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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  • Andy McQuade
    Real Estate Consultant · Rochester, NY · Member since 2019 · 28 posts · 26 votes
    5y

    95% of the issues with LVT/LVP installs are from user error.  It's a far superior product to sheet vinyl and peel and stick vinyl products for a multitude of reasons.

    1) With most brands, you can't install it over an unconditioned space, it has to be climate controlled. This means zero installs in trailers unless it's specifically noted in the install/owners manuals first.

    2) With the gripstrip/glue down product you have to 100% of the time make sure the entire working area is broom clean and vacuum before opening a single case of product.  Dust will ruin the adhesive properties and can cause failures during expansion and contraction that could have been avoided.

    3) Allow the product to acclimate/condition IN THE ROOM you're installing it in for at LEAST what the manufacturer recommends.  

    4) Don't install it below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  With vinyl, the closer to actual living temperatures you get (65-75 f) the better install you'll get.

    5) USE THE FLOOR ROLLER THEY RECOMMEND.  If it calls for a 100# or 80# roller after install, USE IT.  More than half of gripstrip/glue down failures happen after install where no roller was used at the end of the project.

    6) Improper spacing around obstructions - you can't install this without the manufacturer recommended gap.  You'll need baseboard and shoe moulding to hide it.  It 's vinyl, it will move...a lot.

    1Reply
  • Michael Glunk
    Real Estate Agent · Evergreen, CO · Member since 2015 · 126 posts · 73 votes
    5y

    @Sol Bergren I didn't read through all the posts, so maybe someone has mentioned this already, but... 

    1. Did you install a foam backer rod (usually 3/8") between the wall and the flooring? [If it's a water resistant type then also 100% silicone on top of the backer rod and under the baseboard). The backer rod helps with stability but also allows some flex as the floor will move a bit pending humidity.

    2. Was the subfloor clean and level? If it isn't level enough, this could be the cause as well.

    0Reply
  • Sol Bergren
    OP
    Investor · saskatoon, sk · Member since 2013 · 40 posts · 41 votes
    5y

    No I didn't install a foam backer rod, wasn't aware of this item, thanks for the tip :)

    Floor was very clean but not perfectly level as the house is over 100 years old.  From reading others comments, I think that was likely the main issue.

    1Reply
  • Kyle Feldballe
    Flipper/Rehabber · Northwest Suburbs of Chicago · Member since 2020 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    5y

    I have had a lot of success with just a block of wood wrapped in double sided tape and a hammer. Stick the wood to the floor, apply pressure with your foot and hammer it into place. Simple, cheap, and effective.  

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

    Don't need to replace the entire floor. Try through caulking.

    You can get latex and acrylic and silicone caulking. When you apply the caulking, use a damp finger to remove excess caulk and ensure that the planks’ separation is filled.

      0Reply
    • Phillip Dennis
      Member since 2021 · 2 posts · 0 votes
      5y

      One of my friend also have faced this problem a few days ago. He finished the installation with an experienced floor expert, but he did not get a plank type floor. I told him something was wrong.
      However, you can use caulk. But, Acrylic is a more acceptable and long-lasting method than latex.
      For details about Acrylic method you can follow this fixing method of separating vinyl plank flooring

      0Reply
    • Joseph Hammel
      Rental Property Investor · Lake Hallie, WI · Member since 2015 · 292 posts · 144 votes
      4y

      I don't use click together stuff. Get glue down planks or sheet vinyl. Glue part of the sheets also so someone don't drag furniture across it and wrinkle it up.  

      0Reply
    • Grigory Pekarsky
      Real Estate Broker · Chicago · Member since 2021 · 108 posts · 23 votes
      4y

      I had a similar experience. Vinyl plank flooring is a great choice when you are on a budget and want the look of real hardwood. However, you should be aware that it can separate if not installed properly, which will cause it to lift at the seams or edges where two pieces meet together. This can happen due to moisture damage or improper installation techniques such as using too much adhesive or not allowing ample time for drying before walking on them. If this occurs you may need to replace the entire floor in order to fix this problem.

      1Reply
    • Dana Moyer
      Member since 2024 · 2 posts · 0 votes
      2y
      Quote from @Steve K.:

      Although not as sensitive as hardwood to temperature, humidity and sunlight, these things still effect LVP. Acclimating for at least the manufacturer's recommended time period, temperature and humidity prior to installation is key, as well as keeping the subfloor at the recommended temperature during install and after, sanding down any high spots/leveling the subfloor as much as possible (less than 1/8 in. over. few feet is ideal), leaving a 1/4" gap against the walls for expansion, and limiting the number of heavy objects placed on the floor in one area can help reduce gaps forming after install. Also be sure to click all the seams together really well and don't force them into each other with a pull bar or hit it too hard with a tap block as that can mar the edge. Be careful not to pin the flooring down with the baseboard or shoe moulding. Seam sealer can be used to help keep the gaps tight in problem locations.  


       What brand and type of seam sealer did you use?

      0Reply
    • Steve K.
      Realtor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 5k+ votes
      2y
      Quote from @Dana Moyer:
      Quote from @Steve K.:

      Although not as sensitive as hardwood to temperature, humidity and sunlight, these things still effect LVP. Acclimating for at least the manufacturer's recommended time period, temperature and humidity prior to installation is key, as well as keeping the subfloor at the recommended temperature during install and after, sanding down any high spots/leveling the subfloor as much as possible (less than 1/8 in. over. few feet is ideal), leaving a 1/4" gap against the walls for expansion, and limiting the number of heavy objects placed on the floor in one area can help reduce gaps forming after install. Also be sure to click all the seams together really well and don't force them into each other with a pull bar or hit it too hard with a tap block as that can mar the edge. Be careful not to pin the flooring down with the baseboard or shoe moulding. Seam sealer can be used to help keep the gaps tight in problem locations.  


       What brand and type of seam sealer did you use?

      I typically pull up the whole area where the gaps are if possible and fix whatever is causing the gaps. In the few rare cases when I've used seam sealer, it was Roberts 7500.  

      0Reply
    • Dana Moyer
      Member since 2024 · 2 posts · 0 votes
      2y
      Quote from @Steve K.:
      Quote from @Dana Moyer:
      Quote from @Steve K.:

      Although not as sensitive as hardwood to temperature, humidity and sunlight, these things still effect LVP. Acclimating for at least the manufacturer's recommended time period, temperature and humidity prior to installation is key, as well as keeping the subfloor at the recommended temperature during install and after, sanding down any high spots/leveling the subfloor as much as possible (less than 1/8 in. over. few feet is ideal), leaving a 1/4" gap against the walls for expansion, and limiting the number of heavy objects placed on the floor in one area can help reduce gaps forming after install. Also be sure to click all the seams together really well and don't force them into each other with a pull bar or hit it too hard with a tap block as that can mar the edge. Be careful not to pin the flooring down with the baseboard or shoe moulding. Seam sealer can be used to help keep the gaps tight in problem locations.  


       What brand and type of seam sealer did you use?

      I typically pull up the whole area where the gaps are if possible and fix whatever is causing the gaps. In the few rare cases when I've used seam sealer, it was Roberts 7500.  


       Thanks very much.

      0Reply
    • Karen MargraveBusiness Member
      Moderator
      Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
      1y

      Did you use any type of underlayment? If not, did the planks have attached underlayment? 

      0Reply
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