Laminate is one of the toughest, most budget-friendly floors you can put in a home, and when something goes wrong, the fix is often smaller than it looks. Whether a few boards are lifting, gaps are opening between planks, the dog left a chip by the back door, or a leak got under the floor, this guide shows you how to repair laminate flooring the right way, problem by problem.

Fixing laminate flooring is mostly about matching the repair to the cause. We start with the most common issue, lifting, then cover gaps, chips and scratches, replacing a single plank, and water damage. If you’d rather hand it off, our team at GC Flooring Pros can inspect, diagnose, and repair or replace damaged sections for a long-lasting, seamless finish.

What’s Wrong With My Laminate Floor? Find Your Fix

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Laminate Floor Repair at a Glance

Why Is My Laminate Floor Lifting?

“Lifting” isn’t a single problem, it’s a symptom. Pinpoint the cause first, then choose the matching fix below.

1) Underlying Moisture Problem

Excess moisture in the subfloor or slab causes planks to swell and rise. If substrate moisture is above about 6–9% per NALFA guidance, acclimation alone won’t save the install. Dehumidify, correct leaks, and use proper vapor barriers/underlayments before re-laying.

To reduce future risk, select an appropriate underlayment and verify moisture levels with a reliable moisture test prior to installation. You can also review general indoor moisture control tips from the EPA’s moisture guidance.

2) Not Properly Installed

Laminate relies on precise joints and “floating” clearances. If click-lock seams aren’t fully engaged, you’ll see gaps and peaks. If planks are jammed tight to walls, seasonal expansion has nowhere to go—leading to buckling. And if material wasn’t acclimated to site conditions, post-install movement is likely.

When in doubt, have a pro evaluate the locking profile, acclimation timeline, and edge clearances. Our crew at GC Flooring Pros can quickly spot and correct these issues.

3) Uneven Subfloor

Waves, dips, or humps telegraph through floating floors, creating bounce or lift. Minor highs can be ground; lows can be filled. If the slab or wood subfloor is significantly out of spec, a self-leveling compound or structural remediation may be required. Here’s a helpful primer on identifying issues with uneven substrates: how to address a wavy subfloor.

4) No Expansion Gaps

Floating floors need room to move—typically ~1/4″ around all fixed verticals (walls, cabinets, pipes, hearths). Without proper gaps and transitions, the floor will push against restraints and peak. This often appears at doorways or long runs.

How to Fix Laminate Flooring That’s Lifting

Match your repair to the underlying cause. Here are the proven approaches our technicians use in the field.

Fix 1: Level an Uneven Subfloor

1. Remove affected planks.Take them up carefully and set them aside.
2. Find the highs and lows.Grind down peaks; fill dips with an appropriate patch or self-leveler per manufacturer instructions.
3. Clean and check.Vacuum thoroughly; confirm smoothness with a straightedge.
4. Add the right underlayment.It absorbs micro-variations and reduces sound transmission.
5. Reinstall the planks.Tap joints with a block and mallet to fully lock the profile.

If the surface is severely out of tolerance, schedule a professional inspection through our Contact page. We’ll advise the most efficient, code-compliant fix.

Fix 2: Resolve Moisture Intrusion

1. Track down the source.Plumbing leaks, slab moisture, or ambient humidity. Reference the EPA’s moisture control basics to stabilize indoor conditions.
2. Remove and dry.Take up swollen or damaged planks and let the area dry thoroughly (fans and dehumidifiers as needed).
3. Test before you relay.Check the slab or subfloor with a moisture meter or calcium chloride/RH test to verify acceptable levels.
4. Barrier, then boards.Install a vapor barrier or appropriate underlayment before relaying planks. Replace any damaged boards with matching stock.

Need help sourcing like-for-like replacements or confirming moisture thresholds? Our laminate specialists can assist: Laminate Flooring Supply.

