Water Resistance of Laminate Flooring?
Question:I am considering installing laminate flooring in our foyer. How well does laminate flooring stand up to water, and is there anything special to do when installing when there is the risk of exposure to moisture (e.g. sealing the joints somehow)?
I will certainly have a mat just inside the door, but no doubt there will be some exposure (bits of snow in the winter, droplets from a jacket or umbrella or whatever).
Thanks for any advice!
Answers:
My advice is don't use laminate! I had laminate in my Kitchen and living-room.I ended up having my husband take it out, because it doesn't stand up well. Think of laminate as cardboard covered with a pretty wood like design, as soon as water hits it...sponge... I purchased top of the line laminate and installed by the professionals and still ended up pulling it out. My 6 year old son accidentally dropped his bubbles on the floor and I cleaned it up within a minute and my floor swelled up...the joints where they stick them together puffed up. Do yourself a favor, use real wood, or tile...it will save you a headache.
Good Luck
Tile is always the better choice in a high traffic area. Laminate will be ok there, just make sure to take the time to clean up any water spots you see to be extra safe.
I put laminate flooring in my house last year. Make sure that whoever puts it down has the joints put together. As for exposure to moisture...my dishwasher leaked...had to replace the flooring.
Laminate flooring is the way to go. After installing your flooring, you should use calking around the edges of the base boards to protect against moisture.
Laminate floors are fast and easy to install but the backing used on the laminate has absolutly no resistance to moisture. One word "ceramic". Laminate flooring is simply junk.
i wouldnt do it. laminate can buckle and swell. tile tile tile
There are different grades of laminate - cheap crap that is sold at the big box stores and is not very thick - stay away from that. The good thick stuff is more durable and the joints can be sealed or caulked as it is being installed to make it more moisture durable. There are some brands that are more durable to begin with. Had some in the kitchen and the stuff was tough. New house has it in the hall - not so sure this is as durable as the kitchen floor. Ask your flooring pro.
For your foyer I think one piece vinyl would be the best. I don't know where you live but if it is a snow area you will get a lot water in there during a snowfall. But you can get a lot of moisture there regardless of where you live. Grit and dirt as well. So I suggest that you use a good, colorful one piece vinyl floor in there. Laminate, and I don't care how good it is supposed to be, will never stand up the way a vinyl will. Wood warps no matter what anyone says. If it gets very wet it will warp and if water gets under the surface it will swell. Vinyl or even a gritty ceramic tile would be the best choice. And either will clean up quickly and better than wood. Good luck. (vinyl is the least expensive even if installed professionally--it would be a small job)
Laminate flooring does not like water. It will absorb it readily at the joints, and swell up. I put it in my front hall, dining room, kitch and utility---water was spilled and not noticed in the utility and the joints swelled up. Instructions for laminate say to wipe up water spills immediately, so far we have done that in the kitchen and no problems. If there is a possibility of rain or snow blowing in under the door, go with something else, as repair and replacement of laminate is a major job. It is also not as simple to install as the manufacturers claim!
we have laminate flooring ,and the person who installed it told us it is waterproof and they also put waterproof backing underneath..
I went for the top of the range parador brand.. www.parador.de has some good information .if you go with the more expensive stuff and the right underlay ,I think its better...
You can get laminated flooring that is specifically made for kitchens and bathrooms, they are made from plastic as opposed to wood. As such they are very water resistant.
Laminate flooring is water resistant, not water proof. So it will resist water fine. But don't leave puddles sitting around on it for along period of time. Its still a wood based product with some epoxy, etc Oh one other thing I was told with my laminate flooring. don't buy the mats with the black rubber backing. The petroleum in the mat will react with the laminate flooring. So I was told??
I put high grade Armstrong laminate flooring in my great room 10 years ago. We live north (lots of snow) and I have three dogs. We use the back door all the time and the flooring is great. I have NEVER had a problem with it. Gets wet from the snow, had a couple of accidents with the dogs, dropped hot bacon grease on it once, dropped heavy pans on it and there is not a scratch on the floor. I absolutely love the floor!!
I was warned before putting it in about making sure it is a higher grade of the laminate. I also took a piece of the stuff we were using and placed it in a glass of water. Left it there for two weeks and nothing happened to it. I took it out, let it dry and it didn't warp. Great stuff in my opinion.
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