Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - snap in laminate plank replacement

We just finished installing an armstrong snap in laminate floor/ the kind w/o glue. I can hardly believe it, but the day after we finished, we still had things moved from one room to the next and somehow water was standing for several days on a plank & it has buckled. I read how to replace a plank of the glue down kind, but does anyone have any tips on how to replace a snap in kind? thanks/ Pattipatricia e-mail: pmeadows9@comcast.net

"Unsnap" only as many planks as necessary to expose and replace the damaged plank.

I'm not familiar with the Armstrong snap, but the ones with the Uniclic joint loose some of their integrity when disassembled. I have heard up to 30%. Have you heard this Azfred? Will they need to glue the dissasembled pieces upon reassembly?

If the local dealer is not providing you with the information you need, contact Armstrong at www.armstrong.com.

Actually Steve, some of the manufacturers that use the Uniclic system, guarantee re install up to 3 times. That is the joint integrity is guaranteed if the floor is uninstalled and reinstalled up to 3 times, and one of those offers a lifetime warranree on joint integrity. The Valinge patent that Armstrong employs is looser as witnessed by the patent claims that tried to use the word "play" as a part of the patent design claim. Open or loose joints are found more often in an Alloc or Armstrong product than say in a BHK or Columbia product. Two other factors enter here. The core is a direct contributor to joint integrety beyond the design characteristics and the installation process. A loose joint is evident if the floor is racked during installation and that is not the fault of the product and one very good reason to employ a pro for the install.

Thanks for clearing that up, Azfred! Ironically, my source for that info is a tech guy for another brand, and he mentioned that "fact" at a seminar for their new clic product. Or rather, their newest new clic.