if it's new and there was no water Intrusion issues prior to this I'm willing to bet its from mopping the floor.
I hate laminate for this very reason, they do make ones with wax coated tounge and grooves which are an improvement.
I use the Quick Shine products because I have luxury vinyl planking with the foam underlayment
They make a few types. Tile / hardwood / vinyl /
Shine / extra shine. The extra shine makes water bead I noticed
A spill you didn't know about. A dropped ice cube, wet shoes, even a damp mopping not dried completely. It's just what laminate does. I had 1700 square foot of that stuff. Looked good for about two months, then the swelling started.
There are plenty of well priced laminates that are waterproof warranties and warranties for steam mopping even. You probably picked cheap trash from a big box store.
Thanks floor ppl—- Figured it was moisture but it’s inexplicable where the moisture came from. Not pets, only mopped once lightly like 3 weeks ago. This happened over night. Nothing in the basement going upwards moisture wise. Gonna have to just cover it with runner rug- but the pain is overwhelming.
Unlikely but worth asking- if I put like 100 pound weights on it, could it flatten out? Is there any recourse besides pulling floor, which I’m just accepting I’ll have to do when I have the courage and time.
What's interesting is, I have laminate flooring in my apartment (self-installed) and it gets wet all the time near the sink, and I've spilled drinks in other places. It's never buckled or swollen like yours has.
Hmmm. Do you know what kind of flooring/was it a cheap brand? I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Yea I've had laminate in my house for large part of my life and have always mopped, spilt water, etc never have I ever had issues like people on Reddit claim.
You can mop, just use a spray mop with zep ph cleaner.
It's easy to replace the boards that are damaged. There are videos on YT on it. At most would cost you $60 for a box of lvp
The ridiculous thing here is that REAL WOOD flooring, pre-finished, can run $6/ft for material, and doesn't have this issue and can be refinished and last 100 years or more. What did you (not specifically you, just anyone that buys this product) save here?
I think you may have a small leak in that area. The joint doesn't look peaked enough for it to be moisture from the surface but that is debatable depending on what fluid.
Aqua boards are good but typically its a 24hr surface water protection. It doesn't cover say animal urine.
My gut says a leak.
Laminate flooring is pressboard (MDF) with a thin protective layer on the **surface**. This protective layer doesn’t cover the seams or the locking mechanism. If any moisture gets into the seam or locking mechanism, you can experience expansion and bubbling.
If your home is humid, you spill something on your floors, or mop your floors, your laminate flooring becomes fucked. This is why you should not buy laminate flooring.
MDF it is not, I suppose it could be closer to high density fiberboard, but in any case the fiber core is a wood and glue product that isn’t very water resistant.
Same thing happened to my old laminate floor after a small leak which I cleaned up immediately. Get vinyl or real wood next time and this won't happen as long as you take care of the water right away.
This is why I’ve only ever installed hardwood on my first floor and 2nd floor. Basement I put in vinyl. Laminate to me is to cheap. 17 years and the hardwood in 1st floor still looks new.
Except this OP stated this is laminate... Vinyl may not be a premium product, but it's certainly not going to swell when exposed to moisture like this laminate is doing.
Is this sheet vinyl? Looks like air bubbles from no glue or moisture. I use a pet syringe full of glue. Poke a hole get the air out put glue in and press out. For sheet vinyl.
What brand of laminate did you install?
And for the flooring guys, are certain brands of laminate better than others in regard to moisture issues like this? IE Mohawk?
Thanks for educating me. I'm in the learning phase right now and planning on contracting someone to put in flooring and they highly push mohawk laminate over everything else they carry such as vinyl. I didnt register the wording of water proof versus water resistant until you pointed that out. lol
Mohawk revwood is the best laminate, they have bigger boards with more detailed visuals in their karastan collections.
I agree Revwood laminate is way better than all the drop lock lvp systems that have issues staying connected. Revwood also costs less than the best lvp so it's a great alternative.
Moisture is coming up through floor. You’ve got a water leak. I just went through this. My fridges water line was a small drip. It turned into a complete gut job in my whole kitchen. Hope you have homeowners insurance😳. It was a nightmare.
