Q: I have Quick-Step (Perspective 4) laminate (only 6 months old) installed throughout my home and we recently experienced flooding from the flat above. Water fell on to the floor from the leaking ceiling and MAY have passed through the laminate, but I cannot be sure. This happened over a week ago and the floor appears to still be perfect, flat, without any bending, warping or damage.
Do you think the floor could warp at a later date, or would I have seen damage by now? It would be a major job to lift the flooring to check underneath and I would prefer not to if possible.
Many thanks
Gill
A: Typically you will begin to see some signs of water damage in this amount of time; however, the best way to check here would be to get a moisture meter from a local home store (should run you around $25 or so) and test at the seams of the planks. If this rating over 8% then it has a bit more moisture than is normal, if this is beyond 10% you will want to get a dehumidifier and run it to help remove some of this excessive moisture. What could be happening is that any moisture has absorbed into the wood and the floor has expanded, but as the moisture slowly exits the floor as the home returns to a normal environment the floor will lose some of that moisture and warping could then occur as the additional moisture leaves.
Again I suggest testing the moisture as it will give you a precise idea as to if potential damage may or may not occur. You could also try to pull up a plank or two at the edge of the floor to see if any moisture is underneath the floor with your underlayment.
