Having your laminate floors experience water damage can be detrimental to your flooring. When your laminate floor meets water, it will absorb and begin to break down the composition of the floor. So how do you fix laminate floors that have been subjected to water damage?
The first step to fixing your damaged laminate floors is to identify the source of the water. Once you’ve cleaned up and eliminated the source, you can go in with your necessary tools. After that, you can begin tearing up the flooring that has become damaged and replacing them.
In this article, we’ll be going in-depth into how you can successfully fix your laminate floor water damage, what tools you’ll need to make that happen, as well as what you can do to save your laminate floors that have been exposed to water but aren’t damaged yet. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, keep on reading.
Signs of Water Damage on Your Laminate Floors
There are sure signs that you’ll see on your laminate floors that will tell you your floors have experienced water damage. Symptoms such as visible mold, cracking, bubbling, spitting, and discoloration will tell you that your floors have been damaged by water.
Unfortunately, if signs like these have begun to show up on your flooring, the chances of saving your flooring are slim, and your best bet is to replace your damaged boards.
If your floors have been subjected to water, but have yet to show any of these signs, there may still be hope for your laminate floors. If this is the case, all you may need is a few tools to remove the small amount of water that has lodged into your floors.
The video below will give you a step by step into how you can save your laminate floors before they have become damaged if they are not damaged already.
It’s important to be mindful of the signs of water damage that we discussed above. If water damage goes untreated, mold will quickly begin to grow. This can become a problem because mold usually grows in dark spaces that are out of sight, like underneath your damaged flooring.
You mustn’t ignore the signs of water damage that you can see because harmful bacteria such as mold can affect more than just your flooring, but it can affect your health as well.
How to Fix Your Water-Damaged Laminate Floors
Your best bet to fixing your damaged laminate floors is by replacing them. To do that, you’ll need to take the correct steps and have the proper equipment on hand.
1. Locate the Source of Water
First, you’ll want to ensure that the source of water damage is contained, and your new laminate floors won’t be subjected to the same kind of damage. There’s no point in replacing your laminate flooring if they’ll just end up getting damaged again.
Finding the source and eliminating it is the first step to stopping the problem for good and keeping your new floors safe from harsh and unforgiving water damage.
Once you have successfully identified and stopped the source, you can begin assessing where the damage is and how extensive it is.
2. Identify Where the Damage Has Spread
Look for areas that have begun showing signs of damage, such as bending or cracking.
This is a sure way to identify how far the damage has spread and what areas you’ll need to repair and replace.
If the damage isn’t too widespread, you may only need to replace a few panels. If the damage is widespread and looks as if the majority of the floor needs to be replaced, you may want to consider calling an expert to do the job.
3. Remove the Damaged Laminate Panels
Once you’ve located the source of the water damage and have successfully identified what panels need to be replaced, you can begin removing the damaged pieces.
If you choose to do this yourself, you must have all the necessary equipment to do this correctly and carefully. You should wear protective eye gear during this step to avoid contact with dirt, water, and any other debris that could land in your eyes.
Once you have your protective eye gear, go in with your putty knife to pry up your damaged floorboards one at a time. If you don’t have a putty knife, you can easily do this with a butter knife.
You’ll want to immediately dispose of your damaged planks once you’ve pried them off the floor to avoid any more water damage or bacteria from spreading across your laminate flooring.
4. Remove the Baseboards and Clean the Floor
Once you have discarded all the damaged flooring, you’ll want to remove the baseboards that sit under your flooring.
This will allow you to fully inspect your floor for any kind of build-up of dust or mold. Similar to the laminate flooring, remove the baseboards one at a time, and carefully inspect them.
Once you have fully inspected underneath your baseboards and are content with the way they look, you can begin cleaning the floor itself before adding new laminate flooring.
Water and dirt can easily build up on the floor, so you must clean it before adding fresh new laminate flooring. Using a dustpan or a cloth is a great way to clean off the area you’re going to begin working with.
5. Install Your New Floors
Once you have moved out all of your old and damaged flooring and have successfully cleaned the areas that need to be inspected and revived, you can now begin putting in your new laminate planks.
If you don’t have extra planks from when you initially bought your laminate flooring the first time around, your best bet is to contact the same flooring dealer that you got your planks from in the first place.
If you are unable to find planks that match the ones you have now exactly, you may want to consider replacing the whole floor. Once you have all the planks you need, you can begin inserting your laminate floor planks where they need to be.
Make sure to leave room for the nozzle of the flooring adhesive bottle you’ll need to squeeze in between each plank. Inspect your planks before you go in with the adhesive to ensure you are happy with the placement of your new laminate floors.
6. Add Your Adhesive Glue
As we stated, it’s key that you’ve left enough space in between planks to apply your adhesive glue.
Using this powerful adhesive will ensure that your planks stay intact and exactly where you placed them, and you can purchase this glue at your nearest hardware store or anywhere online.
If you’re looking for an ideal glue that will get the job done, this CalFlor Eurobond Applicator promises a high strength formula that protects against wear and tear as well as water damage.
This is an ideal product for those who are putting in new laminate flooring themselves and those who are trying to avoid future cases of water damage.
7. Place a Large Object on Your Planks to Let Them Sit
Lastly, allow your planks and adhesive to sit for some time by placing a large and heavy object on top. A coffee table or a couch will do the trick, and you can place the object over the flooring right after you’ve applied the adhesive.
Giving your planks time to sit will reinforce where they were placed and keep them firm and damage-free in the long run. Just a couple hours will do the job, and after that amount of time, you can remove the object from your laminate floors.
If you’ve gotten this far, you have successfully fixed your water-damaged laminate floors. There are many steps to correctly remove water-damaged planks and re-installing new flooring, and it should be noted that this is not an easy job.
If you feel overwhelmed with the task at hand, especially if the damage covers most of your floor, you can always call a professional to come and do the job for you.
Conclusion
So now you know how to properly fix your laminate floors that have suffered from water damage.
We discussed the signs you should be mindful of when inspecting your floors for water damage. We also briefly discussed how you can save your laminate flooring from water damage that has yet to occur or escalate.
We then went step by step into how you can successfully remove damaged laminate flooring and re-install new planks correctly. First, you’ll want to remove your damaged planks and discard them. You’ll then want to begin cleaning up the floor, as well as underneath the baseboards.
Once you’ve cleaned that area, you can begin applying your new laminate floor planks to their desired location. With the correct tools and the proper mindset, you can successfully fix your laminate floor from water damage with no problem.
Related post: How to Dry Out a Wall After Water Damage
