How to Repair Laminate Flooring Water Damage

Laminate flooring is a cheap, attractive alternative to costly hardwood floors. Transform rooms affordably with the look of new wooden floors, minus installation hassle and high per-plank expenses.

While it is built to withstand heavy use, it’s not as robust as its real-wood counterpart. Small spills, like a glass of wine or water bottle, won’t severely damage the laminate — so long as the spill is wiped up immediately. However, prolonged water damage from a heavy leak or moisture can seep into the laminate.

Learn how to repair it in the guide below. We’ll cover when you can fix the damage, when you’ll need to replace planks, and how to save a laminate floor where possible.

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate floors are hybrid floors with a particle board wood base covered in a wood image veneer and a transparent wear layer. Because the underlayer isn’t solid wood but formed from wood pulp, it’s highly susceptible to water damage.

When water is left to sit for a long day, it soaks into the particle board. It causes it to break down and become less rigid. Such boards must be replaced.

Identifying Laminate Floor Water Damage

Water damage is unlikely to occur from a temporary spill that’s quickly cleaned up. It becomes an issue when the water seeps into the wood. Signs of water damage include buckling planks, bubbling or cracking in the surface of the laminate, and the appearance of mold (discoloration or foul smell).

If you identify any of these signs, the laminate floor cannot be repaired. You will need to replace the individual planks. One of the advantages of laminate floors is their ability to replace individual planks at a fraction of the cost required to repair the entire floor.

So, if you see an old water heater leaking or there’s a drip coming through your ceiling, here’s what you need to do.

How to Fix Laminate Flooring Water Damage

Repairing laminate floors is a simple DIY job. It’ll take around three hours to complete and shouldn’t cost you more than $100.

What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• Gaffer tape
• Putty knife, butcher knife, or pry bar
• Hammer or mallet
• Safety glasses

Supplies:

• Finishing nails
• Laminate wood planks

What To Do

1. Remove any standing water

The quickest way is to use a shop vacuum and squeegee to suck all the water. However, you can use a mop and an absorbent cloth if you don’t have a shop vacuum.

Before starting, ensure the shop vacuum is set to “wet mode” (without a bag) for effective laminate floor repair. Additionally, pinpoint the origin of the water damage by inspecting nearby pipes or appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines.

You should also check the ceiling. Once you have located the source of the leak, fix the problem before repairing the floor.

2. Clean the floor

Dirt is the primary cause of mold. After clearing the water, you’ll want to thoroughly clean the floor with detergent, disinfectant, and clean water. Try not to add more liquid than is necessary.

3. Identify any signs of water damage

Inspect for water-damaged laminate flooring. Remember, water can seep below the laminate surface — if a wooden board moves as you walk, it could be a sign of hidden water damage.

Look for buckling, discoloration, bubbling, signs of mold, misshapen boards, or cracks.

Mark the areas affected by mold using the tape. That way, you can assess how extensive the damage is and where repairs are needed.

If there is extensive mold damage, you will need to contact a mold remediation specialist before continuing.

4. Remove the damaged planks

Don your safety glasses before trying to repair laminate flooring. Use the putty knife or pry bar to carefully detach all the impacted baseboards and molding. In most cases, laminate planks are slotted together via a set of interlocking tongues and grooves.

Where planks are warped or buckled, removing them should be easy. Otherwise, you’ll need to get underneath to pry them loose.

5.  Remove damaged baseboards

Where baseboards are damaged in the middle of the floor, you can either:

• Start by working from the wall, detaching each flooring laminate plank until you reach the damaged ones. Proceed from right to left, identifying the grooved edge on the outermost plank and gently prying it loose from the lock as you progress.
• In a larger room, use a circular saw or fine-finish blade to loosen the damaged board — avoiding the onerous task of pulling up each individual plank. Unless you’re a DIY pro, it’s best to leave this task to the professionals.

6. Replace damaged planks

You’ll need to utilize any spare planks you have. If you don’t have any spares, contact the company from which you originally purchased the laminate flooring to obtain replacements. (Before installing, new planks will need to be left for two to three days to acclimatize to your home’s humidity and temperature.)

Fit the planks using the interlocking system. Start with the area furthest from the wall. Click the plank into place or fit the tongue of the plank into the groove of the exposed floorboard.

Where there’s too much friction, lightly tap the plank with a hammer to fit it securely into place. Using a rubber mallet will protect the new planks from any dints.

Remember to work in the reverse order in which you remove the planks. Finally, take your new finishing nails and gently tack them into the existing holes.

Trust United Restoration’s Proven Water Damage Repair for Laminate Flooring

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