vinyl plank flooring is separating

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vinyl plank flooring is separating

Sol Bergren
Investor · saskatoon, sk · Member since 2013 · 40 posts · 41 votes

I've installed vinyl plank flooring in a rental, I really like it but it keeps separating (I helped install this with someone who has installed alot of flooring previously but never the vinyl plank type, so maybe we did something incorrectly).  

Has anyone else had this problem, I've removed the baseboards and tapped it back together once already but it continues to separate, not really sure what to do, it looks great and holds up super well, except for the gaps!  Anyone have suggestions or encountered this problem??

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Bob H.
Rental Property Investor · Cedar Park, TX · Member since 2014 · 414 posts · 272 votes
7y

Based on my experience with engineered hardwood, I doubt that you need to remove baseboards. After seeing a video somewhere, I made the tool in the photos, using wood, some screws and stick-on rubber safety tread from Harbor Freight: https://www.harborfreight.com/self-adhesive-rubber-safety-step-tread-98856.html. Just put the tool on one of the boards that has a gap and hit the slanted end with a rubber mallet. It took about five minutes to close the gaps in my floor. A few of them opened up again, so a few months later I repeated the process but put a little wood glue in the cracks first. Not enough time has elapsed to tell if the glue will be a permanent fix. 

I don't know the cause of this problem, but in other areas of this floor you can feel low spots where the concrete slab was not completely level before the flooring was laid.

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  • Sol Bergren
    OP
    Investor · saskatoon, sk · Member since 2013 · 40 posts · 41 votes
    6y

    @Matthew Irish-Jones I didn't redo the subfloor, there was a stained plywood floor in the unit that I put the planks over. The house is over 100 years old so everything wasn't exactly level to start, so that may have really contributed to the separating I guess.

    0Reply
  • Matthew Irish-JonesBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6y

    @Sol Bergren yeah I think so.  When they are not level there is a lot of movement that can take place when the temperature changes. 

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  • Billy Smith
    Shawnee Mission, KS · Member since 2016 · 716 posts · 313 votes
    6y

    Never  had any issues to speak of looks like a the floor was not level  I mean  BIG time not level  this stuff is very forgiven stuff can take a beating and still look ok .Or it was not installed right .

    0Reply
  • Tara S.Pro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Mesa, AZ · Member since 2019 · 125 posts · 60 votes
    6y

    So the floor is shifting because its probably not ran all the way to the wall. If you check under your trim you'll prob find places where the flooring is not touching the wall this will cause the floor to shift in those spots add some type of filler to put pressure against the wall and floor to avoid the seams having room to shift. If you want me to explain further message me. My husband is a contractor. We had a similar issue.

    1Reply
  • Jody Sperling
    Omaha, NE · Member since 2020 · 611 posts · 665 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Tara S.:

    So the floor is shifting because its probably not ran all the way to the wall. If you check under your trim you'll prob find places where the flooring is not touching the wall this will cause the floor to shift in those spots add some type of filler to put pressure against the wall and floor to avoid the seams having room to shift. If you want me to explain further message me. My husband is a contractor. We had a similar issue.

     @Tara Sullivan, the instructions on the LVP I've installed require you to leave a 1/8th" gap for expansion and contraction. Aren't you concerned if you install to the very edge of the wall you'll have buckling? I've seen the floor split because the subfloor wasn't level and no one put down leveling agent before laying the planks. I feel like the small gap is important.

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  • Tara S.Pro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Mesa, AZ · Member since 2019 · 125 posts · 60 votes
    6y

    And 1/8th in is very small. I don’t mean squeezing it against the wall. I have seen some floors where their 1” , .5” even 2” sometimes have been left as a gap under the trim.(We had some bad subs at points) but I bet if you check your gaps you’ll find your problem.

    0Reply
  • Jill F.
    Investor · Akron, OH · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Sol Bergren:

    Hi @Erik B. :) 

    The flooring was installed about 4 years ago, but actually started separating pretty shortly after install. It was installed in a house that is over 100 years old and the subfloor wasn't perfectly level, but not horrible.

