I've been asked to look at a glued LVT plank with a hump in it

I'm looking at this tomorrow.
I don't even know the brand or adhesive used.
Problem is a 3 foot 'roundish' area where the flooring is "humped up"
The shop did the installation, but a general contractor installed 1/4" underlayment. Sounds like the 1/4 inch stapler ran out of staples, so a portion of that underlayment was not stapled, and caused the "hump" after the adhesive was applied.
OK.................... not knowing much about this job, what do I do or what can I do?
The plank material is not T&G. It was installed using that infamous and friendly sounding. "pressure sensitive" adhesive. That term to me, has many meanings.
If this floor was installed with a semi-dry "pressure sensitive adhesive" , is there any chance that I can release a dozen or so strips using a heat gun or hair dryer to remove the planks, then staple the bubbled 1/4" underlayment, and then relay those same planks back in place?
Will they re-stick or will I need additional adhesive?
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I ask, because "pressure sensitive" to me has more than one description... For vinyl sheet flooring you might let dry to the point that it's truly releasable.
From my limited experiences with LVT, it's also called "pressure sensitive, ............but is installed when the adhesive is partially dried and to me, it looks pretty darn permanent.
Cut to the chase.
.......Can I release these planks with a heat gun and then reinstall them after stapling down the 1/4" underlayment??? (with no additional adhesive)

Hot air gun will reactivate the glue but forget about putting the same planks down. The planks will all go out of shape. Watch the heat on the neighbouring tiles as they will shine. Do you have a heat welding gun?
If so the welder without the weld tip will get real close without scorching the neighbouring planks
You may need to make a cut with a saw blade or similar to take a fraction out of the underlayment to get it to lay flat
Easy Peasy

I can mask off the neighboring planks with scrap underlayment, or whatever.
I was thinkin the same thing about making a relief cut in the underlayment.
Not sure if they have extra left over material on hand.
As I'm working out of town and nearby on a job that must get finished, I only plan to look at this one right now to determine the cause of the hump/bubble................ got magnets? ....oh yeah.

highup said:

I can mask off the neighboring planks with scrap underlayment, or whatever.
I was thinkin the same thing about making a relief cut in the underlayment.
Not sure if they have extra left over material on hand.
As I'm working out of town and nearby on a job that must get finished, I only plan to look at this one right now to determine the cause of the hump/bubble................ got magnets? ....oh yeah.

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As one has to buy most planks/tiles by the box there should be some left over somewhere
I would be finding those before I did anything
Forget masking off the neighboring planks
You need something like these which direct the heat into a narrow spot
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Heat-Gu...es-Power-Tool-1500-W-Heater-Gun-/361330047670
The hotter you can get the plank the better it will come up
The hard part is getting the new plank the same height on the edges
If the planks are on a smoothing compound, which is a bit thick, and the plank pulls up that you are history
I am presuming you are talking Kardean or Amtico type planks?

I'm following Jon. Like I said. My plan is to look tomorrow............ then find the product and adhesive info. The plank job is a few blocks away from where I will be working tomorrow, so looking will be handy, so I can plan on a fix.
On VCT, I know the issue you mention when filler comes up with the flooring. Been there done that. Not easy fix but it can be done.

Go get some lunch Jon......... it's past bed time in there here parts.

Did a quick look-see this morning. There's a hollow/bubbled area about 12 inches by 3 and a half to 4 feet.
This apartment is new construction and from the looks of it, it's had a renter living there for at least a few months.

A builders representative met with me this morning and I brought my magnets. Looks to be that they either ran out of staples, or did not use enough of them, or all of the above, plus the fact the 1/4 inch "underlayment grade" plywood was installed over 3/4 inch OSB.
I'm betting not enough fasteners, plus the weak hold of the 1/4" underlayment staples into the OSB was the cause of the bubble or bulge in the floor. I can't tell for sure, but I don't sense that there is any issue with the vinyl plank's adhesion.
I was told the adhesive was sprayed on........... a spray can type of adhesive. I was told the adhesive was of the " pressure sensitive" type.
Installed wet, the words "pressure sensitive" to me, means permanent, not easily releasable. ........I'm just guessing since I don't know what adhesive they used.
Product carton said Kentier. .....China stuff.
My concerns now are how to remove the planks and how to re-adhere new planks so they are level with the existing ones.
The buckled/humped up area is literally one step into a bedroom. I'm guessing that 6 planks may need removal in order to staple the underlayment, then install the new planks. I won't know till Tuesday what adhesive was used and how to deal with re-adhering the planks to avoid ledging or unevenness.
So it doesn't appear to be the shop's or the installers fault. The construction company installed the underlayment.

highup said:

So it doesn't appear to be the shop's or the installers fault. The construction company installed the underlayment.

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I like trying to repair things where someone else did something wrong like in this situation as one has only to make the repair as best as you can unlike if it was your fault and having to make the repair invisible to save a replacement job of the whole area
Only tried a spray glue once so I don't know nudding

If I repair it, I won't sleep unless it's invisible. I live for the applause.

highup said:

If I repair it, I won't sleep unless it's invisible. I live for the applause.

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You understand what I mean though

Just thinking that a spray type glue would not have as much moisture in it as compared to a trowel type glue to make the underlayment to blow
Maybe?

I'd go in with a skil saw and cut out the affected area close to the into the next unaffected tiles like an inch or so, take those out so you can add more staples to the old underlayment then add new.

Ernesto said:

I'd go in with a skil saw and cut out the affected area close to the into the next unaffected tiles like an inch or so, take those out so you can add more staples to the old underlayment then add new.

