Vinyl planks and tiles do not swell or buckle when wet like laminate or wood flooring, nor do they hold moisture in like carpet can. Vinyl basement flooring is also ideal for people who use the basement as a game room or playroom for kids, or who keep their pets' kennels in the basement.
Vinyl plank flooring can buckle for several reasons. Here are some common causes: Moisture Issues: Excess moisture can lead to buckling. This can occur from water leaks, high humidity, or improper installation over a damp subfloor.
Improper Installation: If laminate flooring is not properly acclimated to the room's environment before installation or if it is installed too tightly against the walls, it can buckle as it expands and contracts with temperature changes.
You can also use a dehumidifier for at least 24 hours in places where the damage is minor, and often you will find that boards go back to their normal position, and you will see no signs of buckling or warping. Major damage to a floor, that has buckled in many places may require replacing the badly damaged boards.
Moisture can easily warp laminate flooring.
Particleboard is highly susceptible to damage from moisture and water exposure. Without an additional step to seal laminate floors and quick cleanups of spilled liquids, individual pieces of a laminate floor may warp, causing gaps and other visual defects.
The hotter temperatures cause the wood to expand. This expansion can put a lot of pressure on the floor, causing it to buckle. But, as the temperature cools in the evening, the wood contracts, creating gaps between the boards. Over time, this can cause the floors to warp and become uneven.
Incorrect installation of laminate flooring can lead to issues such as flexing or bouncing, particularly if the laminate boards are not properly acclimatised or if the expansion gap is not correctly measured.
It can usually be corrected by simply restoring proper humidity inside the room, which will help balance out the moisture above and below the flooring.
Top 6 Most Popular Flooring in New Homes 2025. The most popular flooring in new homes is wood floors, including prefinished hardwood, unfinished hardwood, and engineered wood followed by laminate, luxury vinyl tiles, and luxury vinyl planks.
Summary. LVP is the clear winner when it comes to overall color selection and lifetime waterproofing, whereas flood-rated Laminate offers better overall durability and pricing. The thickness of Laminate flooring reduces the need for sub-floor prep.
What are the most popular low-maintenance flooring options? Popular low-maintenance flooring options include ceramic and porcelain tiles , luxury vinyl tile, engineered hardwood , stone, concrete and carpet tiles .
Engineered wide plank floors are more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood floors. Because of this, they won't be as prone to buckle or split in response to humidity fluctuations or changes in temperature. Solid wide plank hardwood floors tend to have a more natural look because they are just plain wood.
If the floors are glue down, gently peel back the area buckling. Scrape away any existing adhesive that has failed, softening it with a hairdryer if necessary. Apply new adhesive and work the vinyl tile back into place. Roll over the area to smooth out the buckled area and ensure proper adhesion of the adhesive.
The primary culprit behind laminate floor buckling is often moisture damage. When exposed to water or excessive humidity, laminate planks may absorb moisture, leading to swelling and subsequent lifting from the subfloor.
Although laminate flooring is great for use in all kinds of areas of your home, its one flaw is that it's not great when it comes to moisture. To avoid warping, discoloration, and bubbling, avoid installing laminate flooring in rooms that regularly see a lot of moisture such as bathrooms, kitchens, or utility rooms.
Buckling or Warping – Laminate flooring is not waterproof. If you fit laminate in wet or moisture-rich areas, the floor can become damaged, often beyond repair.
Air-conditioning a home in hot, humid weather creates a strong water vapor drive from outside to inside. Very cool air conditioning can also cool the subfloor to below the outdoor dew point, which causes moisture to condense on the subfloor. That wetness amplifies the problem.
During the summer, all wood floors tend to expand because wood reacts to moisture. Air with a high moisture content (MC) or high relative humidity (RH) causes wood to gain moisture. Extreme moisture can cause cupping (when the edges raise higher than the middle of the wood planks) or even buckling.
Some disadvantages of vinyl flooring include: Cannot be repaired. Can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Shorter lifespan than wood floors.
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaners have special ingredients designed to help sustain wood floors as they clean. Similarly, Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaners are made with ingredients to specially care for marble, stone, tile, vinyl, laminate floors and other hard-surface floors.
Laminate flooring requires regular sweeping and mopping to maintain its appearance, with immediate clean-up of spills to prevent water damage. Vinyl flooring allows for more extensive cleaning methods, including wet mopping, making it an easy-care option for any room.