# Flood On Laminate Flooring



## acb_22

Hi,

I recently had a flood in my basement which has laminate flooring. It started through the night so it is hard to estimate exactly how long the water was on the floor for but we are guessing around 7 to 8 hours. It is a floating floor and I'm concerned about the underlay becoming infected with mold and/or mildew. Is there anything I can do to prevent this or am I going to have to replace the floor? Any help is appreciated! Thanks

AB


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## blues_harp28

Hi and welcome to TSG.
Is the flooring glued together?
You will need to take it all up ..so it can dry out..you may be able to save some of the boards for reuse.
The longer it remain together all wet boards will warp and will never lay flat again.


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## acb_22

The laminate is floating with underlay...not glued. The house is around 60 years old and the floor is not 100% level so some of the boards have already moved since we laid the laminate. Also, the flood did not go through the entire basement...only about one quarter of it. So far (and it has only been 36 hours), we've noticed that the surface of the floor feels much different that the part that was untouched (not as smooth) and the seams of some of the boards are slightly 'curling' upwards. 

Your replies are appreciated!

AB


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## blues_harp28

Hi most laminate floors here in the Uk are made from what's called chipboard.
Which will act like a sponge..I know it's a floating floor but sometimes you glue the boards together..if individual boards are not glued together Id remove as much of the floor as you can and give it time to dry out.


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## iltos

doesn't sound good....most laminate floors are untreated on the bottom, so a lot of moisture will wick up into the wood from below....the curling is typical for moisture damaged floors

i'm no expert on what to do with 'em at this point....but i'd take em up and stack em someplace with a controlled temperature for at least a week (two would be better)...put a slat between each piece so they get plenty of air around them


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## blues_harp28

Hi good point from iltos.
Remember too the longer they stay laying in the wet..the less likelihood of them drying out and the more chance of the water effecting the rest of the floor.


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## stinger8302

Once the laminate flooring is wet underneath and in between the interlocking parts of the laminate flooring it's pretty much ruint , unless you pray for a miracle sometimes they ok but I would say if it's been 7 to 8 hours with water on it, it's ruint, as far as the underlayment, your going to have to get new underlayment, 
Since you said basement I'm going to assume concrete subfloor so you'll need to get some type of cleaner really the only thing you can use to prevent mold is like soap and water , but they do make what's called "TSB" in most hardware stores that you can pick up and it does a pretty good job of cleaning up.good luck


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## valley

iltos said:


> doesn't sound good....most laminate floors are untreated on the bottom, so a lot of moisture will wick up into the wood from below....the curling is typical for moisture damaged floors
> 
> i'm no expert on what to do with 'em at this point....but i'd take em up and stack em someplace with a controlled temperature for at least a week (two would be better)...put a slat between each piece so they get plenty of air around them


good post, Bob! :up:

We also have a floating laminate floor in our dining room and one bathroom. We were warned when we bought it that flooding would ruin it. The store we bought it from had a laminate floor and there was a corner that got flooded and the man showed us what it looked like when the boards start to curl...not pretty but nothing you'll trip over either. On the upside...thankfully, your problem is in your basement...be glad its not your kitchen/dining or living room.


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## wacor

i got lucky in my kitchen area there is a doorwall and the carpet got wet and lifted the laminate but once it dried out it settled back down. i suspect in a basement though and with a larger area yours is going to be toast. depending upon what caused the flood and your insurance coverage though you might have a claim.


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