Laminate flooring is a composite material designed as a low-cost alternative to traditional hardwood. It's coated with a paper top layer that's printed to resemble wood grain, then topped with a protective urethane sealer. Because laminate isn't made with real wood, it cannot be sanded or refinished to repair damaged spots. One of the most common signs of damage on a laminate floor is a raised area, or hump, along one or more of the planks. This can be repaired using one of several different techniques depending on the cause of the damage.

Evaluate whether this hump is caused by a failure in the laminate flooring adhesive. If you walk across the raised area and feel it compress below your feet, it's likely that the hump is related to the flooring adhesive. In some cases, an area of moisture or dirt on the subfloor can prevent the glue from bonding with the floor. In this area, the floor will not sit on the subfloor, and will instead form a raised bump.

Purchase a laminate repair kit from your local home improvement store. This product is designed to solve problems with laminate floor adhesive, and can be used to fix humps caused by glue failures.

Drill a hole along the board in the damaged area. The size and location of this hole will vary depending on the kit you've chosen.

Inject the liquid adhesive from the kit through the hole in your laminate. Once all glue has been injected, place a heavy object over this section of the floor to hold the laminate in place while the adhesive dries.

Allow the floor to dry overnight, then fill the hole you drilled with wood putty. Apply a bit of matching wood stain to help conceal the hole.

  • Purchase a laminate repair kit from your local home improvement store.
  • Apply a bit of matching wood stain to help conceal the hole.

Check to see if your laminate damage is due to a bump on the surface of the subfloor. If you walk on the raised area and it doesn't yield below your feet, it's most likely caused by something under the laminate.

Use a circular saw to cut through the centre of the damaged board from end to end. The saw should be set to the height of the laminate.

Remove the cut section of laminate by prying it out of the opening with a hammer and chisel. Take these pieces of laminate to your local flooring distributor and purchase a laminate plank that matches the finish on the rest of the floor. You may also have some leftover planks from your original laminate flooring installation that can be used for repair jobs such as this one.

  • Check to see if your laminate damage is due to a bump on the surface of the subfloor.
  • Remove the cut section of laminate by prying it out of the opening with a hammer and chisel.

Examine the subfloor beneath the plank you removed. Look for debris that can be causing the hump and remove if possible. If there is no debris in sight, check the floor with your level to find raised areas. Grind away raised areas on a concrete floor using a grinder. On a wood subfloor, remove these high spots with a sander or floor planer. Clean away all sanding dust and debris before proceeding.

  • Examine the subfloor beneath the plank you removed.
  • On a wood subfloor, remove these high spots with a sander or floor planer.

Cut the replacement laminate board so you will be able to fit it back into the hole. Use your circular saw to remove the bottom of the groove connector on one edge of the board.

Apply laminate adhesive to the back of the replacement board and set it into the opening on the floor. Place nails along the top edge of the board to connect it to the adjacent planks. Fill the nail holes with wood putty mixed with a matching stain.