Water under vinyl plank flooring in basement

last month

last modified: last month

Hi -- I had my hot water heater replaced in my basement and water was spilled on the floor during the work. It was cleaned up by the contractors, but the next day I noticed water coming up between the seams of the floating vinyl plank flooring where I was standing. I ended up removing the planks and there was water all over the entire concrete slab under the planks (the basement is small - about 15 by 15 feet). I was not able to remove the planks from under the water heater of course or under the washer dryer. I've been running a fan and dehumidifier since. The contractor who did the water heater says it'll be fine, just run the fan and it will dry and no mold will happen. I think it would be best to re-empty the water heater and lift it so I can remove the flooring from under it. Am I overreacting? Is it normal for water to spill on floor during water heater replacement? And then to seep through the floor planks and end up all under them in the whole room? Is it ok to leave some planks down since I got most of it out? (I don't really want to put the planks back in and would rather just have bare concrete in case of future water issues - it wasn't really fun removing those planks and carrying out of basement!) Thank you for answers / advice on any or all of these questions!

Featured Answer

PRO

Minardi

last month

You don't need a water heat spill to have a ton of water underneath vinyl floors in a basement. You can certainly get a ton of water, with a leaky water heater though. And that's the more likely scenario. But this is common, even without a water heater issue. Plastic blocks vapor transmission, so you get condensation under it. It's one of the real world problems with vinyl. It's a terrible choice in most situations.

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Comments (10)

Sigrid
last month
Many shop vacs will vacuum up water, if you remove the dust filter. They tend to be pretty cheap and are useful for spills.
kdub0517 thanked Sigrid
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kdub0517
Original Author
last month
Oh yes, I used shop vac to vacuum up the water off concrete after removing the planks. And then set up floor fan and dehumidifier. But still worried about the planks under the appliances and water heater. I'd rather not take any chances with mold.
Jake The Wonderdog
last month
last modified: last month
I think there are three standards here.

1. What you need to do to be reasonably sure it's not going to mold.

2. What is reasonable to ask of your contractor.

3. What is going to make you feel like enough has been done.

The answer to number one and number two are to remove the accessible planks and vacuum up any liquid water. Then run a fan and dehumidifier.

We can't really say what would be enough to make you feel like enough has been done.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last month
This is not the contractor's problem.

It's good you worked to stop the problem the minute you discovered the water.

When it comes to plumbing there's going to be water. If you dry the area out, pointing the fans directly at the flooring under the water heater I don't think you'll have an issue with mold unless your basement has a humidity problem.
tozmo1
last month
Most in the house water heaters have leak pans. Perhaps yours did and water escaped anyway. It's very probable to have some leakage when changing out a water heater but usually not more than escapes a pan unless the water heater is rotted out. If you don't have a pan, have one installed the next time you replace it. https://www.killarneymetals.com/categories/water-heater-pans
klem1
last month
The key to what to do from here is "(I don't really want to put the planks back in and would rather just have bare concrete in case of future water issues - "

I tend to agree and would lift heater and remove flooring. Whether it results in mold or not, it will look like sh*t if left in place.
tozmo1
last month
Vinyl planks are the correct choice for this situation. In coastal areas near me, insurance companies have stopped insuring hardwood floors due to having to replace them after water damage. The preference is vinyl flooring because you can pull it up, let it dry and then replace. Let the area dry, you should be fine unless it is a damp basement all the time.
PRO
G & S Floor Service
last month
You probably have a damp basement. Uncap the concrete and water proof it. You will need to install sleepers and wood subfloor to lay any other type of flooring in the future. The air gap will help dry out any moisture.
PRO
Rainbow Colors
last month
Vinyl floors have to be replaced after floods too. Because just removing it damages the click. It's a much bigger issue for water damage to substrates as well, because it's vapor impermeable. Because of condensation, mold tends to grow under it whether or not you have an actual physical leak or not. It's all bad news directly on any concrete slab.