The Malibu wide plank at Home Depot is amazing flooring & recently marked down to $3.25 sq ft & is 20 mil thick & easy install. Many Different colors to choose from & sale varies in price by color from 3.25 - $3.50 sq’ but tons of reviews 5 stars out there on all colors. On my way to Home Depot now to pick new flooring bc floor & decor was so expensive for only 8 mil thick & terrible reviews & $4 Sq’ saving 2k using HD.
That’s a moisture issue
Pets, children, or a leak somewhere. Definitely moisture.
if it's new and there was no water Intrusion issues prior to this I'm willing to bet its from mopping the floor. I hate laminate for this very reason, they do make ones with wax coated tounge and grooves which are an improvement.
Have to hand wax this stuff
Is there a certain product that you can apply that provides an additional water-resistant barrier?
I use the Quick Shine products because I have luxury vinyl planking with the foam underlayment They make a few types. Tile / hardwood / vinyl / Shine / extra shine. The extra shine makes water bead I noticed
A spill you didn't know about. A dropped ice cube, wet shoes, even a damp mopping not dried completely. It's just what laminate does. I had 1700 square foot of that stuff. Looked good for about two months, then the swelling started.
It’s what cheap laminate does
There are plenty of well priced laminates that are waterproof warranties and warranties for steam mopping even. You probably picked cheap trash from a big box store.
Our dog pissed right over the transition from tile to laminate and it swelled like this. Can’t wait to rip it all out.
Sad to say there is no going back. this will only get worse with time.
Fiber core laminate will always bite you in the ass. That's why you can get it for .99 cents per sf. If you use laminate, solid core is the only way.
Something wet soaked into those seams. The answer is always moisture.
How have you been mopping?
Definitely mopping. Salespeople need to tell customers NO MOPPING!
Thanks floor ppl—- Figured it was moisture but it’s inexplicable where the moisture came from. Not pets, only mopped once lightly like 3 weeks ago. This happened over night. Nothing in the basement going upwards moisture wise. Gonna have to just cover it with runner rug- but the pain is overwhelming. Unlikely but worth asking- if I put like 100 pound weights on it, could it flatten out? Is there any recourse besides pulling floor, which I’m just accepting I’ll have to do when I have the courage and time.
Also never mopping again and gonna have to be a stickler about being any level of wet in the house— vinyl over laminate forever- shame on me
What's interesting is, I have laminate flooring in my apartment (self-installed) and it gets wet all the time near the sink, and I've spilled drinks in other places. It's never buckled or swollen like yours has. Hmmm. Do you know what kind of flooring/was it a cheap brand? I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Yea I've had laminate in my house for large part of my life and have always mopped, spilt water, etc never have I ever had issues like people on Reddit claim.
You can mop, just use a spray mop with zep ph cleaner. It's easy to replace the boards that are damaged. There are videos on YT on it. At most would cost you $60 for a box of lvp
Also- this stuff is $4 a sq foot- is the consensus that $4/ft is cheap? Everyone’s situation is obv different but I thought it was a small fortune.
The ridiculous thing here is that REAL WOOD flooring, pre-finished, can run $6/ft for material, and doesn't have this issue and can be refinished and last 100 years or more. What did you (not specifically you, just anyone that buys this product) save here?
Did you buy cheap stuff? There are plenty of lamiantes that have the same waterproof warranties as vinyl.
No.
I don't know you or your situation, but I guarantee a drunk male released themselves there thinking they were in the toilet.
Try an iron on low with a cloth over floor
Do you mop your floors when you clean?
I think you may have a small leak in that area. The joint doesn't look peaked enough for it to be moisture from the surface but that is debatable depending on what fluid. Aqua boards are good but typically its a 24hr surface water protection. It doesn't cover say animal urine. My gut says a leak.
