You couldn’t contain the excitement when your new flooring was put in place.
The newer styles are affordable laminate or other materials that mimic hardwood flooring and thankfully are easy to install, too.
But after time, the interlocking planks of the flooring will shift and cause gaps to reveal themselves.
This occurs often in the winter when building materials all throughout the house contract due to the fluctuation in temperature.
Thankfully, there’s a fix.
DIY expert Nils Rasmusson reveals two methods to help remedy the unsightly gaps in interlocking plank flooring.
The first one is pretty inexpensive to do while the second one is likely free if you have the items hanging around the house.
Prep the board
For the first method, take a 2×4 piece of wood and cut it down to 20 inches in length. Smooth out one side with 220-grit sandpaper.
Grab a good hammer and double-sided tape. Rasmusson prefers EZ Life Go that he bought off Amazon for $11 a role.
“You’ll basically adhere this to one of the planks to see which one needs to move.”
Cut the tape into strips and place them across the length of the board. Then peel back the protective covering over the double-sided tape.
Clean the gap first
Be sure to vacuum out the gap between planks with the hose attachment on a vacuum cleaner.
Then place the side of the 2×4 with the tape down onto the plank firmly. Rasmusson places a knee on the plank and applies his weight to make sure it sticks.
Use the hammer to knock firmly on the end of the board and in no time at all you’ll see how it magically closes the gap between the planks.
He warns not to overdo it with the hammer, because a peak can form between the planks and you definitely don’t want that.
Keep moving down the line
Now a gap has been formed at the other end of the plank, so you’ll need to repeat this process on each plank, sliding them down, until you reach the wall.
“Keep moving them over using these steps,” Rasmusson said.
To remove the 2×4 and the double-sided tape from the tank and reuse them on the next plank, use a putty spatula or something similar to pop the 2×4.
If the tape doesn’t come off on the 2×4, simply grab one end, peel it off the plank and reapply it to the piece of lumber.
Switch approach
Once you reach the end of the row of planks, use the side of the hammer instead of the end to tap the 2×4 so you have enough room between the 2×4 and the wall.
The second method uses the same 2×4 measuring 20 inches in length, a role of painter’s tape, a slightly wet sponger, and liquid glue like Super Glue or Loctite.
You’ll also need a spray bottle with water and a putty knife or chisel.
Affix the painter’s tape onto the 2×4 in the same manner as before and overlap each piece. Place strips of painter’s tape on the floor plank that needs to move.
Push the tape down firmly.
Any painter’s tape that covers the gap needs to be torn off so you can see the gap.
Drizzle the liquid glue all over the tape attached to the plank and either wet the painter’s tape first with the sponge or use the spray bottle to spray the glue, because that acts like an activator and accelerates the adhesiveness of the glue, he said.
Place the board on the plank.
Place it so the taped sides are glued together. Press down with your body weight by pushing your knee on the plank.
Use the side of the hammer to tap the 2×4 and in no time at all, the gap will close up.
Carefully remove the tape
Take the chisel and pry the 2×4 off the plank. Usually, the glue holds the tape together but if it doesn’t come off the plank, you can carefully peel it off.
“Hopefully this repair project costs you little to no money to do,” Rasmusson said.
In no time at all, it’ll look brand new.
See how to seal up gaps in interlocking flooring in the video below!
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