It is truly a fact and well known that water and laminate flooring do not mix. It is important to consider that when you place your laminate flooring in your home you will want to choose the placement of the floor carefully and in a calculated and decisive manner taking into consideration all of the factors and risks of installing this type of flooring in your home. Although laminate floors can be installed in areas of your home that contain high water output you will want to be aware and shield against any unexpected damages or spills. It is suggested that even laminate flooring can be a better choice than real hardwood in bathrooms or kitchens and there are direct methods that can shield and ward off against unnecessary water damage to the floor. There are methods that can be put in place to ensure that your laminate flooring is safe from unexpected damage. It is totally a well known fact that water damage has the potential to occur in high water areas of the home so Kitchens and bathrooms will need to be handled with care when deciding upon the flooring type.
Laminate Floors and Water
It is clear that laminate floors do not mix well with water and damage can occur but it can be prevented if treated properly. Laminate flooring falls into the category of wood floors because it does in fact contain hardwood so needs to be up kept and maintained according to how you would treat real and natural hardwood. One would never suggest putting a real hardwood floor in a bathroom or kitchen where there is a high water concentration or potential for damage. Laminate floors do contain some wood so they need to be treated much the same as hardwood when considering their placement in the home.
Installation of Laminate Floors
Laminate flooring generally has a rather simple procedure and method and can even be self installed if instructions are followed carefully. Instructions are generally given upon the floor’s purchase. Laminate flooring is the perfect flooring for the do it yourself installer. Little be known to most that water damage can actually be prevented and warded off through the proper installation process. Wow what an amazing trick to ward off against water damage! Who would have thought that installation processes could have an effect on the effects of water damage on a floor. But it is in fact true. You will want to keep in mind water damage prevention when installing your new laminate floors and consider the proper process. It is best to choose an expert to install the floor to prevent water damage if possible to ensure proper installation processes and procedures that include water damage prevention procedures.
Prevent the Damage
It has been tested and proven that water damage occurs within less than a day of the floor being submerged in water . It is true that actual irreversible damage can occur when water is submerged on the laminate floor for a certain duration or period of time. It has been tested that after two hours of water submersion that the edges of the floor begin to become damaged. After four hours is when the complete irreversible damage can occur. So, let’s be careful and prevent this type of damage by proper installation and proper choice of where too install a laminate floor in your home. What happens with the damage is the laminate floor begins to soak up the water into the actual floor after a certain duration of time of submersion. So when spills or water leaks occur you will want to clean up and soak up the water as soon as possible as time is definitely of the essence in this situation. Water damage to a laminate floor can actually de-laminate the floor and change the actual dimensions and size of the floor and it’s planks. So you will definitely want to b e careful and aware of all water spills and take into ultimate consideration like was stated before the placement of the floor in your home. It’s well worth the extra effort and cash to hire an expert to install your floor keeping water damage possibilities in mind. It will definitely benefit the life and duration of your floor and be well worth the investment.
You will want to be most careful about water seeping into the seams and crevices of the floor itself as this is where the main source and point of damage can occur. So make sure and locate and clean up those spills as quickly as possible before it has a chance to settle in the seams and crevices of the laminate flooring surface. Use a mop to clean up the spills and water out of the crevices. To be sure and have your bathroom water damage proof go ahead and have a thorough expert install the flooring, especially around the toilets and showers.
What happens if Water Damage has already occurred on my laminate flooring?
Well, in the unfortunate event that the water damage has already occurred on your laminate flooring all hope is definitely not lost there are methods to preserve your floors. The first thing you will want to try if water damage has occurred on your flooring around the edges is pull up the baseboards and remove the water around the actual area where the water spill and damage has occurred. You can use a mop to remove the water. You can go even deeper in your solution of the water spill and damage and ensure a thorough removal of the water through removing the affected floorboards of the laminate flooring. Once the baseboards have been taken up you can remove the floorboards easily and remove the water spill and prevent current or further damage to the flooring. You may even need to remove all of the boards on your laminate floor in order to get to the spill and clean the affected area and in order for the exact floorboards where the damage is are able to be removed.
Although wood floorings can be more easily saved from water damage laminate floors are a bit different. Laminate floorboards most always need to be completely replaced once damage has occurred so this is another consideration to consider when choosing a laminate floor type for your home. Laminate damaged boards can most often be replaced on a one for one basis when damage has occurred and this may be the only option when repairing water damaged areas. You can also use a saw to cut out the damaged area or board if it is in the center of the floor.
Some simple tips for proper installation of laminate flooring to prevent damage
For areas with high water concentrations and possibilities four spills or damages you may fold the underlayment against the wall two inches and after you actually install the floor cut the extra underlayment down with a general utility knife. You can also fill the perimeter of the floor silicone caulk to help ward off water damage. And always remember do not install laminate flooring around the toilet in the bathroom as this is never a good idea. Also keep clean your floor regularly with a best laminate floor cleaner!