Wilsonart laminate fooring

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Were all Wilsonart laminate floors tap and lock? I only installed a couple jobs and both were the thicker, more expensive red label product.
I don't know if they used tap and lock on all of their products. I have a repair to do probably sometime in May, but my wheels are spinning already for when the time comes.
 
I think they had a laminate where you glued the tongue and groove, years ago. Just like Pergo.
If I’m not mistaken ...that was the brand where you would let the glue ooze up between the joint , and let it dry .Then you took something like a credit card and shaved the glue off the seams.
 
I think they had a laminate where you glued the tongue and groove, years ago. Just like Pergo.
If I’m not mistaken ...that was the brand where you would let the glue ooze up between the joint , and let it dry .Then you took something like a credit card and shaved the glue off the seams.

They joined the locking trend at some point. Most of what I installed was glued together. I did a few of their high end tap and lock floors. The called em Red Label. Quality was like Pergo Supreme.
They went together nice. My question is about Wilsonart's standard grade laminates. (still excellent material) I'm just wondering if they used the same tap together locking system on those too.
 
Yeah they also used a different tapping block, I still have mine. Good luck finding any flooring.
 
Yeah they also used a different tapping block, I still have mine. Good luck finding any flooring.
It's the job you told me, to tell the customer, to just replace the floor with something else.
The repair will be done with the two leftover pieces of stair tread. Customer left for the winter and will be back in May sometime.

I was asking about the lock mechanism because I'm wondering if I can tap the end joints inward towards where the void is in the middle of the room, then make a fill piece over by the wall.

I figure maybe clean up the edges of the void with my router, then use my Wilsonart bit to groove those ends for splines, then tap the rows of planks together. (blue arrows) It would be easier to make more invisible patch over by the wall than create the entire repair in the middle of the walking area. This would be stronger too.
On the right side is a large book cabinet with a thick baseboard screwed on to the toe kick. If they didn't screw the book case to the floor, then the planks might slide inwards towards the repair area.

Room layout Tap to center.jpg
 
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Good luck with that.
Say it's 30 by 40. 1200sq feet.
$4 for buying new material, $4 for installing the new material and tearout of the existing............... That's $9600 plus they have a 4 foot wide stairway leading from the entry to the main living area which is this space.. Add sixteen 4 foot wide glued down Wilsonart stairs and risers to remove and you can see why they don't just want to 'toss' in some new floor.
What's there now look like it was installed yesterday.
Defiantly worth trying to to some sort of fix. Say the repair comes out 'pretty decent' ......not invisible, but unnoticeable to friends and family.
Would you pay $600 or $700 for the repair or pay $15,000 to replace it all?

Thanks, I will definitely need some luck. Customer will know beforehand that this will be a "repair", not something invisible, but respectable.
Heck, I may even need to make a new one time use tool for this job. A cutter to remove the underlayment cushion about 1/2 inch back under the existing flooring once the edges are true and square.
 
My last idea/suggestion for a fix, was by routing the edges true and parallel, grooving them to accept a spline, then tapping the edges towards each other.
After routing, there would be 4 small radiused corners to contend with where the router meets the edges of the unaffected planks. A 1/4 inch bit would make a 1/8" radius. There would be 4 radiused corners to contend with. Two on each side of the repair area.
What if cleaning and straightening these tiny radiused corners took an additional 15 to 30 minutes each, using a Dremel tool, small files and a utility knife? An extra hour or two of surgery? So what. We're talking about saving a floor to avoid a very expensive replacement.
When they come back for the spring and season, I'll have to go back down there to refresh my memory a bit before committing myself to the project.
Best was to do the routing of the edges would be to temporarily hot glue my a straightedge to the floor as an accurate guide, then true up the corners, then tap em together. ...right? ;)
If anyone has a better idea, I'll gladly give you their phone number. :D

Paint6 image of routed corner 2.jpg
 
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Just fit it tight and then use one of them microwave irons with utility tape. I been thinking about buying one just for plank repairs.
 
Just fit it tight and then use one of them microwave irons with utility tape. I been thinking about buying one just for plank repairs.
Hmmm. That's an interesting thought. Never used anything but regular tape.
Utility tape sticks it to the substrate too?
My original thought was removing the underlayment pad for about 1/2 inch directly under where the existing flooring and new sections will connect. Replacing the pad with a 1 inch strip of wood ripped down to the thickness of the underlayment pad would give a solid surface so the seam edges could be weighted down after gluing.
 
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If the iron you speak of is $600.00 , I would just use PL 400 premium..

Tape is pricey too. Roland gave me the one I have. Cannot beat it for repairs on carpet. Local store owner gave me a roll of tape. His guy did not like the Kool Glide, so they sent it back.
 
It’s ironic...
I love my KOOL glide , but I hate carpet .
My work has slowed down and have been stuck doing a fair amount of carpet lately. I guess it’s better then a sharp stick in the eye though.
 
Well the thing about the iron and utility tape is ya just stick the tape under the repair and microwave it from on top right? And no it wont stick to the substrate ifin you dont want it too.
 
If the iron you speak of is $600.00 , I would just use PL 400 premium..
$600 for a seaming Iron. ...outrageous !
...naw, I think this one was only $500 :D
The Carpet One store owns the one I use. They let me use it any time I need it.

It's a floating floor, Nick. That's why I was asking Ernesto if the utility tape stuck it to the substrate.
 
dot dot dot ... that said I'd rarely use it for regular crapet mostly because i never do that.
Sure it is easy doing a naildown or glue down plank repair, but a floater, not as easy. Even with the new double faced hardwood tape.
 

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