How To Use Duct Tape To Fix Your Separated Laminate Flooring
While installing laminate flooring can be frustrating, what's even more irritating is finding gaps between the planks, especially after all the hard work of DIYing the project. Now, you have to find a way to fix it without ripping up the floorboards or pulling out your hair. Luckily, there's an easy hack that only requires one thing: duct tape. With just a roll of duct tape, you'll be able to pull the laminate flooring back into place in seconds.
While there are many reasons the laminate planks might separate — such as humidity, issues with the locking mechanism, or a subfloor that isn't level — this TikTok hack posted by @baldbuildersandfriends, a TikTok account about home renovation and tips for fixing things yourself, will have your flooring perfect once more, just like when it was installed. Plus, since this DIY trick only uses a bit of duct tape, it's as cost-effective a solution as it is simple.
Fixing laminate flooring gaps with duct tape
To push a separated laminate flooring plank back into place, unroll a piece of duct tape about a foot long (don't cut it off the roll) and firmly stick it along the floorboard near the gap. Step on the tape attached to the floor to hold it into place, and pull the roll of duct tape up, creating a line of tape that's perpendicular to the floor. While holding the roll, lift your foot and give a swift kick to the tape in the direction of the gap, and voila! Peel the tape off and the extra space should be gone, saving the laminate flooring you slaved over.
If you're worried that the gap will return someday, you can clean and apply wood glue to the edge of the plank before sliding it back into place to prevent the flooring from separating again.
Maintaining your laminate flooring
While duct tape can sometimes leave a sticky residue behind after it's removed, there's no need to forgo this laminate-flooring hack. You could try using the no-residue version of duct tape, or simply apply a little WD-40 and a dry cloth to wipe the stickiness right off. WD-40 is safe on laminate floors, and can also be used to remove scuff marks. Make sure to test a small area of the floor first, though, to ensure it won't discolor.
To keep your laminate flooring free from separation and looking new, wipe up spills quickly. Moisture is the main culprit when there are gaps or bumps in laminate floors, so keeping them dry is a must. It's suggested that these floors only be mopped every other month and that you use a damp (rather than soaked) mop.
But if you do end up with a gap in your flooring, just grab a roll of duct tape and you'll be in the clear.