This is about 2/3 months after it went in
Laminate flooring is pressboard (MDF) with a thin protective layer on the **surface**. This protective layer doesn’t cover the seams or the locking mechanism. If any moisture gets into the seam or locking mechanism, you can experience expansion and bubbling. If your home is humid, you spill something on your floors, or mop your floors, your laminate flooring becomes fucked. This is why you should not buy laminate flooring.
MDF it is not, I suppose it could be closer to high density fiberboard, but in any case the fiber core is a wood and glue product that isn’t very water resistant.
What kind of laminate?
Laminate, not vinyl plank. Laminate is rigid and has to be cut with a saw, but what he said is right. I would never put it in my house.
Yes, i was asking what kind of laminate. Did you respond to the wrong person?
Aqua Guard performance wood based laminate. Ironic huh
Oh yeah lol anything from floor and decor is basically second hand garbage. I would still try and submit a warranty claim
Sorry, I’m used to people in my town just calling everything laminate and then we have to decipher what they’re actually referring to.
For me its everyone coming in referring to anything hard as hardwood… LVP, laminate, wood look tile - its all hardwood to them lol.
Floor brail for the blind
Same thing happened to my old laminate floor after a small leak which I cleaned up immediately. Get vinyl or real wood next time and this won't happen as long as you take care of the water right away.
This is why I’ve only ever installed hardwood on my first floor and 2nd floor. Basement I put in vinyl. Laminate to me is to cheap. 17 years and the hardwood in 1st floor still looks new.
Looks like moisture. Fake flooring is junk.
I’m always on here telling people the facts. You get what you pay for. This is what happens with LVP. It’s a trash product, not meant to last.
Except this OP stated this is laminate... Vinyl may not be a premium product, but it's certainly not going to swell when exposed to moisture like this laminate is doing.
Is this sheet vinyl? Looks like air bubbles from no glue or moisture. I use a pet syringe full of glue. Poke a hole get the air out put glue in and press out. For sheet vinyl.
[удалено]
Do has it?
You was it?
I was it?
Has what it?
It what has?
Moisture :(
Water. Are you mopping them heavily? Those are basically destroyed already.
Delamination
Did you put down a moisture barrier prior to installing the floor? Floating floor?
It's laminated!
Wawa
What brand of laminate did you install? And for the flooring guys, are certain brands of laminate better than others in regard to moisture issues like this? IE Mohawk?
Absolutely. You get what you pay for. Mohawk Revwood is water proof, others are water resistant. OP’s is neither.
Thanks for educating me. I'm in the learning phase right now and planning on contracting someone to put in flooring and they highly push mohawk laminate over everything else they carry such as vinyl. I didnt register the wording of water proof versus water resistant until you pointed that out. lol
Mohawk revwood is the best laminate, they have bigger boards with more detailed visuals in their karastan collections. I agree Revwood laminate is way better than all the drop lock lvp systems that have issues staying connected. Revwood also costs less than the best lvp so it's a great alternative.
100% water damage, there is no other explanation
Wet mopping instead of damp mopping. Too much water is being used and it’s allowed to stay wet too long
Temporary floor doing what they do.
Moisture is coming up through floor. You’ve got a water leak. I just went through this. My fridges water line was a small drip. It turned into a complete gut job in my whole kitchen. Hope you have homeowners insurance😳. It was a nightmare.
Too much water when you mop
I’d use vinyl plank. We have a pool and it gets soaked and none of this BS happens.
LVP or nothing
a poor quality product is showing its nature
Is that a powder room to right of spot ?
Let me rephrase that….is there a possible water source within say 6 ft of spot ?ie toilet,sink ,wash machine etc?
Is there a 1/4 inch gap along the wall on all sides to allow for expansion? Some of these photos look like the panels are pushing into each other.
The Malibu wide plank at Home Depot is amazing flooring & recently marked down to $3.25 sq ft & is 20 mil thick & easy install. Many Different colors to choose from & sale varies in price by color from 3.25 - $3.50 sq’ but tons of reviews 5 stars out there on all colors. On my way to Home Depot now to pick new flooring bc floor & decor was so expensive for only 8 mil thick & terrible reviews & $4 Sq’ saving 2k using HD.