    I'm seeing seems open up near the bottom of the stairs/entrance and in living room area, I guess mainly the higher traffic areas.  Probably only about 5% of the seems but it's enough to make the floor look not great.

    I think the vinyl plank flooring was decent quality as it was quite a bit more expensive than the laminate I was looking at initially, but maybe I could have bought even more expensive vinyl.  Not really sure on that front, that could be the issue.

    I had an flooring guy tell me they won't install vinyl plank over old hardwood without first laying down luan due to the separation problem.

    1Reply
  • Brian Zaug
    Lagrangeville, NY · Member since 2017 · 144 posts · 218 votes
    6y

    Yep, I have the same issues in a few apartments.  Now, when I go over there, I throw on some 1992 Jordans with sticky bottoms and do a solid jump stop on them and they slide right back into position.  

    5Reply
  • Karen MargraveBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    6y

    Did you use an underlayment? 

    0Reply
  • Elise Hazzard
    Property Manager · Saint Petersburg, FL · Member since 2016 · 182 posts · 51 votes
    6y

    @ Gerry Rien, do you recall the thickness and manufacturer of the LVP with adhesive seam?  I'm about to do an entire house and don't want to regret a poor selection.

    Also would you recall if any underlayment was used?

    Thanks 

    0Reply
  • Fred Brown
    Member since 2020 · 1 post · 3 votes
    6y

    Looks to me like the issue is the butt joints were not spaced out properly. Should be a minimum of atleast 9" apart. This is why installers usually use "Turn Boards" (smaller cuts of material to space out the butt jojts of thr material". Without this you get whats called "stair casing" or "zippering". As you can see you basically have created a staggered line/seam across the floor for the LVP to seperate. Moisture, subfloor conditions etc can also cause gapping. But the installalation here basically made the floor more susceptible to gapping. You can try to pull up the baseboard and shoe at the wall, and use a crow bar to try and move it back together or tap it with a rubber mallet at the wall. But the first thing I noticed was the fact that thr butt joints are not spaced out and you have a staircase pattern across the floor. 

    3Reply
  • Tom Burke
    Moosic, PA · Member since 2016 · 21 posts · 15 votes
    6y

    Hi Sol, I hope you have resolution to your initial problem.  I randomly came across your post from about a year ago.  Coincidentally, within the last day or so, I listened to BP podcast # 399 with Jeff Thorman.  Beginning at the 40:28 mark in that podcast, Jeff discusses something related to the topic you posted.  He mentioned a floating engineered hardwood plank.  You, and others, may be interested in learning more about it.  I know that I am! Good luck!

    1Reply
  • Waylon Zook
    Etna Green, IN · Member since 2015 · 207 posts · 157 votes
    6y

    This is what I just finished installing in my spec house today. https://www.happyfeetinternati...

    I was recommended to install tight to wall so butt joints can not separate.

    0Reply
  • David Avery
    Flipper/Rehabber · Phoenix Arizona · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 686 votes
    6y

    Hopefully you resolved your issue, if not this is an easy fix.

    Your ends are going towards the wall because you don't have a space that allows the flooring to go towards that wall.  

    I screw down a grabber screw at the end of the plank.  I put two in them. on about an inch in from each side.   It is about 6 inches wide so put two screws at the end that does not allow for the plank to slip to the wall.  The screws will be about an 1/4 inch high is all. 

    0Reply
  • Billy Smith
    Shawnee Mission, KS · Member since 2016 · 716 posts · 313 votes
    5y

    I bought top of the line if I say the name they might delete ,I like the product a lot for rentals put it in expensive SFH and cheaper ones . Oh I commented twice sorry

    0Reply
  • Wale LawalBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    Try the home depot suction cup first. If the problem persists, hire a local Vinyl flooring expert.

    Goodluck!

