Water damages laminate flooring by soaking into the layers. Once inside the boards, it causes them to swell and warp. It also weakens the glue that holds them together and they can eventually fall apart.
Water Under Laminate Flooring
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. If the water is not pervasive, you may be able to extract it with a wet-dry vacuum. Your best bet is to remove the affected floorboards.
A laminate flooring generally is resistant to water damage, however, it still faces damage due to excess of moisture. But the good thing about laminate floors is that the water damage can be repaired easily without peeling the entire floor.
While laminate flooring isn't necessarily ruined if it gets wet, damage to the laminate can occur within two to four hours of water getting under the boards and can progress quickly.
Water damaged boards can't be fixed, but they can be replaced. If you have leftover laminate flooring boards from your original installation, use those. If not, match the damaged boards with new ones. Make sure the floor is completely dry before you begin the repairs.
If your laminate flooring was glued down, the source of the swelling may not be caused by moisture. After gluing, the joints of the boards may swell slightly as they absorb the water in the glue. This is temporary and often resolves itself in three to four weeks.
Spilled Water on Laminate Floor
A laminate floor will not be damaged as long as it is not saturated with water. If you have a spill, it is best to promptly pat it dry with a sponge or a towel. It's when you have a large spill or a flood that the laminate flooring becomes saturated with water and damage occurs.
Will Wet Laminate Dry Out on Its Own? Although wet laminate flooring will eventually dry out, it can take weeks to do so on its own. Not only does this increase the risk of mold, but it's also likely the floor will start to fall apart too.
In both of these cases, if your answer is yes, then you're looking at an unstable structure that is quite dangerous, and warrants an immediate call to your laminate floor installers. When water gets trapped under the boards, it creates a dark, moist environment that's ideal for the growth of mold.
Laminate flooring can take small, everyday spills on top of the flooring without seeing any water damage. However, if laminate takes on as much water as a major leak or flood, the flooring will resist water damage for only 2-4 hours. By the 5th hour submerged, laminate will start to swell and be irreparable.
Fear not! Moisture under your laminate flooring can be treated. Whether your floor got wet from a leak or your floor was flooded, you can prevent mold from growing and repair your laminate flooring. Wet floors can swell or warp, but you can fix water damage in most cases.
Waterproof laminate flooring, to the degree that it is genuinely waterproof, offers advantages over standard laminate flooring, since spills and stains are less likely to ruin the floor. Other than this, this flooring has the same profile as any laminate flooring. It can be rather hard underfoot, as well as noisy.
How Long Does It Take For Mold To Grow Under Wet Laminate? It takes only 24 -48 hours for mold to grow under wet laminate.
Mold Growing under your Laminate flooring can be quite devasting. It can not only cause issues with laminate but also cause various health problems.
When your laminate flooring gets saturated with water or any liquid, the planks will start to bend and buckle. It would make your laminate flooring look hideous and it would become more damaged over time if you ignore it.
The main cause of bubbling in laminate floors is moisture although it may also be caused by poor quality flooring or the lack of an expansion gap. It can easily be fixed by using wood glue, replacing the entire surface (in the case of widespread damage), or cutting an expansion gap.
The only way to repair a warped laminate floor is to replace the damaged planks. You can't coax them back to their original state with a hair dryer or iron. There are two ways to replace a plank. One is to disassemble the floor, and the other is to cut the plank out of the floor with a circular saw.
Run the hair dryer along the swollen flooring until you start to see it contract. Then, use a roller or straight edge to flatten it out. If the piece of laminate starts to swell even more while drying it, you will need to replace it.
If you have a mold allergy, your immune system thinks certain mold spores are invaders, or allergens. So, when you inhale spores, your body reacts by triggering sneezing or nasal congestion. This can happen immediately or after exposure, depending on your body.
Pros of Waterproof Laminate Flooring
Better with moisture than traditional laminate: Waterproof floors feature a moisture-resistant core so they hold up better to water than traditional laminate or hardwood floors. This means they can be installed in basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and any room throughout the home.
Apply Polyurethane Coat
Coating your laminate with polyurethane is a great way to waterproof your floor. Apart from sealing and caulking the expansion gaps, it won't protect your actual floorboards. Coating your entire floor with polyurethane can keep the entire floor safe from water and moisture damage.
You can put laminate floors in bathrooms, especially in half baths and small toilets, as it is water-resistant and durable. However, it is crucial to install an underlay to protect it from moisture in the subfloor. You'll also need to use a sealant to avoid water damage.
The 48-72 hour window is critical to prevent mold growth as it usually takes 24 to 48 hours for mold to germinate and grow. Once fungus gets a hold on a drywall surface, it can be the breeding ground for thousands of spores and quickly spread in the air around the wall with every passing hour.