The laminated floors are getting popular day by day among homeowners. The main reasons for the popularity include durability, beauty, an attractive look, and lasting for a long time with just little effort.
The water and laminate floor has a very complex association. The laminate floors have wood material in it that can be damaged by the water on the floor. So, it is very essential to know how to fix laminate floor water damage on time to prevent any serious issue.
In this article, you will read that how you can fix water damage on the laminate floor. So, stay in this article for exciting tips to fix the damage caused by water on the laminated floor.
Table of Contents
What Happens When Water Gets Under Laminate Flooring?
If the water gets under the laminated floor, it can cause the following damages to it.
- Bubbling/swelling
- Buckling/ Lifting
- Excessive cupping
- Splitting
- Cracking
- Discoloration of the floor
- Steam damage
All these are the signs of water damage to laminate flooring, which need to be cured as soon as possible.
How to Fix Laminate Floor Water Damage?
If the floor is damaged due to water, then you can fix it with the below tips.
But if it is severe then you may need to contact a professional for this purpose.
- First, you have to find the source of the water and then fix it so that it cannot damage the laminated floor again.
- Inspect and then mark the areas that have been damaged due to water flooding. This will be very helpful for taking the needed measures to fix it.
- You must have the right tools for doing this job like putty, flooring adhesive, cleaning solvent, knife, pliers, hammers, new laminate planks, and safety glasses, etc. When you will get all these things, it will be very easy for you to do the task.
- Now take the part of the laminated floor up that is damaged. Use a putty knife to carefully pluck it up. Make sure that you are not damaging the areas around it.
- Make sure you have got the laminated plans like the pre-installed ones at your place. Replace the damaged ones with new ones. It will look the same as it is before the damage.
How to Repair Swollen Laminate Flooring Without Replacing?
A swollen laminate floor can be repaired if you do not want to replace it. All you need for this purpose is to get rid of the moisture that is causing bubbles on the laminate flooring.
Examine the source and mark the point where it is damaged, then wipe out all the moisture under the planks. You can also use a dehumidifier for decreasing the moisture that causes swelling on laminate flooring.
How to Dry Laminate Flooring With Water Under it?
If water goes under the laminate flooring, then you need to take immediate action to get rid of the water. If there is a leak near the laminate flooring, then it can be a cause of water under the floor.
You can create a hurdle between water and laminate flooring. You can also use a wet-dry vacuum to get the water out of the laminate flooring.
How to Fix Laminate Flooring that is Lifting?
A laminate floor can start lifting if it has moisture under the blanks or the temperature is changed. If the laminate flooring is not installed properly then it can also cause lifting. You can fix a lifting floor in the following way:
- At first, you have to find the source of the water. So that you can fix it to avoid further damage.
- Check if there is an expansion gap between flooring boards. The boards shrink or expand when they are installed. But if the laminate floor installer does not give a proper gap, then lifting can occur.
- Now fix these buckling by trimming the laminate board to leave the required gap for expansion and shrinking.
- It is possible that the board is damaged, so you have to replace that board.
Repair Steam Damage Laminate Floor:
The damaged laminate floors can be repaired using steam. It can clean the laminate floor, but it still can make mistakes while cleaning.
These mistakes make the steam repair unreliable, which is why it is not recommended to use. However, if you want a steam cleaner on your laminate floor then you can follow the below steps.
- Put the water in the reservoir. Do not use any other thing except water because these steam mops are built only to use with water.
- Make sure you have a sealed floor if you are adopting a steam repair method.
- Use a clean cloth in the steam mop to clean the floor.
- Plugin the mop and start cleaning the laminate floor.
- For cleaning a steam mop do not use a dry sheet of a sift fabric.
- Make sure that you have plugged in the steam mop after taking all the measures. Otherwise, if the mop will get too hot it can damage the floor. And do not use the mop to clean the walls.
Laminate Floor Bubbling at Seams:
A laminate floor may be bubbling at the seams. It can be due to the swelling under the planks of the laminate boards. As the laminate floor is a wooden floor so it can be damaged with the temperature change or excessive moisture.
In this issue when you walk on the floor the bubbles are created that can cause serious damage if it is not addressed soon. You may need to replace the planks so that you can fix them and prevents the damage to the laminate flooring. A wet-dry vacuum can also be used to dry the damaged area.
How to Fix Laminate Floor Bubbles?
You need to follow the below steps to get rid of the bubbling laminate floor.
- Check the area of the floor that is bubbling. You can inspect it by walking on it. If bubbles are in the center of the flooring seam, then it is a symptom of improper expansion gaps.
- Remove the wall molding near the damaged area carefully.
- After removing the wall mold, it is time to remove the laminate board from the damaged board.
- Then replace the damaged laminate board and refinish the laminate flooring.
- Make sure to leave enough gaps between the boards so that there will be no lifting when the boards shrink or expand.
By following the above steps, you will get to know how to fix laminate floor water damage and take necessary steps before any serious issue occurs.