A simple plank replacement turned into a two day puzzle

Had a job last month where a homeowner wanted a single damaged laminate plank swapped out in the middle of their living room. Should have been an hour, tops. The locking system was an older style I hadn't seen in years, and the new plank just would not click in without lifting the boards around it. Ended up having to carefully unclick and lift a whole section of the floor back to the wall, which took about 5 hours. The next day I had to go back and re-lay that entire quarter of the room. Ever run into a locking mechanism that just refuses to play nice with a single replacement?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade51723d ago

Ugh, those old locking systems are the worst! Did the new plank feel like it was the right size, or was it just the angle that was fighting you?

iris92723d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah the angle is always the killer with those old locks, @jade517. I mean, the new piece can be cut perfect but if you don't get that exact tilt when it goes in, it just binds up. I had to sand down one edge just a tiny bit, like barely anything, and then it slid right in. Maybe it's just me but sometimes the old groove is worn in a weird way the new wood doesn't match.

seth_singh2023d ago

You said it, those old locking systems are the worst. It's like how anything made now just doesn't fit right with old stuff, even when the specs say it should. Makes you wonder if they build things to last anymore.