Gaps in flooring are unpleasant to look at. It becomes even more annoying when there are gaps around the door. They’re noticeable and can ruin the overall look of the house.
But luckily, you can fix the gap around the door on laminate or vinyl flooring.
How do I fix gaps on overcut laminate or vinyl flooring around doors?
Fixing gaps on overcut laminate or vinyl flooring around doors requires small flooring pieces. Start by prying open the casing a little and cleaning the gap. After that, cut the matching flooring into small pieces. Use a toothpick or utility knife to insert the pieces. This requires a lot of trials.
That was a summary of the entire process. The process itself is much more vast and there are a lot of key steps that are missing.
Stay with me till the end if you want to know more about fixing gaps.
Fixing Gaps On Overcut Laminate, Vinyl or Engineered Wood Flooring Around the Door: An Easy 9-Step Solution
Most modern houses have laminate or vinyl planks for the flooring. Either way, most of these floorings are continuous.
Because of that, removing floors or filling up gaps can become extremely difficult.
Luckily, fixing gaps around the door isn’t as hard as you think. In fact, it’s pretty DIY-friendly!
This sort of depends on how big or deep the gap is. Depending on that, your job will be easier or more complex.
Fixing the gaps between baseboards and floor is also something similar. Both processes involve some trial and error.
I have tried my absolute best to keep it simple for you. All I ask is that you follow all the steps one by one till the end.
With that said, let’s not waste any more time and get started-
Step 1: Gather All the Necessary Equipment
Like any other home project, this procedure involves a number of handfuls of equipment. But luckily, this doesn’t require too much equipment.
As always, the first task is to grab all the items before you start. This way you can stay focused throughout the process.
Here are all the items you’re going to need to complete the fix-
- Pry Bar
- Alignment Plier
- Wooden Base
- Utility Knife
- Toothpick
- Miter Saw or Miter Box
- Laminate/Vinyl/Engineered Wood Flooring
- Strong Glue
- Screwdriver
- Hammer
Get all of the tools as soon as possible. You can then start working on the fix!
Step 2: Pry Out the Casing Of the Door
Before we can work on the gap around the door, we need to widen it. This situation can depend from person to person.
You may have a big gap in the flooring. This is easier to work with. But you can also have a tiny or narrow gap around the door.
Fixing that isn’t easy and most equipment wouldn’t even enter. If that’s the case, start by prying out the casing.
For that, you’re going to need a pry bar. Simply insert the bar and slightly pry it open. Remember, you only need a little bit of extra area.
If you don’t have access to prybar that’s alright. You can browse online shops or visit the nearest grocery shop. They’re available almost everywhere.
To save you some time, I’ve listed some of my favorite picks-
You can choose to get either one of these and they will get you started!
Step 3: Plan the Fill-Up Process Thoroughly
This section is going to be a lot more liberal than you think. Because not all the gaps are the same. That’s why you’ll have to improvise accordingly.
Start by understanding the shape of the gap itself. In some cases, it can be a rectangle or a square. But it can also be a rhombus or a trapezoid.
This is important because that’s how you will cut the laminate or vinyl flooring.
Your goal is to insert small pieces in the gap and fill it up. That’s why I always remember to start with the smallest piece.
Also, the gap won’t always be a perfect shape. It can have different shaped corners. When that happens, your priority should be to fill up the extra space first.
For example, suppose your gap is a rectangle but one corner has a different shape. It can be a J shape, L shape, or anything really. If it’s like that you’ll have to fill up that corner first.
Upon filling that with a perfect J or L-shaped piece, it’ll become a rectangle. That way you’ll have a nice shape to work on.
You can then cut the flooring pieces and fill the rectangle easily.
Step 4: Cut the Laminate/Vinyl Plank/Engineered Wood Flooring
If you have solidified your plan, you can move to this step. This step involves cutting the appropriate flooring into perfect pieces.
First, make the filler piece that will close the extra gap if there are any. Again, the first piece’s goal is to make the gap become a perfect shape.
To do that, you’ll need a miter saw or a miter box. You can also use an alignment plier if the piece needs to be small.
Either way, ensure the first piece removes any extra spaces. For instance, if it’s a trapezoid, the first piece will be a triangle. It’ll make the gap a rectangle.
But you may not be able to insert a flooring piece that’s a triangle. In that case, you’ll have to break it into pieces and then insert it.
In easy words, the first couple of pieces should be made to give the gap a perfect shape. Cut the flooring accordingly. Remember to use the matching flooring for this fix.
You’ll have to repeat this step a couple of times until you get it right.
