Buckling, Crowning, Creasting ... Problem

I recenly install laminate throughout my condo about 2 months ago. Everything is great until recently when it has gotten a lot more humid. Before I install the floor I let the floor stay in the rooms to be install for a week, more than the 48 hrs recommended. Now only in one particular area, I'm having buckling problems. The floor will raise in one spot and if I step on it, it will raise in another. Only these two area do that.

I'm on the 3rd floor with concrete subfloor and I used the quite walk underlayment. I'm not sure why this is happening, but I was wondering that what if I was to remove one of the boards that is buckling and trim it. When replacing it however, I'll have to use glue to reconnect it since either the tounge or grove will be trimmed.

Is this a possible solution or should I try something else?

Hallway Where Buckling is Occuring
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/6072/hallwayproblem2wy9.jpg

Buckling Area 1b
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3434/dsc011252bl7.jpg

Buckling Area 1b
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/9425/dsc011232ah1.jpg

Buckling Area 2
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/736/dsc011242op3.jpg

 

Did you leave a gap of 1/4 inch at the ends of the hallway ?
How long is the hallway ?
It looks as if you just butted it up to the existing baseboards ?

If the hallway is really long you may try taking a piece out, and use some T molding to relieve the pressure.

 

I did leave the 1/4 gap on th sides of the board although the pics may not show it. The end of the hallway floors into 2 rooms, 1 straight and 1 to the right. The hallway is about 12 feet and it continues into the room straight ahead which is about 10 feet.

Since the boards are running perpendicular to the hall, I can't see where to put a T-Molding It seems the floor has expanded, but i can't find where if at all it is pumbing against the wall.

 

What kind of moisture barrier did you place over the concrete?

The flooring has gained moisture content and swelled in dimensions.

It will usually get locked in, under doorjambs, but I see you didn't follow the manufacturers recommended proccedure, of undercutting the doorjamb trim. "T" moldings are specified at doorways to prevent this.

Removed wall moldings directly across from the buckle, and cut the flooring back away from the places it is not touching the base board. There is no if's, and's, or but's about it. The floor is locked in.

 

I use Quiet Walk, with the foam and moister barrier together. As for the T molding, I have yet to put it on because I wanted to fix this first, but I do have them ready. I did use a jabsaw to undercut the door, put from the pics it may be hard to tell.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by cut the board the boards away from the baseboard. The boards run perpendicular to the baseboards. So cutting them will make the gap from the wall greater and show when I put the quarter rounds on.

In pic 1b, I can slide that board out that is crowning because I have yet to put the T molding on. If I was to trim that board and make it a bit more narrow would that help. Although I would have to either trim from the tounge side or the groove side which mean that it will not lock back into place. I would have to use glue or something to attach it to the ajoining board.

QuiteWalk I Used
https://www.marathonweb2.com/midwestpadding_com/www_Root/quietwalk/1intro.html

 

The very first picture or diagram it is, you posted was of the layout of your hallway. I can see the expansion space across the short way of the planks, where the ends are. What I want to know, or see is, the expansion space down the hallway to the left and right in your diagram. That's where it is locked in.


I could have swore in several pictures, the doorjambs and the laminate tented. Especially 1b right down the tented joint is a doorjamb, is it not? If it was under the jamb it would have held that down and tented further down the hall where it wasn't under a jamb.

 

To the right and left of the hallway are doorways on both sides. The tent is happending right before the doorway and in the middle of the first doorway on the left. The first tent has a wall on both sides, and I haven't put the quarter rounds on, but I don't think that will hold it, or if it does, it will be forcing it.


For the second tent, I have yet to put the T molding down, so there is nothing to hold it down and on the oppoiste side is the flat wall before you get to the doorway on the right.

If you continue down the hallway, you will find another doorway on the left (closet) doorway on the right (bedroom) and straight ahead another another bedroom. I'm thinking it may be locked somewhere around the 2 bedrooms which form and L shape. I'll try to get better pics or draw a better diagram.

If I can't get to the actual place where it is locked, is there another way to fix this, such as triming a piece in the middle that is easy for me to access?

 

You keep wanting to trim out the middle when your problem is down the hall. No, putting transition moldings across those doorways, is not going to push it down. The effected 4 planks that are tented, has T&G damage right now.

Did you run the flooring throught the bedroom & closet doorways? Or did you leave a space for a T molding transition. in the doorwy between the hall and bedroom?

Your going to need to take up the hallway completely. Have new planks available to replace the damaged planks. Have you pulled the trim molding off the far bedroom and closet walls opposite of the hall doorway? It could be locked in all the way over there, especially if the flooring runs all the way through the doorway without a transition molding at the door.

http://i-boards.com/bnp/fci/images/messages/MVC-189S.JPG


See how the flooring goes under the doorjambs in the picture above. Do yours do that? Got more pictures of the bedroom and closet doorjams at the flooring?

 

I tried getting the under the doorjam, but the problem I was running into was running into was getting the T&G at the 45 degree angle and then laying the floor flat. Not matter how I looked at it, I could not do both, at least in this particular spot. (another spot worked because I was abld to slide the board under and meet with the tounge part. If this was a glue floor, I could see how that could be down better, but with the T&G, it was quite difficult because of having to lock it first at and angle the lay it flat.

The flooring is a continuious run from the hallway, through both bedrooms and the closet. However, in the closet, nothing is touching and i have amble room there and in the bedroom.

After looking at it, the 2 bedrooms form an L shape, right there could be the problem as I was able to run under the doorjam there, but I'm not sure how close I am since it is under. I would really hate to take all that back up if the problem turns out to be right there.

I'll post more pic when I get home.

 

More pics

http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/559d387da7.jpg

http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/5af2845690.jpg

 

Man, you have a mess there! Did you cut a plank in half right by the bedroom door? YIKES

I see exactly where it is locked!

You see the blue tape in the picture link I posted above? That is because when you come to a place that won't let you rotate it in, you cut the lock lip off the plank and glue it in, so you can get under the doorjambs. How do you plan on trimming/ covering that gap you have at the jambs trim molding?

I don't know what to tell you if you don't feel like taking it all up. That is your only solution from what I see. Heck if your going to live with that butchered board up by the door, you might as well just take a circular saw and cut your buckle out and call it good. YIKES!!!

 

HAHAHAHAH, thank, I feel better now. I was told I should not cut the lip. That is why it is called a T&G system. No glue required. I'm not sure what I'm going to do then. I don't know if I'll just get some filler or what.

To get the board under the door jam, I had to cut it to get it under. I spent a whole day at that point and I got fustrated and just made something work. Next time I know better.