Water Damage Laminate Floor Buckling

Severe plumping leaks such as a pipe break or overflowing toilet will usually result in severe water damage including the buckling of a laminate floor.

Water damage laminate floor buckling.

If you spill some water on laminate flooring but promptly wipe it up the floor will suffer no damage. When laminate becomes supersaturated with water it starts to absorb the moisture which breaks down the composition of the laminate material. This warping will first be noticeable at the ends of the individual boards. Here are few prevention and maintenance measures.

If left unattended you will notice that some planks begin to get buckled or bent in awkward ways. Although you should never use water to clean a laminate floor some people regularly wet mop their floor or worse use a steam cleaner. In the long run the plumbing leaks wet mopping and liquid spills lead to a whole host of problems. If laminate flooring becomes saturated with water it tends to warp quickly.

If you installed laminate flooring in a moisture prone area such as kitchens mudrooms or bathrooms you should consider adding water resistant glue to the locking system as you re installing the floor. Moisture damage and buckling can also affect laminated floors in much the same way. If the water is not pervasive you may be able to extract it with a wet dry vacuum. If a small amount of water has leaked toward the edges of the flooring pull up any quarter round shoe molding or baseboards around the perimeter.

Buckling for both laminate and solid hardwood floors can also occur if your floor has been improperly installed. High humidity in the room can also seep into the laminate boards and cause swelling. Spilled water on laminate floor a laminate floor will not be damaged as long as it is not saturated with water. Laminate floor buckling like lifting can be caused by changes in temperature and humidity levels.

Repair techniques are similar and involve removing excess moisture drying the area and replacing damaged laminated tiles with new ones. If your hardwood or laminate floor buckling or severely raising up you will need to replace the flooring. Poor cleaning practices may also be responsible. Unfortunately the situation changes if and when flooding occurs.

Much warped wood floor due to water damage tends to be unrepairable. Fortunately with proper care and maintenance you can prevent and avoid the expensive wood floor bowing repairs. If you have a spill it is best to promptly pat it dry with a sponge or a towel. Water damage to laminate floor from concrete moisture can enter into the back of a laminate floor with the water damage resulting in cupping.

It s when you have a large spill or a flood that the laminate flooring becomes saturated with water and damage occurs. The repair process is basically the same. If spacers were used between the wall and the board closest to it replace them with smaller spacers. Use a hammer and chisel or putty knife to remove baseboards or molding near the damaged boards.