Step 4: Place the First Piece Inside the Gap
You’ve cut some parts of the flooring for now. It’s time to place them. Get a toothpick or a utility knife because there’ll be a lot of poking.
Insert the first piece and fill the corner that’s different from others. If there are multiple of them, then focus on one side first.
If the weird corner can’t be filled with one piece, don’t worry. Divide the pieces into two. Insert them one by one. Slowly work on them until that corner is fixed.
When you’re done, the flooring gap should have a square or a rectangle shape. You’ll now be able to insert multiple similar pieces thanks to the shape.
Step 5: Glue the Piece to the Side
It’s time to strengthen the first piece to the gap. Because this will act like a wall. Otherwise, it may move and create a mess while you insert the rest of the pieces.
For now, take some glue and a toothpick. Insert some glue in between the piece and the flooring. Remember to take off the excess glue when you’re done.
If you’re aligning multiple pieces just beside the flooring, glue them all. Only the inside part won’t be glued.
Glues are also used in fixing gaps between baseboards in a similar way.
Step 6: Position the remaining pieces
So far, you’ve done only one corner of the gap. Thanks to your constant effort, the gap now has a rectangular shape.
If the glue has dried out, the inserted pieces can be used as a wall. You can now cut some more pieces with the miter saw, you can use that piece as a scale.
If you’ve cut some flooring pieces, you can proceed with the positioning. If you haven’t, now is the best time to cut them.
Take some measurements and cut multiple pieces with the miter saw. You can do that by putting the pieces and then marking the length.
Make at least 6/7 pieces of a similar length. When you’re done, start inserting pieces in the gap.
Insert the flooring pieces one by one and keep using the toothpicks or utility blade. Make sure each piece is perfectly aligned with the side that you glued.
Use the toothpick to poke around the piece. Make sure there are no gaps while putting them side by side.
This way you’ll gradually fill up the entire gap. If a piece doesn’t fit, take it out. Make some adjustments and resume the insertion.
There will be a lot of trial and error in this phase. Don’t lose your patience and stay focused till the end.
Use the utility knife to cut the flooring piece if it needs some adjustments.
Eventually, the entire gap will be filled by the flooring pieces. Remember this is like filling a jigsaw puzzle. It’s more fun that way.
Stop until you have the space for the final piece.
Step 7: Insert the Padding
So far you’ve inserted the pieces one by one in the gap around the door. But the final piece can’t be inserted that way.
It’s because it can sink inside the gap over time. And if that happens, you’re back to square one. You’ll be noticing the gap once again.
The last piece will work like a sealer. For that, the final piece needs to have a proper height and a firm base.
Luckily, the flooring pieces come with paddings. Take out the padding from the flooring by peeling it off. Most vinyl plank floorings come with paddings.
For laminate flooring, use the underlayment that comes with it.
The width of the padding will be the same as the final piece. But the length of the padding will be 3x more than the piece.
Fold the padding 3 times and then insert it in the gap. The final piece will sit above the padding. Use the toothpicks to make it sit properly.
Step 8: Place the Final Piece
With the padding set, you can now insert the final piece. Take the piece and check the measurement one last time.
Place the final piece and it should seal the gap right away. Press the piece with your fingers or toothpicks.
If it has sat nicely, get the glue and apply it around the piece. Wait till it gets dry and you’re all done!
This is also how you fix the cutout problems on laminate or vinyl floors.
FAQs
How do you cover a gap between the laminate & the door casing?
Caulk is used for covering a gap between the laminate and the door casing. The caulk you’re looking for is silicone caulk. Start by applying some silicone caulk in the gap. After that, use a rug or your bare hand over the caulk to strengthen it. Once you’re done, the gap will be fixed.
How do you fill gaps in laminate flooring around doors?
Filling gaps in laminate flooring around doors requires the insertion of small laminate floor parts. This is more stable but takes some time to install. But you can also use latex caulking or a wood filler as a quick solution. But over time, it can get dry and catch a crack all over it.
Where should flooring meet in a doorway?
Floorings should meet right in the doorway. To ensure this, you have to start flooring from the doorway into the room. When doing the other room, simply change the floor and start from the doorway again. This prevents accidents such as gaps around the door casing or bad installation etc.
Take Away
That was everything on how to fix gaps on overcut laminate or vinyl flooring around doors. I hope that my discussion explained the whole process while keeping it simple for you.
If you think the process is too bothersome, don’t shy away from calling experts. They’ll do an inspection and fix the problem right away.
Finally, have a nice day!