Warped Vinyl Tile From Water

Luxury vinyl planks or tiles are in themselves completely water proof and cannot be damaged by exposure to moisture.

Warped vinyl tile from water.

Water damaged vinyl flooring is often unexpected. During installation run a vapor barrier under the vinyl plank flooring to help prevent buckling from moisture. If a vinyl floor is affected by water damage it can be saved depending on the amount of time the water has been dwelling. Once water has found its way underneath the tiles the tiles must be removed.

Sometimes even a nearby water source like flooding underneath the house can cause enough of a moisture imbalance to result in warping. For that reason they are an excellent choice for laundry rooms bathrooms kitchens and other areas where moisture is around. Solid wood flooring will warp and swell when water logged. Even water resistant floors like vinyl can be affected if the water works its way under the flooring and begins to degrade the paper backing.

If water seeps up under the flooring from an extremely moist concrete subfloor the adhesive can be weakened causing buckling in the floors. Moisture weakens glue bonds and causes the edges to lift. Sand down the bump in your flooring until it is level with the rest of the floor. This works best for warps that come from humidity or a water spill rather than from a leak that originated below your flooring.

Since wood fibers in real wood run lengthwise the weak direction is sideways. When natural wood bends in this direction it crowns or cups. Vinyl is more resilient to water than laminate flooring because it does not absorb water and is glued down not free floating. Most often a warped wood floor is caused by standing water or heavy moisture below the floor due to an unidentified leak or other hidden water source.

The first method to fix a warped floor is to sand it. In an area such as a kitchen or bathroom sheet vinyl flooring and water are generally a good match.