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Can I repair water damage to my laminate flooring?
7/31/2021 (Permalink)
Repairing water damaged laminate flooring
Laminate Flooring
According to Flooring America, laminate flooring has four layers: a cushioned bottom layer, a fiberboard core that is similar to particle board, a design layer above the core that gives your floor its color, and a top coating of aluminum oxide, known as the wear layer, which provides protection from fading, stains, and burns. The wear layer is constructed to protect against minor spilled water on a laminate floor as long as the spill is wiped up promptly.
How Damage Occurs
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. Laminate flooring water damage pictures will show that damaged floors can swell, bend, buckle and crack.
What to Do
If your floor shows signs of water damage, there is little to do except replace the affected floorboards. Once the boards are water damaged, they can't be sanded or fixed in any other way. Even when the surface appears dry, the boards can still hold enough water that your laminate floor is bubbling at the seams. If the planks get so wet that they swell up, they will need to be replaced.