Fix 3: Add or Restore Expansion Gaps

1. Pull the trim.Remove baseboards or quarter-round to inspect perimeter clearances.
2. Trim to a full gap.Undercut or trim planks to achieve a continuous ~1/4″ gap at all walls and fixed obstructions.
3. Break up long runs.Add T-moldings or reducers at long runs, room transitions, and thresholds.
4. Reinstall the trim.Nail base or quarter-round to the wall, never down into the floating floor.

Fix 4: Reseat Mislocked Joints

1. Lift the row with gaps.Inspect the click profile for damage or debris.
2. Clean and replace.Clean tongues and grooves; replace any crushed or chipped boards.
3. Reassemble carefully.Use a pull bar at end joints and a tapping block along long joints to fully engage.

Pro tip: Always follow the manufacturer’s installation pattern and expansion rules. If the original product line is discontinued, we can recommend visually compatible replacements through our laminate flooring team.

How to Fix Gaps Between Laminate Planks

Small gaps along the ends or long edges of planks are one of the most common laminate complaints, and one of the easiest to fix. They usually show up for one of three reasons: the air got dry and the boards shrank slightly, a joint was never fully clicked together, or something is pinning the floor (a kitchen island, heavy furniture or trim nailed into the floor) so it can’t move back into place.

1. Start with humidity.If gaps appeared in winter, run a humidifier to bring the home back into the 35–55% range. Some seasonal gaps close on their own.
2. Tap the joints closed.Use a floor gap fixer (a rubber-gripped block) or a tapping block and mallet. Press it onto the plank next to the gap and tap toward the gap. Work along the row so you’re not just moving the gap one board over.
3. Unpin the floor.Check for trim, cabinets or furniture locking the floor in place. Free it so the floor can float again.
4. Relay if it keeps coming back.Widespread or recurring gaps usually mean damaged locking edges or an uneven subfloor. Lift the affected rows, check the subfloor, and reinstall with fresh boards where joints are worn.

How to Repair Chipped or Scratched Laminate Planks

Laminate can’t be sanded and refinished like hardwood, because its look is a printed layer under a clear wear coat. The good news: most surface damage is small enough to hide with a laminate floor scratch repair kit, which you can find at most flooring and hardware stores in your floor’s color family.

Light scratches and scuffs

Clean the area first, then try a laminate floor cleaner and a soft cloth. Many scuffs are just residue sitting on top. For true scratches, rub a color-matched wax pencil or touch-up marker into the line, wipe off the excess, and buff with a dry microfiber cloth. Blend two shades if your floor has a lot of grain variation.

Chipped laminate floor

1. Clean the chip.Remove loose flakes and dust so the filler can bond.
2. Fill it.Press color-matched laminate putty into the chip with a plastic putty knife, or melt a hard-wax repair stick into it with the kit’s heating tool.
3. Level it.Scrape the filler flush with the surface while it’s still soft. Overfill slightly, then trim.
4. Draw the grain back in.Use a fine-tip touch-up marker to continue the wood-grain lines across the repair.

If a chip is larger than a coin, sits right on a joint, or exposes the core, replacing that one plank will look better and last longer (see the next section).

Peeling laminate floor

When the top layer starts to flake, bubble or peel, the core underneath has usually taken on moisture, or the board has simply worn through. Glue doesn’t hold a peeling surface down for long, so the fix is to replace the affected planks. Before you do, check what caused it: a slow leak at a dishwasher, fridge line or exterior door is the usual suspect, and new boards will peel too if the moisture keeps coming.

How to Replace a Single Laminate Plank

One damaged board doesn’t mean a whole new floor. There are two ways to swap it out, and the right one depends on where the plank sits. Either way, you’ll need a matching replacement board, which is why we always recommend keeping a spare box from your original install.

Option A: Unclick the rows (best near a wall)

1. Remove the trim.Take off the baseboard or quarter-round on the wall closest to the damaged plank.
2. Unclick row by row.Lift each row at an angle to release the locks, numbering the boards on painter’s tape so they go back in the same order.
3. Swap the damaged plank.Click the new board into place in its row.
4. Reassemble.Click the rows back in, in reverse order, and reinstall the trim with your expansion gap intact.

