My flooring is already installed and there are a few spots where water has caused swelling...isn't there ANYTHING that I can use to seal this floor? The Swedish store told me no. Please, someone tell me different!!!
OK, you can seal it. Run a bead of silicone caulk along the joints. Then apply three coats of polyurethane over the entire floor.
Sometimes the silicone or glue will swell up the glueless joints and it well look worse when installed. The old style laminate, before the glueless snap ins, where you use the glue provided by the laminate factory, is water resistant. I have the glueless in both kitchen and bathrooms for a few years - not a problem if you wipe off any standing water. YMMV
If you mean all the joints between pieces in the field, they are so tight I see no way that you are going to get anything between the joints and you will just be smearing in on the surface.
Have you ever done this? I can't imagine the poly sticking to the floor and even if it did it would crack along all the joints. Come to think of it the poly won't stick to the joints at all because you just smeared silicone on them.
As to the OP, if this is a wet area you are going to have to try to reinstall the floor using the wet area instructions (if they have any) which involves gluing all the joints with the right glue.
If its not in a wet area you have to get the water up immediately.
I would think that you could wax the floor to make the joints more water resistant.
Hi
Your laminate floor floats, so I would not fix it in anyway. I don't believe there is any designed for wet areas. Once it's swelled it swelled. The pieces needs to be removed and replaced. Your can pop the pieces out by cutting the tounges carefully with a very sharp blade.
If it's in your kitchen, you just have to stay on top of water spills. I would have a small rug below your sink area for example to catch the spills. Same thing if its installed in your bathroom.
In hindsight I would not have this product near any water source.
Regards Dale
Too late now, but they do make flooring that is suppose to be resistant in water areas now. Doesnt help that you have it already installed but for the future it might help.
Current snap together floors of better brands like Mannington and Shaw have water resistant edges. Cut edges need to be siliconed. If you have a cheaper floor or poorly installed glued floor you are screwed.
Unfortunately, even if you paid big bucks for Mannington, you're screwed :-)
I know first hand. Been going around and around with them to either fix or replace a top line laminate of theirs that was professionally installed as per warranty, and everything has been done as per warranty and care, and they still refuse to help us. Its now been 7 years we've been fighting them. We've even called our TV investigators. They will NOT stand behind their product or warranty.
DON"T BUY MANNINGTON.
Btw, you'll probably just have to replace the area involved and keep it dry in the future. None of the laminates perform as advertised. Ours was advertised as being under water ( demonstration by dealer) and we have had nothing but warping, rolling, swelling and separation of the joints and glue. Mannington glue was used too. The surface has also rubbed off in areas. It has a 20 yr warranty, but in less then 6 months, we had problems.
Mannington is crap. Next time I will buy an cheap brand, or Pergo.
Lisa^^
------------------------------------- There is a product that will help reduce the harmful effects of water, it's called Bona Laminate Flooring Polish. It helps seal the exposed edges of the laminate,which will help prevent water from getting in. The polish is available at Lowe's, Bona also makes a laminate floor care kit, it's a must have for laminate floor owners.
I knew you were not supposed to seal. But went to Home Depot bought bottle of diluted floor finish in Satin, made for hardwood floors squirted down & smoothed out with Swiffer wet jet w/dry pad, dries in mins. Then went back over again stuck just fine, has been down now for almost 1 year still looks fine. I put down heavy enough to make sure cracks were sealed, wouldn't hesitate to do again...May even plan to do once a year looks so good!
replying to cmrentals, A L wrote: I am curious exactly what product you used. Can you specify? I don't want to buy the wrong thing.
A L posted for all of us...
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