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Now that I have installed Pergo XP laminate flooring I've discovered that there is a soft spot from the doorway which transitions from the kitchen into the dining room. When walking into the dining room the floor is spongy, and there is probably a 1/8" play.

I do not want to pull up all the laminate because this would require pulling up the laminate in entire the dining room, as well as the front part of the foyer (I managed to get all three areas linked together with no transitions).

I was thinking I could simply cut one of the boards in the doorway between the dining room and kitchen (much like you would if it was damaged). With this board removed I could just pull up the first few rows in the dining room, just enough to put some feather finish in.

Is this even worth it? We rarely use the dining room, but it is right in front of the doorway to the kitchen, so no matter what you will notice when walking between the two rooms (though the wife claims she barely can tell).

Or do I need to pull the entire laminate up from the foyer and dining room and not risk cutting any boards?

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  • What underlayment did you use? Chances are the underlayment will relax over time and the play will be reduced. I'd give it time. Then, if it's still a problem, – isherwood Jun 22 '16 at 14:52
  • Also, is the subfloor accessible from below? I'd consider injecting a leveling product as a first try. – isherwood Jun 22 '16 at 14:54
  • The kitchen underlayment was 3/8" plywood and the dining room is 1/4" birch plywood (IronPly). The transition between the two was accomplished using feather finish. – Donald Seward Jr Jun 22 '16 at 14:54
  • Yes there is a basement below, and I had considered drilling several holes using a 1/4" bit with a depth stop. I had a crazy idea of using foam insulation to fill the void, however I have read about others doing this online with very mixed results. – Donald Seward Jr Jun 22 '16 at 14:56
  • Ah, flooring underlayment is foam which came attached to the laminate planks. No other underlayment was required per manufacturer's installation instructions. – Donald Seward Jr Jun 22 '16 at 14:56
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You don't have to do anything. Most laminate installs have a soft spot somewhere. I also don't think the soft spot will change. You either accept it or fix it. I am not saying you had a "great" install but it is what it is.

If you are going to pull it up - you need to do a big enough area where it can be properly leveled. For issues like this we use a simple leveling liquid or we use roofing shingles (really small transitions). I cannot see you being happy doing this from below. Injecting the floor is never a good idea as the weight of the flooring can alter the liquid disbursement. If you are going to take stuff out you have to label each piece well and take everything out very carefully. The tongue and groove on these aren't made for many installs.

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