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I would be a bit cagey about cutting a area of underlay out as it could lead to more trouble trying to get all the cut edges smooth in a small area
Maybe just one cut in the middle so the underlayment lays flat again?

i am usually called in to repair a damaged tile or two so my process is a little different----i use an awl and or a screwdriver driven into the face of the offender near the end seam ---a real pressure sensative will allow release without heat or damage to the subfloor----once one plank is up any additional removal is a snap with a putty knife and a hammer---generally the old psa is sticky forever so more glue may not be neccesary---my goto is congo ad-32---even new glue only adds 1/32

Ernesto said:

I'd go in with a skil saw and cut out the affected area close to the into the next unaffected tiles like an inch or so, take those out so you can add more staples to the old underlayment then add new.

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It's a 4-plex rental unit. Here's sorta what the area looks like. 4 bedrooms and a hallway here. The oval is the area with the bubble. Red arrow depicts the plank direction.
Why the cause of the bubble/buckle in the underlayment???? Guessing the underlayment wasn't acclimated or the heat was not on long enough during the latter part of construction period to fully dry out the OSB subfloor ??????
I don't know, but it's just buckled slightly.....less that 1/4 inch tall over a 12 to 15 inches width, and 5 feet long. It's easy to tell the plywood direction because of the shape of the buckling.............. I'm just guessing, but the plywood must be laying the same direction as the flooring because of my observation of the buckle/bubble direction.
Worst case fix would be making a narrow cut through the plywood in a N?S direction to relieve any built up pressure in the plywood using my Fein MultiMaster.
I think my only issues are how to remove 4 to 6 strips of the vinyl planks without damaging the surrounding ones.
I need to find out what spray adhesive they used and call the manufacturer to see if it will remain tacky enough to install some new planks.
I need to find out how long ago the flooring was installed to figure out the weather at that time and if the material was acclimated and if the unit had the heat system functioning. Late summer wouldn't have the same issues as if it was done one month ago during a monsoon.
Basically ...........I got some questions to ask when the shop reopens on Tuesday.
I only glanced at this job last Friday, so my knowledge/info is no more than what I observed during my 15 minute visit.

Would pulling one plank in the middle then screw, staple pull the bubble down?
We have found that glues which don't kinda dead set will not hold vinyl type planks, tiles as most brands are not very stable hence epoxy type glues to be used in areas which are going to be effected by heat
If your talking acclimated the sheets have been as the ply wouldn't have been laid the same day as the planks would they?

I would remove every plank on top of the affected area. Cut out the hump if necessary, make a relief cut if not and either way staple/nail/screw the hell out of it. Might even squirt a little construction adhesive under the ply patch if I actually cut into it.

If peeling a plank damages the adjacent plank or cannot be removed without skinning off the adjacent underlayment then you have to use heat or very sharp chisels to get your patch flush to the existing.

It's a little more complicated that doing tile/plank repairs on concrete. Nearly all patches we do in tiles or planks are setting over failed Ardex/white patch or God only knows what they used to prep. So THAT is always the hardest part------defining and delineating the start and stop points to demo, clean and prep to FLUSH the material as it's re-installed.

There's really not that much to worry about as far as adhesive types. It's epoxy, acrylic or pressure sensitive. I sometimes use contact cement for small repairs but if it's more than a couple tiles you just want to make sure you use pressure sensitive over pressure sensitive. Sprayed on could only be pressure sensitive as there are no acrylic or epoxy/urethanes that could be sprayed.

Jon said:

Just thinking that a spray type glue would not have as much moisture in it as compared to a trowel type glue to make the underlayment to blow
Maybe?

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True............ Got some info today on the job from the installer. There was no electricity to the units yet............ extension cords were coming from way up at the parking lot....... "Most" windows were installed. (Gettin the picture?) Probably not the worst conditions that can be imagined.
Temperatures he said was about 90 and possibly above, with night temps probably in the upper 50's. This means at the time, it wasn't all soggy and raining and no wet feet were walking all over the OSB before the 1/4" underlayment was installed.

Jon said:

I would be a bit cagey about cutting a area of underlay out as it could lead to more trouble trying to get all the cut edges smooth in a small area
Maybe just one cut in the middle so the underlayment lays flat again?

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If it needs any, yup, just one thin cut down the middle of the bulge. That would make the underlayment lay flat, but now the existing planks on either side of the surrounding vinyl planks become .05" closer together........... I'll just sand a little off the sides of the new planks to squeeze em in.

rugaddict said:

i am usually called in to repair a damaged tile or two so my process is a little different----i use an awl and or a screwdriver driven into the face of the offender near the end seam ---a real pressure sensative will allow release without heat or damage to the subfloor----once one plank is up any additional removal is a snap with a putty knife and a hammer---generally the old psa is sticky forever so more glue may not be neccesary---my goto is congo ad-32---even new glue only adds 1/32

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The adhesive was Spray-Lock 6500 Platinum. Ever used it? Should new planks drop in and stick OK?
Currently, there isn't any of that adhesive in town. It is ordered per job and not stocked.

never have used a spray psa but the ones ive used are all about the same---kinda like clear thin spread----as for the hump---if the ply hasnt delaminated then it could just be a hunk of trash under the ply---ive seen ply installed over a subfloor with nails still up---ive seen ply and vinyl installed over heat registers----has anyone hit the spot with a hammer?---solved lots and lots of problems with a hammer

Ive seen ply and vinyl installed over heat registers.

I did that once in a three room pull through to a powder room.

Lady called the builder three months into the Winter and told him the powder room was always cold .