Laminate Questions (water damage)

7 years ago

I am not familiar with laminate. We are doing a remodel and are planning to put laminate in our kitchen and dining room (the dining room gets a lot of use since we don't have an eat in kitchen).

I've been reading a lot about water damage, but haven't really found how much will damage laminate. I fell in love with a color from Pergo XP, I believe it says it's mildly water resistant. I was also planning on using their Pergo Gold underlayment as further moisture protection.

My problem is not spills, but frequently we will drop a stray ice cube out of the fridge, or get water droplets on the ground from the sink (not a lot, droplets from a nickel to a quarter size). Are those things likely to damage a laminate floor?

I've looked a lot at luxury vinyl planks, but haven't found any I liked (and also in the back of my mind I can't seem to not equate vinyl with cheap, crappy floors).

Do you think that amount of water on a semi regular basis will ruin a laminate floor? I've read that silicone in the connecting joints can help, do you think that would keep it from being ruined? Am I crazy for trying to put laminate in a place that's not bone dry?

Featured Answer

jomonster8u

7 years ago

Some people swear by laminate, but in my house, it would be a disaster. I got a zillion vinyl planks and there ARE some really nice ones, even cork backed ones, but they get pricey - like, as pricey as an unfinished solid wood 3/4 select floor. Not worth it in my opinion unless there is another reason, like installing in a basement or really high traffic area (restaurant?). Have you considered wood-look tile? You could put radiant heat in the floor somewhat easily now and there are some really beautiful tiles out there that are much better looking than laminates.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

Wendy
7 years ago
Some of the commercial level laminates are water resistant, but also more expensive. 7 years ago I installed a Wilsonart laminate that was rated as water resistant at my beach house. I actually have it in 3 bathrooms and it still looks brand new. I'm pretty sure Wilsonart is out of the laminate business, but there are probably other commercial grade ones out there. My floors have been incredibly durable to sand and water and look like the day they were installed. But I have heard great things about LVP too.

Good luck!
Related Professionals
La Habra Interior Designers & Decorators · Linton Hall Interior Designers & Decorators · Panama City Beach Architects & Building Designers · Dallas Furniture & Accessories · Marietta Furniture & Accessories · Woodbury Furniture & Accessories · Rogers Furniture & Accessories · Hillsboro General Contractors · Jackson General Contractors · Meadville General Contractors · Rossmoor General Contractors · Toledo General Contractors · Waianae General Contractors · Waimalu General Contractors · Waldorf General Contractors
gtcircus
7 years ago
I did laminate once, never again. Keep looking.
PRO
Shaw Floors
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hi Carolyn, with laminate being new to you, we wanted to provide a brief description of this flooring type. Laminate uses wood fiber that is left over and recycled from the hardwood manufacturing process to create a coreboard. This coreboard is backed with melamine, which provides stability and moisture resistance, and is topped with the “decorative layer” that features a high-quality photograph of our most beautiful hardwood. It would work well in a dining room, but if stray ice cubes melt on your laminate floor unnoticed, water damage is possible.

If you are concerned about water being an issue, you might consider luxury vinyl flooring, which is naturally water-resistant or some collections are waterproof. Some beautiful types of luxury vinyl products that would be good options for potential water exposure include Aviator Plank and Navigator, which click together and are available in over 10 beautiful options. Shaw Floors also offers a collection of waterproof vinyl flooring called Floorté that you may want to consider as well. We've provided in a photo of Alto HD Plank below so you can see this enhanced vinyl plank flooring in a living room setting.
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I second the porcelain wood-look tiles for your kitchen/dining area....

Laminate is....laminate :)
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
Pergo XP still shows "wipe up spills inside of 15 minutes" as part of the maintenance requirements. The stray ice cube has been shown, time and time again, to damage Pergo (regardless of it's characteristics). That is NOT good enough for a kitchen. If you must have laminate in your kitchen, then look to a REAL water-resistant laminate such as Aquaguard. This is a laminate that is created using a modified core (other things other than wood are used).

An LVP is your most appropriate option here. Traditional laminates have a kitchen-life expectancy of 3-7 years (5 years is most common). If you are in love with the Pergo...please purchase the kitchen TWICE. So you can replace the floor in the near future without worrying about trying to source the same colour/product in 5 years (which is almost the impossible to do).
PRO
JudyG Designs
7 years ago
So many other choices…don’t do laminate.