Loose Laminate Floor

Home repair expert Henry Harrison shows a guest how to anchor down laminate flooring that has worked its way loose and is lifting up from the concrete below.

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On his elbow grease scale of one to four, Henry gives this repair a one.

Materials and Tools:

safety glasses
dust mask
drill with masonry bit
3/8-inch bit with collar
ruler
awl
tape measure
marker
level
sandpaper
utility knife
screwdriver
towel
orbital sander
workshop vacuum
latex gloves
brush
masonry screws
3/8-inch oak plug
wood glue
1/2-inch wide painter's tape
water-based stainSteps:

Steps:

1. Check the material under the laminate before drilling. Do not drill through tile or you could crack the tiles. In this case the material beneath the floor where it was necessary to drill was concrete.

2. Measure the distance from the wall to the lifted part of the floor and ark the location for the first plug. Put on safety glasses and drill a 3/8-inch pocket.

3. Use a collar to stop the drill so you don't go too far. Lightly sand around the hole, sanding with the grain of the wood.

4. Change bits to masonry bit and drill a pilot hole in the concrete. Drill through floor, threshold and subfloor. Mark the bit with a piece of red tape so you know when to stop drilling.

5. Drive a masonry screw into the hole, stopping just below the threshold.

6. Apply wood glue to a plug and place it in the hole, turning it to line up the grain with the laminate flooring. Tap lightly with the back of a screwdriver to make sure the plug's in snug.

7. Move down the line and repeat process about every 2 feet.

8. After all the plugs have dried for at least 30 minutes, place strips of painter's tape along either side of the threshold to protect the floor.

9. Use the orbital sander to rough sand the plugs until they're nearly flush with the threshold. Sand them down completely and smooth by sanding by hand with a fine grit sandpaper. Make sure to wear safety glasses and a dust mask while sanding.

10. Vacuum up all dust and wipe down the threshold with a damp towel. Once everything is clean and dry, apply a matching water-based stain.