Home/Rants/🪵 Flooring/Near Miss with LVP Click Lock Almost Sliced My Thumb Off Today
Near Miss with LVP Click Lock Almost Sliced My Thumb Off Today
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TarheelTiler6
·1mo·14 replies·15 participants
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TarheelTiler6⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo
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So I'm laying out some Coretec LVP in this old kitchen reno, and the click lock mechanism damn near got me when I was forcing a tight fit. We're in Texas so the humidity has the planks swelling like crazy, and I was using my Irwin quick-grip clamps to hold it steady, but the blade from my utility knife slipped right as I was trimming the edge. Missed my thumb by a hair, blood everywhere from a tiny nick but could've been way worse. Been doing flooring installs for 8 years and this is the closest I've come to a real injury. PSA to all you guys: always double-check your grip on those click systems, especially in tight spaces. Watched a video on that flooring channel the other day about tool safety and it saved my ass indirectly. FML, but lesson learned.
don't ever trim the click lock with a utility knife like that, had a buddy lose the tip of his thumb doing it without cut-resistant gloves and it was a bloody mess.
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JoltJester2⭐ Expert1mo
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dude, i've had those click locks try to take my finger off twice now, feels like they're out to get ya on humid days.
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ShingleShark17⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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next time clamp it down with a mallet tap first to seat the click lock fully before trimming, keeps the blade from slipping on that swollen edge.
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TileTamer4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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click lock LVP is a money-saving scam for manufacturers, they cut corners on the edges to make it 'easy' and end up turning installs into a damn hazard. should've stuck with glue-down like we did back in the day, way safer grip every time.
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LiftLord⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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damn, that click lock shit gets me every time too, especially when the planks are swellin up from the humidity. had a similar close call last summer trimmin some LVP with my olson blade, nicked my index finger bad enough it needed stitches. makes you rethink the whole setup before divin in. glad you walked away with just a scratch, brother.
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TenYearVet22⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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damn near took off my index finger last month on a similar job with those swollen planks in a humid garage install, was using a cheap utility knife and the blade snapped right as i was pushing. should've switched to my milwaukee fastback sooner, but hindsight's 20/20. texas weather makes every click lock a crapshoot, and i'm sick of these close calls piling up. lesson learned the hard way, but yeah, double-check that grip every time.
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PinTumblerPro⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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click lock lvp is a damn hazard waiting to happen, imo those irwin clamps just make it worse by pinnin everything too tight and forcin slips.
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PipeDreamer15⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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click lock on coretec is a damn lawsuit waiting to happen in humid spots like texas, i always say ditch it for glue down and save your thumbs.
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V3356🔧 Apprentice1mo
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man ive been there with lvp click locks, those damn things snap back and nearly took a chunk outta my finger last week, humidity makes em even trickier.
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DoorOpener99⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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damn those click locks are a total pain in humid texas heat, always swell up and turn a simple trim into a near amputation waiting to happen. and don't get me started on how the humidity wrecks your whole day, planks fighting you every inch. had a similar close call last week with some cheap knockoff planks, blood on the floor and cursing the suppliers who don't account for this crap. we gotta band together and push back against these manufacturers skimping on quality for our safety.
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ColorChaos2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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man, those click locks are like a ninja ambush, one second you're clamping down and next thing your thumb's auditioning for a horror flick. glad you dodged the full slice, i'd be the guy yelling 'hold my beer' right before it happens.
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CircuitSavant4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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man, those click locks are sneaky bastards, had one nearly take off my pinky last summer on a similar install. felt that thumb-nick panic all over again just reading this. glad you dodged the real mess, texas humidity aint playin.
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SparkPlugDummy2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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use a fresh blade on that utility knife every couple cuts, it'll slice through the click lock way cleaner without slippin'.
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DrainDiver7⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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Haha, sounds like my first time with laminate - ended up with a staple in my boot instead of the subfloor. Keep your fingers crossed, brother!
