurations to consider – even if you’ve replaced them before.
This can make it feel like you’re destined to have your project fail! The good news is that everything you need to do this yourself is fairly straightforward – but there are a few steps that you haven’t tackled yet!
In this article, I will walk you through every step of how to replace a piece of laminate flooring so that you don’t have to worry about anything!
How To Replace A Piece Of Laminate Flooring In 3 Easy Steps
| Steps | Estimated Required Time |
| Remove The Damaged Laminate Flooring | 2-3 hours |
| Prepare The Subfloor | 1-2 hours |
| Install New Laminate Flooring | 2-3 hours |
Step 1: Remove The Damaged Laminate Flooring
Required Tools
- Safety glass.
- Ruler.
- Pencil.
- Circular saw blade.
- Hammer.
- Chisel.
- Pry bar.
Steps
- Using a ruler and pencil, mark a line in the middle of the damaged flooring. The line should cover the length of the board.
- Measure the board’s thickness and set the circular saw blade’s depth to ⅛ inch more than it.
- Set the depth to be exactly equal to the board thickness if the subfloor is made of concrete.
- Cut toward one end by driving the blade into the line at the board’s middle.
- When the blade reaches the edge, stop cutting.
- Bring out the saw, and cut in the opposite direction to the same spot.
- Finish the cuts on the board’s ends by tapping a hammer and chisel along the cut line.
- Drill a 1/2-inch hole in each board corner.
- Both of the edges that make up the corner should be 1/2 inch away from the hole.
- From each hole, arc a line at a 45-degree angle toward the center cut line.
- Drive the saw into the board’s middle and along each 45-degree line until the corner hole.
- Four triangular pieces are produced by this cutting process, which you can pry off from the ends.
- Use the pry bar to raise the pointed end of each triangle, then use pliers to draw the triangle toward the center.
- When it snaps loose, take it out.
- Pry out the two center pieces after removing all four of the triangular sections.
Step 2: Prepare The Subfloor
Required Tools
- Safety glass.
- Electric sander.
- Leveling compound.
- Level.
- Vacuum.
- Wet cloth.
- Cleaning solution.
- Moisture barrier sheet.
Steps
- Use an electric sander to remove any paint, glue, or oil residue from the wood and to smooth out any flaws.
- Concrete subfloors could require patching or leveling using a leveling compound.
- Check the subfloor’s level before and after preparation using a level.
- To get the laminate planks to lay properly, the surface must be completely level when you begin.
- Vacuum the subfloor after leveling to remove any dust and debris left over from the removal procedure.
- Using a wet cloth with warm water and a little cleaning solution might be necessary to wipe out the flooring.
- Larger debris should be swept up and disposed of separately.
- Always look out for potential obstacles like stray nails and shattered wood chips.
- Make sure not to oversaturate timber subfloors.
- They must dry completely before you can start applying the laminate if you get them too damp.
- You’ll probably need to use several rolls of the moisture barrier sheet to cover the subfloor, so unroll it across the flooring length.
- Make sure the barrier sits flat by running a utility knife along its edges where the floor meets the walls.
- The majority of brand-new laminate floors come with an integrated foam underlayment to prevent damaging dampness.
- If the boards you bought don’t have this layer, you’ll need to lay down a second barrier.
- A moisture barrier can help keep your new laminate flooring and subfloor from rotting, bending or mildewing if you reside in a location with significant humidity.
- When placing laminate over concrete subfloors, a moisture barrier is essential since concrete subfloors cannot absorb and disseminate moisture.
Step 3: Install New Laminate Flooring
Required Tools
- Safety glass.
- Circular saw blade.
- Utility knife.
- Carpenter’s glue.
Steps
- Cut the groove bottoms off of one side and one end of the replacement board to prepare it.
- Additionally, you must remove the tongue from the opposite end.
- Use a utility knife to cut the grooves and tongue, scoring multiple times before using pliers to break off the pieces.
- Apply carpenter’s glue to the tongues of the floorboards before installation.
- Snap the replacement board’s intact tongue into the groove of the nearby board on the floor.
- To hold the replacement board in place while the glue cures, lower it, press down on the sides, and use weights.
When To Replace Your Laminate Flooring
If you start noticing the following symptoms and damages on your laminate flooring, it’s time to replace them.
You Notice Cracks And Scratches On The Floor
A protective wear layer on laminate flooring reduces damage from nicks, scratches, and cracks.
Your flooring will likely become worn out and lose its surface gloss if you repeatedly move heavy furniture without felt pads or walk on the floor while wearing sharp shoes and high heels.
You can use a wax pencil to fill in the gaps and holes in the floor. To ensure that the repair matches the color of the floor, remove any extra glue or wax and clean the area with a dry, soft cloth.
Swollen Laminate Flooring With Bubbles
When water spills are not cleaned up, the moisture barrier can be breached, leading to a problem with bloated laminate floors.
Using a knife to cut open the bubbling region is one method to resolve this problem without purchasing new laminate flooring boards.
The surface can then be flattened by applying a small amount of wood glue and pressing it down.
Uneven Surface
The difference between a buckling floor and a swollen laminate floor is that a buckling floor is a problem where the floorboards raise and cause the surface to expand and produce humps in the middle.
This may result in floor expansions and gaps, ultimately modifying the laminate floor’s shape.
This issue is typically caused by an inadequate moisture barrier, which leaves laminate floor surfaces vulnerable to moisture problems, water leaks, and temperature variations.
Replace the damaged planks with new ones to solve a bending issue effectively. To prevent moisture from accumulating in the crevices, position the replacement planks uniformly on the subfloor and floor joists while leaving a sufficient expansion gap.
Additional Tips While Replacing Your Laminate Flooring
Here are a few tips to help maintain the quality of your laminate flooring and prevent serious flooring problems:
- You might save up to 50% on the cost of professional installation by installing new laminate flooring yourself.
- The majority of laminate replacement projects are simple enough to finish in a single weekend.
- Purchase the required supplies in-store and have them delivered to your house later to make things easier for yourself.
- To stop the glue from oozing out when you lower the board, apply it lightly with a cotton swab to the tongues. Before the glue dries, brush it from the boards’ surface if any glue gets on them.
- Regularly sweep and mop the floor using a microfiber mop or a soft-bristle broom. To prevent harming the floor surface, you can also use a vacuum, but make sure it has a soft brush or microfiber pad feature.
- Avoid using abrasive cleaners, oil-based solutions, and powerful bleaches to remove stains from laminate floors. They could leave stains and scrape off the floor’s barrier layers.
- Make sure the cleaning solutions are made for the appropriate flooring by reading the label, following the directions, and using them as directed.
Final Verdict
You can now enjoy a gorgeous floor because I am sure now you know how to replace damaged laminate flooring.
A damaged laminate floor plank can be easily replaced if you can follow the article’s methods.
Remember to carry out the instructions precisely, and nothing should go wrong. Get a professional to replace the flooring if you’re uncertain about doing it yourself.
FAQ
Is laminate flooring easy to replace?
Although installing laminate flooring requires advanced skill, most homeowners can handle it without much difficulty.
It will take a few hours to install laminate flooring. You will also need the correct tools to achieve a strong and secure installation.
Can you remove and reinstall laminate flooring?
The procedure to take off laminate flooring is simple. Modern laminate flooring can be reused if removed properly because it is not attached to the subfloor.
The surface, which is sometimes referred to as a “floating floor,” floats on top of the subfloor on a foam cushion.
