The vinyl plank click flooring I installed in two rooms develops gaps at the ends between the two rooms. Can I glue the ends together in this area?

Question

I installed this click plank flooring product in two rooms, as a continuous run. It is a floating floor. Between the two rooms is a short narrow corridor about 4 feet wide by 3 feet long. The subfloor was properly prepped and perfectly flat.

Whenever the temperature gets low, end gaps appear in this area. I think the planks are shrinking from the temp. Gaps do not appear in the rest of the installation - I'm not sure why they only appear in this corridor.

Twice now I've pulled up the flooring in this area to re-click the ends. I was wondering if I could glue the ends together in this area only to keep them from popping. Just the ends of the adjacent planks.

If so, what type of glue should I use?

here is a pic of what is happening. Note the planks aren't actually popped up, even though it looks like it in the pic. They are still flat - just the ends have separated.

Answer 1

I found the fix for my problem in another post last week. I had the same problem. My floor had 15-20 gaps in my entire house. Last time I pulled the baseboard and used a prybar and the z-bar that I used for installation. I had my wife help so I wouldn't damage the boards. I added glue to the gaps before closing them and I did this in one room. I glued those ones and a month later more gaps appeared in other areas of the room. I checked youtube and the internet and found that people were using the "Handle on Demand". I was pretty excited about it. I bought one and it was wider than my flooring (mine are 3" wide). I saw Dylan post and checked out this "floor gap fixer". I decide to buy one since it would fit my flooring and the videos on youtube showed it working well. You move one board at a time until you get to the wall. I was able to do it myself and it went quick. I only added glue to the first gap. It was quick and worked well. Much better than pulling the baseboard again. I am no longer dreading the day when my wife spots a gap. I will update you If anything changes but for me it was worth it. I am thinking about starting a business to close gaps after seeing all of the views on these youtube videos.

Answer 2

The boards are opening up at the butt ends due to (as you surmised) temperature and/or moisture levels rising and falling.

What's interesting is they only move latitudinally. This may be due to several issues, the first being the spacing along the areas perimeter. The gap should be 3/8 inch +/-. Even a piece of door molding that wasn't under cut for the floor to slip under would effect the floor system if the gap wasn't to specification.

Next I would be sure all the planks are floating. It's not likely, but maybe something is binding one up. I'd also check the subfloor to be sure the isolation pad is installed properly. It should be flat with no wrinkles and any tape joining seams or repairing tears should be installed to the manufacturers instructions.

Lastly, look at the concrete floor (if applicable) and note any moisture or condensation issues. Water permeates through concrete easily. Tape a clear plastic bag to the concrete for a day and note the moisture amount collected on the plastic.

Regarding gluing the planks; some manufacturer's will allow them to be bonded together. Mostly in damp environments like the bathroom or kitchen. While others state it will void your warranty. In a final desperate situation were no action is solving your problem gluing the very butt edge of the migrating boards may be your only option. From the picture, the few gaps (if glued) may not pose any problems seeing how it is localized and in a hallway. If necessary test glue 1 or 2 planks with a resilient-type glue (flexible) or a glue recommended by the manufacturer. I'd only attempt this when all other recourses have been tried (or if the producers of the floor system advise it to be appropriate).

Answer 3

First you do not have a true floating floor. Somewhere your floor is attached or has an insane amount of weight on it. If it were floating then you would have seams around your baseboards, not in the middle of the room. Go through room and make sure no boards are glued to floor or there isn't a 3000 lb safe on it.

Second the click/lock in these vinyl boards suck. That is just how it goes and design and functionality are all over the place from manufacturer to manufacturer. The first thing I would check is what the manufacturer would do. To me this seems like a warranty issue. If these are installed right and they are coming out of the "click" like that, the boards seem defective (if your floor is floating).

Third - if manufacturer is no help or if floor is installed wrong - gluing these together is fine, gluing to floor would be a nightmare. If the glue works then the boards "click/lock" mechanism is a piece of crap. If it doesn't work then you will have more to glue and may have to include a T mold transition strip in between rooms.

As far as glue I can recommend something but would need to know the exact composite of the flooring - really the material used for the locking mechanism of the boards. You can use a good wood glue if MDF or wood but if vinyl or a mix you would need other adhesives.

Answer 4

I'm thinking you should have had expansion joints at the end/beginning of the narrow area(s). The install instructions on my (floating vinyl) flooring note that on a run from a wide area into a narrow area, a gap is necessary to avoid exactly what is happening to you.
You cover this gap with t-molding or some other kind of transition. The same has to be done going through a doorway or on a run over 50'. I think gluing the ends defeats the purpose of a floating floor and can introduce other expansion related issues.

Answer 5

When laying this floor you have to lock the ends in properly by tapping it several inches from the end instead of directly on the joints with a rubber mallet. If not in has a better chance of breaking breaking the locking systems

Answer 6

You can fix this easy. Just add white Elmer glue run a good bid on the male end and push it back together. You can also tape joints together with masking tape till it dries and then remove the tape. Remove the excess glue with a damp rag if it dries it will still come off easy. You Don't need no t-molding they recommend t-molding lengthen around 45 FT. and Width around 30 FT. You want have no more trouble with that issue. Let the glue dry over night or though the day. Years ago that was the onyl way to install floating floors and it was the best way every. No snap to gather, Just male and female ends run a bead on the male end slap it together and forget it never had no problems.