Vinyl plank flooring is becoming extremely popular even though some people prefer hardwood floors because it closely resembles hardwood floors, to the point that you might not realize the difference.
There are several vinyl planks in the market, ranging from less expensive ones to more expensive floor types, and they all keep up well over time.
It would be best to repair your vinyl plank floor once it begins to split. However, there are times when it is not worth your time to do so. In this article, I will show you simple guidance on how to fix vinyl plank flooring separating. Get yourself ready, and let’s go.
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Can You Fix Vinyl Plank Flooring Separating?
Absolutely yes, you can fix vinyl plank flooring separating with some simple tricks. The split of the floorboards is indeed not something you have to accept or modify altogether.
You should learn how to address the problem and reduce its impact on the floor. If there are severe damages and splits on the vinyl plank and you can not mend them, it would be best to have it replaced. However, in other cases, you can just fix it with a good caulking method.
Read: How To Clean Old Damaged Wood Floors? A Thorough Guide For You
How To Fix Vinyl Plank Flooring Separating
Here are my simple ways to fix the gaps among planks:
Cloaking
If the planks appear to separate, you do not need to replace the floorboards altogether. Before the floor is destroyed, you can use the caulking technique to restore the damaged section.
This technique maintains the stiffness of the floor while simultaneously acting as a water shield. With the caulking method, the spaces between your floors are solvable.
1. Choose the appropriate caulking:
There are several caulks available, such as latex, acrylic, and silicone. You can use latex since it has a pleasant scent and good expansion ability. Latex is also my go-to material for cloaking my vinyl flooring planks.
Compared to latex cloaking, acrylic is a better and more durable option because the acrylic technique strengthens and extends the flooring life.
Silicone caulking is an appropriate and suitable approach in high-temperature regions owing to its capacity to prevent any dangerous scenario.
2. Inspect for debris and sweep the flooring thoroughly:
Once you are done preparing cloaking material, it is time to examine the gaps between the boards for any dust or dampness. Use the appropriate equipment if cleaning the dirt by hand is tricky. Take the proper precautions to ensure that you do not apply the caulking material anywhere outside the caulking region.
But hold on a second before you start caulking, do not forget to secure the main door and make sure that there are no kids or pets inside the room. Once you have completed all of the things mentioned above, it is OK to begin caulking sessions.
Also read: How To Clean Vinyl Floors With Vinegar
3. Fill the gap:
Fill the gap between the floorboards with caulk and wipe away the surplus with your fingertips. And for caulking areas, you can choose any shade or anything that matches the board flooring colors.
Replacing Vinyl Planks
If the gaps on your vinyl floorboards are too huge for cloaking, I advise you guys to replace some planks or all of them.
On floating floors, it is easy to lift the damaged planks. The first step is to remove the molding or the baseboard attached to the walls. Then, keep clearing the planks until you reach the damaged regions.
Now, it is time to replace the old planks with new ones, given the new planks having the same shades and sizes.
Why Is My Vinyl Plank Flooring Separating?
Let’s learn some of the reasons why your floor split to prevent this situation:
The first one is the weather condition. In both hot and cold temperatures, floorboard separation shows up. The most frustrating aspect of floor splitting is that it is impossible to eliminate without fixing or replacing it.
However, other specific issues are human-caused, and you can prevent them from happening in the first place.
Expansion Due To Weather
From my observation, the most major trigger of vinyl separation is due to extreme heat or cold weather. Based on the change in temperature inside and outside the room, vinyl plank flooring expands or contracts.
When it is hot outside, and the heat within the house goes up, your floor becomes more sealed and bonded owing to expansion, making them a little bit tighter than usual.
You will see a substantial floor split as the inside of the property grows colder and colder because of the winter weather outside. You will notice something called floorboard separation, a term used to describe the spaces between the floorboards.
In addition, the temperature variation from things like air conditioners and ventilators can also trigger floorboard splitting. So, it is vital to adjust the functions of your ventilators and air conditioners.
Summer and winter are not the only causes for making boards separate. The constant variation in temperature can also make a difference; specifically, in the winter days, the temperature in the room fluctuates during the day and night.
The temperature goes down dramatically at night, while it increases somewhat throughout the day. The form of the boards alters as a result of all of these factors, and dispersion develops.
Read: Does Vinyl Plank Flooring Need To Acclimate? Is It Important?
Dragging Heavy Furniture On the Floor
Yes, you do not misread what I have just mentioned. Dragging heavy furniture on the vinyl floor can disrupt the board. Even though the floor supports heavy furniture, it does not mean the floor can easily take friction when you drag the furniture across them.
In addition, the practice of moving heavy furniture on the floor may destroy the unity between planks, causing separation on floorboards.
So, my advice is always to lift furniture by hand and tuck it in a specific location to transfer it. I often place clothes beneath furniture and move them to a new spot if I have to move the furniture all by myself.
As you see, your long-term problems are solvable with a few easy efforts. My last advice for you to prevent vinyl planks from separating is to reposition your furniture more often. Floorboards are at risk when heavy furniture is kept in one location for an extended period.
Related: How To Repair Scratches On Luxury Vinyl Flooring? Best Tips For You
The Final Verdict
That is all about how to fix vinyl plank flooring separating from my experience. Hopefully, you have taken away valuable methods to deal with this problem.
One thing to note is that prevention is always better than cure. So, it would be best to watch out for the causes that make vinyl planks separate and avoid them.
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