Option B: Cut it out (for planks in the middle of the room)

1. Mark and cut.Mark a rectangle about 1.5″ inside the plank’s edges. Set a circular or track saw to the plank’s thickness only, so you don’t cut the underlayment, and cut along the lines. Add diagonal relief cuts from the rectangle to each corner.
2. Remove the pieces.Lift out the center, then work the edge strips loose carefully so you don’t damage the neighboring boards’ locking edges.
3. Prep the new plank.Trim off the bottom lip of the groove on the long side and the locking tab on the short end so the new board can drop straight in.
4. Glue and set.Run laminate or wood glue along the edges of the new board (not underneath it, since the floor still floats), press it in, wipe off squeeze-out, and weigh it down for about 24 hours.

Laminate Floor Water Damage: Repair or Replace?

Most laminate has a high-density fiberboard core. When water gets into the seams, that core swells, and once it swells, it doesn’t shrink back, even after it dries. That’s why laminate floor water damage usually means replacing boards rather than repairing them. The real question is how many.

1. Stop the water.Shut off the supply or fix the leak. Repairs won’t last until the source is solved.
2. Get it dry.For anything more than a spill, a mitigation company should extract water and dry the subfloor and walls. Laminate traps moisture underneath, which can lead to mold.
3. Document everything.Take photos and videos before anything is removed. If you’re filing an insurance claim, your carrier will want them.
4. Rebuild with fresh material.Once the slab or subfloor tests dry, replace damaged planks and underlayment, or install a new floor. This is the step we handle.

After the drying is done, GC Flooring Pros handles the water damage repair and rebuild: new flooring, baseboards and the finish work that makes the room feel like home again. We can work from your insurance-approved scope. If you’re choosing a new floor for a kitchen, laundry room or bath, it’s worth looking at water-resistant laminate or LVP.

Laminate Repair Myths, Busted

Prevention: Keep Your Laminate Flat and Beautiful

Homes across Frisco, Plano and Prosper sit on concrete slabs over clay soil, and North Texas swings from humid summers to dry, heated winters. That combination is why slab moisture testing, a proper vapor barrier and steady indoor humidity matter so much here.

When to Call a Professional

If lifting involves widespread moisture intrusion, significant leveling, or you can’t identify the root cause, bringing in a specialist will save time, material, and headaches. The same goes for water damage, peeling across several boards, or a repair you can’t match. Most laminate flooring repair jobs we see take less than a day. We’ll assess the floor, measure moisture, check flatness, and provide a clear plan: repair where possible, replace where necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can laminate flooring be repaired?

Yes, in most cases. Scratches and small chips can be filled with a color-matched repair kit, gaps can often be tapped closed, and damaged boards can be replaced one at a time. Swollen or peeling boards can’t be restored, so those get replaced.

How do you fix a peeling laminate floor?

Replace the peeling planks. Peeling usually means moisture got into the core or the surface wore through, and glue won’t hold it down for long. Find and fix any moisture source first so the new boards don’t peel too.

Can water-damaged laminate be fixed?

Not once it swells. The fiberboard core stays swollen after it dries. Stop the leak, dry the subfloor, then replace the damaged planks. If water spread across a room or sat under the floor, replacing the room’s flooring and underlayment is usually the better fix.

How do you fix scratches on laminate flooring?

Clean the area, then rub a color-matched wax pencil or touch-up marker into the scratch, wipe off the excess and buff. Deep scratches can be filled with laminate putty. Don’t sand laminate, because sanding removes the printed wood look.

Can you replace just one laminate plank?

Yes. Near a wall, unclick the rows back to the damaged board and swap it. In the middle of a room, cut the board out, trim the new plank’s locking lip, and glue it in by its edges. You’ll need a matching board, so keep spares from your install.

Why are gaps appearing between my laminate planks?

The most common causes are dry winter air shrinking the boards, joints that never fully locked, or something pinning the floor so it can’t move. Raise indoor humidity, free any pinned edges, and tap the planks back together with a floor gap tool.