Close gaps in a laminate or vinyl plank floor
Gaps that open between the ends or edges of laminate or vinyl planks can usually be closed by tapping the planks back together. Use a rubber-faced floor gap tool, or a tapping block and a hammer, and work the planks back toward each other from the last tight joint. If gaps keep coming back, look at humidity and the expansion gap at the walls. Work slowly with gentle taps. Laminate edges chip if you hit them hard, and a chipped edge is harder to hide than the gap was.
Why floating floors separate
Floating floors aren't fastened down. The planks click together and float over the underlayment, so foot traffic, furniture and seasonal changes can slowly pull a joint apart, especially the short end joints.
Because the whole floor moves as one piece, gaps can also mean it's pinned somewhere, often by trim, cabinets or a heavy fixture, so it can't move freely.
What opens the gaps
Planks shrink in dry winter air.
Movement slowly pulls joints apart.
Trim or fixtures fastened through the floor stop it moving as one piece.
Low spots let joints flex and open.
| Where | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| End joints in one area | Traffic or furniture movement | Tap them closed. |
| Gaps across the room in winter | Low humidity | Close them; keep humidity steadier. |
| Gaps near one spot | Trim or a fixture pinning the floor | Free the floor, then close the gaps. |
| Gaps with raised edges | Moisture or buckling | See the buckling floor guide. |
Close the gaps, step by step
- Clean the jointVacuum the gap and wipe the plank edges. Grit in the joint keeps the locking edges from seating.
- Grip the plankPress the gap tool's rubber face flat on top of the plank next to the gap, the one you need to move. Don't tap on the plank's edges.
- Tap it closedTap the tool toward the gap with short, light blows from a hammer or mallet until the joint closes. That usually opens the next joint along the row.
- Chase the gap to the wallMove to the joint that just opened and repeat, plank by plank, until the leftover gap ends up at the wall, hidden under the trim.
- Check the edgesLook at the walls and trim at the ends of the row. The floor needs its expansion gap there; make sure trim, doorway strips or cabinets aren't pinning it.
Watch it done
- The joint is closed tight with the planks seated
- The leftover gap ended up at the wall, under the trim
- Trim and doorway strips aren't pinning the floor
Gaps keep coming back? Steady the humidity, or have an installer check.
If the gaps come back
If it's square vinyl tiles peeling up rather than planks, we have a guide for a peeling vinyl floor tile.
If gaps come back every winter, keep indoor humidity steadier, within the range the flooring maker recommends.
If they keep opening in the same spot, the floor may be pinned or the subfloor uneven. A flooring installer can check.
What a pro typically charges (a rough estimate; prices vary by area): A flooring installer typically charges $150–$400 to close gaps across a room or replace a few planks.
Find a flooring contractor near you