Pergo problems near a professionally installed sliding glass door

Greetings. I've read some of the threads about Pergo floors, and need to get advice on what to do in this situation at my house.


Two years ago, we replaced out all the windows and a sliding glass door in the house. Truth be told, my wife won them. Lucky her When they came to the area of the old sliding glass door, the install team proceeded to also replace out the base area, as some of the boards under the door track were rotted.

Shortly after this, my neighbor and I put in a Pergo floor and stairs on the main level of our house. Everything was good, there is definitely enough expansion room around the edges, and until this fall, everything was good.

Now, I have what looks to me like expansion between the Pergo planks. It is a floating floor (has the light blue foam stuff underneath it). The only areas at first where this was happening was near the sliding glass door. Now, I've noticed that even five feet into the room, I have a gap occuring between the planking.

How in the world do I fix this? Did the install team goof something up? I did exactly as they told me, and put in a new gutter to divert rain flow from the other side of the sliding glass door. Did they miss sealing up their work, or something? Did I not leave enough expansion room?

I'm asking here first before contacting my neighbor. I sure don't want to at all accuse him of doing anyting sloppy, as he does this work as a side business.

Thanks,

Bob

 

It's not swelling and deforming, it is gapping...


You may want to check the humidity levels inside the interior. The winter is known as the shrinking season, because heater running, drying the air out, which dries all the wood in the home, even your furniture.

I'm assuming these gaps are on the ends. Put on your tennis shoes and see if you can kick them together. Another method is two people with tennis shoes on, Jumping towards each other to close the gap. The next is to pull the trim moldings and get out the slap bar.

 

Seems like you may have had a bad moisture/wet condition near that door. You said the old door jam was rotted. This probably allowed water to get in under your Pergo.

What type of subfloor is there? Concrete? Joists?

Was a moisture test done when floor was installed?

Vapor barrier installed under floor?

These planks should be warrantied IF installed correctly.

Only option is to pull the floor up to get it right before it spreads.

 

More info per your questions:

The gaps are along the sides of the boards, mostly. At one point a corner was lifted up abit, but has since gone back down and 'just' has gaps.

The subfloor is joists.

If vapor barrier means 'foamy blue stuff that you are supposed to put under Pergo' than yes, it is there.

I'll ask the neighbor over and have him check it out. I can hope he's enough of a good guy and professional enough to not take it wrong.

Bob

 

Not just foam underlayment, but plastic and foam, with the plastic part sealed at the seams to make it a sealed moisture barrier.


Had some lifting, then that is buckling. That is a sign of moisture intrusion, which could be humidity related too. Especially since you say it is gapped now.

Is the surface of the planks deformed from being flat and perfect looking. Especially around the edges of any of the planks.