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  • Ryan LubyPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · CT · Member since 2016 · 258 posts · 227 votes
    5y

    @Sol Bergren

    BP had a legend on their podcast episode 399: Jeff Thorman who discussed this common problem.

    My experience there's a handful of root causes:

    - Subfloor is not level - in which case this is bound to happen no matter how well you installed

    - Improper installation - I've found the planks seem tight when they typically have a small bit they could get tighter which is why I always use a scrap piece of the interlocking flooring, then while installing each piece of flooring, I pull into place manually as best I could, then use the scrap flooring to lock into the open side of the piece I'm installing and tap with a hammer as needed until the pieces is truly secure in place. You'll need some practice, and to slide the scrap piece around tapping as needed, you'll also need to replace the scrap piece most likely after a couple hours of uses.

    - Most annoying - there could be a slightly crooked or twisted piece from manufacturing that you didn't notice and then installed and threw off the whole floor. But this is tough to tell and harder to find once installed.

    Frustrating situation because I haven't found a ton of great problem-solving for snap/click floor once installed, it's all about preparation and installation and then you're usually stuck unless you pull up and replace completely which isn't necessary in your case.

    3Reply
  • Joel Florian
    Member since 2019 · 111 posts · 130 votes
    5y

    I've had trouble with LVP (and Bamboo) flooring over wood floors with staple up subfloor heating.   The heating and cooling seems to cause the vinyl to expand and contract (especially under rugs and piles of laundry where the floor is insulated from room air)   It was especially bad with the adhesive edged LVP we got from HD.   The heat must have softened the glue and expanded the vinyl.   When it shrank, there were 1/2" gaps with exposed adhesive.

    0Reply
  • Pat D.
    Member since 2020 · 15 posts · 10 votes
    5y

    Unpopular opinion: throw some wood/floor colored caulk in the spaces and call it good. 

    1Reply
  • Kenny M. Lewis
    Hamilton, NJ · Member since 2019 · 78 posts · 15 votes
    5y

    I feel for you on the floor not staying in place. Would it be a better deal to replace the whole floor?

    0Reply
  • Jared Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Spokane · Member since 2019 · 17 posts · 16 votes
    5y

    Man Im happy that I'm not the only one with this problem. I used a cheap laminate board $.78 from home depot in one unit and it came out great. 

    Then in my bigger unit I decided to use the $1.98 a sqft LVP and I have had nothing but problems. thought if I spent a little more and got the water proof stuff it would be better. But it slides apart and it was constantly chipping and cracking at the edges during install.

    This stuff was terrible, of course I DIY the whole thing so I may have done some stuff wrong. 

    Anyway thanks for the thread, made me feel better about the unit that has this problem.

    0Reply
  • Dave Bal
    Investor · Collingswood, NJ · Member since 2016 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    5y

    I've been installing LVP in my rentals for the past 2 years and have had some of the issues mentioned in this thread as well. Last year I gave this a try: https://www.flooranddecor.com/...  . Been great so far. I've installed about 3500 sqft with no complaints so far. One thing i noticed that the seam locks a bit differently than the laminates and lvp I used in the past. You have to actually strike the butt seams straight down with a regular hammer, not mallet, and use some force at that. This creates a super tight seam lock in the spot that is most likely to separate over time. Will update this if I ever notice problems though. You never know. 

    1Reply
  • Shay D.
    Member since 2020 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    5y

    I recently had vinyl life proof planks installed on a rental but on some of the seams I started to see a gap. How can I close the gap or make stop lifting? 

    0Reply
  • Becky Gan
    Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 1 vote
    5y

    I used to have the issue to so I removed the flooring again and make it flat and layer at the top again. Make sure to find high-quality vinyl flooring.

    vinyl plank. 

    1Reply
  • David Avery
    Flipper/Rehabber · Phoenix Arizona · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 686 votes
    5y

    This product sucks.  Use wood, tile, or carpet.  It may work if all conditions are perfect.

    Floors are perfect level.  Rooms are very square.  Product is perfect, Good luck on this one.

    Use tile or carpet!

    0Reply
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