Flooded laminate flooring -- any hope of rescue?

Question

A window well filled up in yesterday's torrential rain, flooding our basement. The carpet -- which we were thinking of replacing anyway -- is not so difficult to get reasonably dry with a carpet cleaning machine. But the room with the flooded window well has cheap laminate flooring over thin plastic-faced felt underlayment. The surface or the boards is dry and the adjacent carpeted area is reasonably dry, but there is a squelchy sound when we walk on the laminate floor, and the edges and ends of some boards are curling up. Any hope of saving this floor?

Perce

hrhofmann · Accepted Answer

The only thing that I can think of is to wait until everything has dried out and then sand the floor and refinish it. But that assumes that the laminate floor has a thick enough wood layer on the top that it can be sanded smooth without going through the wood where it is curled up.

Edwin Pawlowski · Answer

dried out and then sand the floor and refinish it.  But that assumesthat the laminate floor has a thick enough wood layer on the top thatit can be sanded smooth without going through the wood where it iscurled up.***********************************Laminate has no wood.  They call it "laminate" because it is laminated plastic.  Engineered wood is a different product.In any case, water under it has the potential for mold and mildew.  I'd tear it out and replace it after everything is properly dried.

ransley · Answer

Is it a locking floating floor  maybe removing a few end strips, run afan and dehumidifier now. Its well known to use a wet-damp rated floorin basements, and kitchens.

HeyBub · Answer

I'd suck out as much water as possible, enlist a de-humidifier and hope for the best.

It sure won't get any worse. With patience and suitable placement of carpets and furniture, you may not even notice any lingering problem.

Flooded laminate flooring -- any hope of rescue?

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