Waterproof planks, not a waterproof floor
Luxury vinyl plank and other rigid-core flooring now cover the floors of many Aurora townhomes, newer apartment buildings and remodeled basements. The planks ignore spills, so owners assume a leak can't hurt them. The joints are the weak point. Water from a dishwasher, a refrigerator line or a toilet runs to the edge of the room and slips between planks or under the baseboard onto whatever sits below: underlayment, a vapor barrier or bare concrete.
On a slab, that water can't drain and has almost no air to evaporate into. The planks work like a lid. Weeks later, someone notices a musty smell, a plank that moves underfoot or dark staining along the bottom of the drywall. By then the slab and the base of the walls may have been damp for a long time.
Signs water is under the floor
- Planks that click, flex or feel spongy where they used to feel solid
- Edges that have lifted, peaked or pulled apart at the seams
- Water seeping up through the seams when you press on a plank
- Swelling or staining at the bottom of baseboards or door casings
- A musty smell in a room with no visible wet surface
- Moisture meter readings at the base of the drywall near the suspected source
How it usually gets handled
Stop and confirm the source
Appliance supply lines, toilet wax rings and slow drain leaks are the usual suspects. You may need a plumber before drying starts.
Map the wet area
A contractor runs a non-penetrating meter across the floor and a probe along the walls to see how far the water went.
Pull baseboards and lift planks
Click-lock planks can sometimes come up carefully and get stacked for reinstall. Glue-down planks usually can't.
Extract and dry the slab
Crews extract standing water on the concrete, then dehumidifiers and air movers dry the slab and the lower wall.
Check before reinstalling
Concrete holds moisture. Confirm the readings before the floor goes back down, or the problem comes back.
Floating versus glue-down planks after a leak
Floating click-lock
- Often comes up undamaged if handled carefully
- The underlayment pad usually gets thrown out and replaced
- The slab dries easily once the planks are up
Glue-down
- Removal usually destroys the planks
- Wet adhesive may need scraping before new flooring goes down
- Some contractors try specialty drying through the floor first. Ask how they'll prove the slab is dry
General information for Aurora, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.