How to Fix Water Damage on Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is one of the most convenient and accessible floor covering materials in the world. Due to its affordability, variety of textures and designs, it’s quickly becoming one of the most wide spread floor types in San Francisco.

But what do you do when your sink overflows on your floor and the lamina flooring starts to swell? There are several things that can be done to mitigate that damage and those are going to be our points of discussion of today’s topic.

What is Laminate Flooring and is it Easy to Repair

Laminate flooring is a semi-synthetic floor type which is comprised of several layers which is where it gets its name. The main material used for the manufacturing of laminate flooring is dry, finely ground wood chips and dust which is pressed into shape using polymer glues and synthetic materials, as well as tremendous force and heat.

There are several layers of fine wood dust particles which are bound with synthetic polymer glue, which are then fused together with additional layers. The top layer is the decorative part of the laminate and it can come into several designs, colors and textures.

The prices of a single pack of laminate depend on the thickness of the laminate itself as well as the type of decorative texture which has been glued on top. This is a relatively inexpensive flooring choice which does provide some warmth and noise dampening, as well as durability from wear and tear.

The Installation of Laminated Flooring

In order to install the laminated flooring, there must be a dampening paper which acts as a moisture and heat barrier between the floor foundation and the laminate itself. Each piece has four edged sides which are notched to match the sides of the other pieces.

Each laminate clicks into place with the pieces around it, creating a seamless surface. While the joints are precisely manufactures, they remain the weakest point of any floor and the first place where water will seep into once it gets on the surface.

How to Repair Laminate Flooring Water Damage

Once water gets between the joints of the laminated floor, it will either dissipate without causing any damage, or it will soak into the joints since they are not treated for water resistance. While the surface of the laminate is water resistant and it can be washed with water and cleaning solutions, water molecules can easily reach the unprotected joints and cause them to swell.

The swelling will cause the joints to move which will cause them to be exposed to pressure and make them brittle. The only way to repair this type of damage, unlike hardwood flooring water damage, is to replace the affected pieces.

Considering how low the labor costs are and how inexpensive laminate flooring is, it’s a no brainer and we at GCDRestoration.com (flood water damage cleanup experts in San Francisco) suggest that damaged laminate flooring is replaced rather than restored. The chance of it being restored back to normal is quite low and it would cost more than for the flooring to be replaced.