Water Damage to Laminate Flooring
Plumbing and Appliance Leaks
Water damage from plumbing and appliance leaks such as dishwashers, water heaters, washing machines and ice makers can result in buckling of a laminate floor. Often these leaks are very slow and go unnoticed.
Slow leaks are often difficult to identify as they are below the laminate where they penetrate into the laminates core material.
While you may not see the leak an inspector can tell that excess moisture is there by use of a moisture meter.
Flooding
Severe plumping leaks such as a pipe break or overflowing toilet will usually result in buckling of a laminate floor.
Water Damage to Laminate Floor From Concrete
Moisture can enter into the back of a laminate floor resulting in cupping. An entire floor may cup from a concrete floor that is too wet. This can occur even when a vapor barrier has been used below the laminate floor.
Testing for Moisture
All concrete floors should be tested for moisture prior to installation of the laminate floor covering.
Newly poured concrete should be allowed to cure for at least 60 days prior to installation of the laminate floor.
There are a number of ways to tests for moisture. Many of these such as electronic testing and calcium chloride testing should be performed by companies such as The Weinheimer Group LLC that have the proper training and equipment.
Easy Consumer or Installer Test for Concrete Moisture
Below is a test that can be used inexpensively, without training. This test is acceptable by many laminate flooring manufacturers.
Materials:
- 6 mil polyethylene film
- Duct tape.
Procedure:
- Using duct tape completely seal a 2′ x 2′ section of the polyethylene film down to an area of clean concrete. It is best to do this in several locations where the laminate floor is to be installed. At least one test per 500 square feet.
- After 72 hours remove the plastic. (one week is better)
- If the concrete is dark or wet below the plastic the subfloor is too wet to install a laminate floor.
Water Damage Maintenance and Pet Damage
- Spills and improper wet cleaning of a laminate floor can cause swelling at the laminate joints. This is often seen as puffy areas along the edge of the planks and frequently crosses between plank edges.
- The most common cause of edge swelling over a large area is wet mopping or using popular floor cleaning equipment such as but not limited to the Swiffer Wet Jet.
- Sometimes it takes a year or two of use before maintenance related issues start to show up. Some floors may never experience noticeable damage by these cleaning methods and others will experience severe damage. Water damage is rarely covered by the laminate manufacturer.
- Spills and damage from pet urine are usually localized and show as swelled areas between planks. This is a site related condition and not a laminate floor problem and will almost never covered by a manufacturer warranty.
Sealant Around Laminate Edges
- Some laminate flooring manufacturers require a sealant to be used around objects such as sliding glass doors, kitchen cabinets, water hearers and in other areas prone to leaks and moisture.
- The proper sealant must be used to prevent lock in of the floor.
- The sealant must be properly applied or voids will be left for moisture to enter.
- Failure to use a sealant as specified by the laminate flooring manufacturer can void a warranty.
About Terry Weinheimer | Kevin Weinheimer
Thank you so much for your information. I think when the people spill the water on their laminate floor, it is better for them to wipe the spilled water quickly. It is also the same with the pet urine. Do not wait for longer time to wipe it.
Better not install laminate flooring as somebodies bound to spill something by human error, laminate flooring seems like not the best solution inless it can be serviced easily. i.e taken up easily to treat and then put back down again.
With overflow of washing machine going straight to the concrete floor and underneath the laminated floor, surely plumbers could fit a back up water overflow connector that could be drained – a back up pipe going to the drain outside – with a mouse trap to stop little creatures coming into my flat.
Surely we must be open and honest about what to use for flooring and if using – how to install today as from what we have learn’t from yesterday.
Terrible to think of all those people getting new laminated floor and not actually understanding the latest way of installation – money down the drain in my view. – a wasting peoples hard earn’t money.
I have indication of pet moisture causing joint swelling in the middle of my laminate floor. I would like to replace the laminate boards, however, the swelling problems are nearest to the side that I started laying down the floor. I anticipate a problem taking apart and reassembling because the tongues are in the opposite direction. Do you have any ideas.
Tom
Armstrong flooring has an excellent guide on line that will give you step by step instructions including plank replacement. The plank replacement instructions will work on just about any laminate flooring product regardless of who the manufacturer is. The instructions can be found at http://www.armstrong.com/common/c2002/content/files/15948.pdf
Terry
Our new laminate kitchen floor adjoins the exterior aluminum door sill and I notice that condensation is forming there due to the temperature difference outside to inside. I am concerned that this could damage the laminate. What can I do to prevent moisture damage to the laminate at the contact point with the door sill?
Bill
First you need to make sure that the aluminum door frame is properly sealed against outside moisture. Secondly you should make sure you have the proper trim along the sliding door to help prevent moisture transfer to the laminate and cover the expansion gap that needs to be left along a vertical surface such as the track for a sliding door. I have posted an information page on transitions that you will find by following the link below. http://laminatefloorproblems.com/laminate-floor-problems/laminate-moldings-and-transitions/
Terry
Hi there – my mother used a steam vac on our new laminate floor and caused curling and minor bubbling on several boards along the edges of the laminate. Is there any way to fix this or make it look a bit better? I have not been able to locate enough replacement boards – apparently, these boards are no longer made. Thank you.
Sean
If the laminate is installed in more than one room or area you might consider removing one of the areas, use those boards to make repairs to the other area. Replace the removed area with new planks that closely match and divide the areas with a “T” style transition. Unless you are able to get more matching planks this is the only way I can think of obtaining a good appearance with a fix. Unfortunately steam cleaning laminate floor will damage many laminates causing the blisters, curling and bubbling your mother experienced.
Terry