Hello all,

First off let me say thank you in advance for an any all help you may be able to provide as I am at my wits end and in desperate need of some pointers from the pros.

So I installed my flooring with the in-laws and as much as I made sure that everything was interlocked BEFORE we layed it down to move on to the next row, (apart from knowing how important this is, I used to do interior trim and have a bit of OCD for the meticulous as a result) somehow I have ended up with several parts of the floor that did not lock in and are raised, or seperated to the eye (and foot) and since they are not flush by style and are made to look like plank hardwood... it's driving me insane.

Feels like the floor is doing this __ __\_ __ __\_ __ ok.. so I am exaggerating a little.

I am just hoping against hope that there is some trick that I can use.. plunge and mallot maybe that will allow me to fix these spots even thought the floor is finished and I can't angle and lock the piece back in the way I could have when I was laying it.

Does this make sense?

Any takers..?

Signed,
Desperate and discouraged

Who's the manuf ? You mentioned that when installing the plank you have to tilt the adjoining plank up to interlock. This somewhat tells me the type of profile of the t&g. Although some profiles that you are suppose to tilt, you can also lock while flat with a tapping block. That being said ...Depending on the core layer and the t&g profile, using a tapping block, you run the risk of breaking the locking system. Which wont help you anyway, cuz the whole floors installed
It's also possible that chunks of wood from the locking system are busted off in the t&g right now, you obviously can't see.

Here's how to fix it...
1) Lift out the planks that are not locked
2) There is a lip or beed of wood on the groove profile of the plank, ( this is the lip that makes you tilt the adjoining plank, in order to interlock). Use a scraper or sharp chisel and remove the beed flush with the bottom of the groove profile.
3) Take some t&g adhesive, ( I recommend Titebond ) . Run a generous beed of glue in the groove, set the plank back in, and weight it down.

If you have any scraps...You'll see what I'm talking about before pulling the planks.

Floorologist! You are a lifesaver!! I see what you are talking about and think this might be the answer.. the only problem is that there is really no way to lift the plank out as it is partially locked, just not clicked in all the way to the t&g, and the ends are locked in place, so nothing is moving anywhere. That is why I am so stuck. We literally had to lock in a whole row (maybe 20 feet) end to end and then all 4 of us had to tilt and lock the whole row at once. This is how some spots seemed locked but we realized were not when it was too late.


The manufacturer is Swiftlock plus.

Would it help is I took a pic?

Swiftlock is not a UNICLIC mechanism if I remember correctly. The end joints will break if you tap them in flat. So the only way to fix it IMO is take it apart and check all the end joints for breakage.

I,m not familiar with the t&g profile on that product. I just completed a floating plank replacement, in the middle of the floor, on a product that's not uniclic. I ended up trimming the tongue off , flush with the edge of the long side. There was still plenty of the profile left to securely glue to the profile of the groove. You will have to angle the plank vise versa ,( groove into tongue), then the tongue side will set on the t&g adhesive. The ends should just lay right in the interlock.
It's a matter of cutting out the planks . Use a circular saw, if possible a cordless,( not necessary, but less dust), set to the thickness of the wood. Cut out the middle, and carefully cut or chisel close to the corners, it will lift right out.

Howard, ya think his end joints are just gapped? I've seen it from tapping damage and threw some glue in there, kicked the ends together and taped them.

A running start with a good jump, while wearing some sticky tennis shoes!

Hey, I tell ya what... That Crain suction cup and a Pull bar may do the trick. Huh... thats kinda like sticky tennis shoes and a running start, lol. Maybe we need pictures ???

The way I take it, marcusd is talking about not locked in a few places on length seems, although that's kind of a strange scenerio. Could be in a few length seams the locking system busted up, ( when trying to install ), and created a bulge. Yup...We need pictures.

Or the bulldog

ok, I have the pics uploaded just need to figure out how to get them to show up on the post.

Ok heres goes.

Pics of floor as it should look, several bad spots and the t&g material. I think there are two lips on the tongue part and that is why the old run and jump with sneakers may not work.

Though I seriously wish it would! That would be great!!!



















Hope this helps!

That is the Valinge 2G locking system.....if the tongue isn't fully seated into the groove when it is installed, the board will "spring" back up about 10 or 15 degrees instead of laying flat to the floor....alot of times, you won't even see a gap, just the raising of the board, so people kind of force the next one into place and keep going. Then when you get done, you look back across the floor and see all of these areas with a tented appearance on the long edges; you walk on them and they gradually start to gap. Unfortunately, the only way to fix them is to disengage the floor back to the affected boards and reinstall them. If you have a board that won't go completely flat and wants to "spring" up, take a tapping block while holding the board flat to the floor and give it a few light taps down the long edge...it will pop into place. You just can't do that once the floor is installed.

I would give this a shot 1st, it's worth a try to see if it will engage. ( I believe the locking mechanism may be close enough to fudge together and engage the tongue.
Take a tapping block and run doubleface tape on the bottom of the block. Set the block on the plank and tap it. You may want someone standing on the plank , so it engages flat, ( for that matter... maybe someone standing on the tapping block also . Hey dont laugh...I think this will work, actually a variation of the sticky tennis shoe

Hi Floor,

Thanks for the input. I wil try anything at this point... I sort of realize it does not look like it can be fixed once it is installed.. that's kind of the problem.

So, forgive me as I have had a looong day and am kind of slow. Please explain the double sided tape/tapping block scenario again. Who is standing on what part and what/how/which direction am I tapping?

Sorry, I just need things to be spelled out sometimes. I mean if I was that smart I wouldn't be here in the first place.

Thanks again for your help.