Laminate flooring joins not flat please HELP ME!

Bagpuss12

Can anyone help with advice. After a nightmare 5 years of battling to get noisy squeaky defective flooring relaid in a new build flat, we have finally got that done. As I already laid laminate when I first moved in ( not knowing about the problem with the flooring) the building contractors who carried out the remedial works agreed to lay new laminate which they have done. I have been in to see it and I dont believe it is evenly laid. You can feel ridges on many of the joins and they have laid it under the skirting board so I am concerned that they havent left a sufficient expansion gap or something.They told me they werent going to do this in view of the problems we've had with the flooring. I even chose a scotia which they havent used. Instead they have put white filler around the room edges where it joins the skirting boards. It looks neat but is this acceptable?

The lengths dont line up in places either.

Is it acceptable to have joins which are not completely flush and flat? I am worried that in time this will cause more problems.

Any advice gratefully received.
Thank you

Ukuser

to me this sounds like the the boards are not joined properly - i.e where they interlock together - i have found this many times when laying laminate that if the laminate is not in the exact place when joining - the join will not be perfect - there will either be hairline spaces OR there will be too much stree on the join causing uneven surface like you describe - personally i wouldnt accept and get the guys back - the edges could be sharp and could possibly cut bare feet!

chaddythebear

Agree with ukuser, i'm a joiner and problem with joints not flush is when they are clipped together and the tongue and groove are not cleaned out properly, sometimes bits of the tongue break off, easily spotted and blown out.
Laying under skirting is a better job than using a scotia if done properly, would not be happy about using decorators cauke around skirting joint either as you floor is a floating floor so is designed to move, and it will, and in time this will cause filler to crack and it will also turn dirty if not painted.

Needs redone to a better standard

underlay_guru

Yes....definitely substandard fitting and/or preparation. Your floor layers have goofed up again on this one.

It sounds like the boards have not clicked together either due to the tongue and groove click system not being completely cleaned of dust and debris first. This would mean they would need to force the boards to click together, rather than do a good job.

There is also a chance they have substituted your selected wood for a cheap and nasty alternative to save on their costs, (there are loads of them around). Poor preparation of the sub-floor may also be a factor.


Because the wood naturally expands and contracts over different temperatures, an expansion gap is essential, (hence the reason scotia/beading is recommended: it covers up the little gap). You will find that without this, the sealant around the floor will eventually crack and look ugly. There is also an almost certainty the boards will begin to bulge slightly, putting extra undue stress onto the already shoddy-looking joints.

If I were you, i'd get them back out to do a decent job!