Laminate has become one of the most popular home flooring options in the UK in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. It is affordable, practical, easy to keep clean and it looks just like real wood in many cases. Having said that, poor installation or neglected maintenance and care can lead to some problems. Among these problems are bubbling and buckling. This article aims to help you understand why your floor might be behaving this way, and what you can do to fix it.

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Moisture damage

As The Spruce website explains, laminate flooring is actually a better choice for bathrooms than hardwood. It’s certainly a popular choice for the smallest room in the house, as it matches most decor and feels pleasant to walk on while barefoot. While many modern laminates are perfectly suitable for installation in a bathroom, kitchen, utility room or other area with high levels of moisture, that doesn’t always mean you can get them as wet as you like without causing problems. And it’s not just splashes and spills that can damage your floor, causing bubbling. Humidity is often overlooked, but in a poorly ventilated bathroom in a busy family home, humidity can be an issue.

Although the guidelines vary between manufacturers and product lines, most flooring comes with a warning that it should not be installed in rooms with more than 60% humidity.

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Correct installation

This is the first step to ensure your floor remains in good condition for the duration of its lifespan. If you’re buying from a reputable supplier such as https://www.woodfloorwarehouse.ie/laminate-flooring.html, ask for tips on how to best lay your floor.

Flooring that is not laid correctly can be prone to buckling, particularly if the subfloor is uneven or in poor condition. If your floor was not correctly installed and planks are starting to buckle, avoid stepping on the affected areas until you get the chance to inspect them. The good news is that in many cases you will be able to lift up the flooring, install proper underlay and then put the planks back down again. If individual planks are too damaged to use, you might be able to get away with simply replacing these. Unfortunately, if the entire room is suffering, you will need to replace all the flooring.