Vinyl flooring lifting at joints

Cause

General wear 

Repair

  • if the vinyl has lifted sufficiently to be a potential tripping hazard, fix it without delay
  • when regluing the vinyl edge down, use a glue designed specifically for the purpose. (Some glues/contact adhesives are solvent based and may dissolve some vinyls/plastics, so always test the adhesive on the flooring product somewhere that is not obvious to be sure there is compatibility)
  • ensure the area to be reglued is clean and dry, with old glue removed. Mineral turps is often recommended for this
  • in some cases the vinyl may be bent or otherwise difficult to put back into place. Applying heat, for example with a hair dryer, may soften the vinyl and allow it to be glued back into place more easily
  • when applying the adhesive, ensure the room is well ventilated by opening doors and windows and avoid inhaling the glue vapour
  • follow the instructions of the glue manufacturer. For many products, the glue is applied to both surfaces – the substrate and the underside of the vinyl – with each surface completely coated. Some products require the surfaces to be kept apart until the adhesive is almost dry
  • once the glue is applied and the surfaces are brought together, use a heavy object such as a brick to hold the vinyl edge in place, and leave the brick for 12 hours
  • be aware that many of these types of adhesive grab immediately on contact and do not allow for easy repositioning
  • when moving heavy floor-standing appliances or furniture across a vinyl floor, lift them rather than dragging them across the surface of the vinyl


Cause

Vinyl was inadequately glued during installation

Repair

  • if the vinyl was installed in recent years by the supplier or a tradesperson, call them back
  • refix the vinyl edge as described in the repair above
  • when moving heavy floor-standing appliances or furniture across a vinyl floor, lift them rather than dragging them across the surface of the vinyl

 

Cause

Poorly prepared substrate

Repair

  • if the vinyl was installed in recent years by the supplier or a tradesperson, call them back
  • ensure that the subfloor is completely clean before regluing the vinyl as described in the first repair
  • if the subfloor cannot be prepared well enough to accept vinyl, or if there are problems such as cupped floorboards, the only effective long-term solution may be to lift the flooring and lay sheets of 5–6 mm thick, high density fibre board, plywood or similar board over the existing substrate. Products specifically made for this role are often called underlay or underlayment in the flooring trade. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for fixing this in place. Onto this, relay the existing flooring if possible, or lay new flooring
  • when moving heavy floor-standing appliances or furniture across a vinyl floor, lift them rather than dragging them across the surface of the vinyl