Installed laminate flooring in my kitchen and in the spring and fall when temperature changes floor makes cracking sound when walked on. Was told weight of cabinets keeping floor from expanding and contracting. Can it be fixed without ripping out cabinets?
If the cupboards were installed AFTER the flooring i;e they were laid on top of the flooring, then that maybe the case but if you installed it afterwards you need to make sure you leave a gap all around edges of flooring to allow it to expand and contract. You will either have to atke out the cupboards and refit the flooring without it going under the cupboards, which isn't a big a job as it sounds, or if the case is the latter then take up the flooring and remove enough from the edges to allow a gap.
You don t specify if the counters are on top the floor or if the flooring is just to tight to the cabinets. Either way thats a possible problem but not incurable. Go yo the nearest rental store and get what they call a toe kick saw. This will cut the laminate away from the cabinet weather its under the cabinets or just to tight.You may have to use a spacer to keep the saw away from the toe kick by the 1/4 needed or just cutting them may be enough to allow the expantion.. Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar, I ve installed a few 100,000 s/f and attended many clinics.. GL
heavy objects can slowly crack the laminate or any pointed objects that's why it is advice to be more careful when dealing those stuff.
