Did you have a flood?
Flooring and Water
This summer has been a time of trials for many people in our area.....the amount of rain that we have seen this summer is overwhelming! I have had a lot of people asking about options for flooring that area easier to deal with than carpet.
First of all, I want to tell you, if you have moisture come in and you have carpet and padding on that floor, there is no way to dry out the pad below the carpet except to pull up the carpet and remove the padding! Carpet pad is a sponge...and it sucks the water into it and holds it under the top coating of the pad. The coating is designed to give stability to the
pad, but it is also a moisture barrier, and will keep the water in it. You might think you can dry the carpet, but there is still moisture below...which will lead to mold and mildew when it sets for a period of time!
So the good news is, There are a couple of products which are available that are waterproof!
The product I want to talk about today is LVT, luxury vinyl tile! It may look like wood or tiles, but it made out of 100% vinyl and is completely waterproof. This product is flexible and somewhat softer than a wood. LVT comes as a glue down, clip, or as a floating floor. In the case of a basement, the floating product is the best since it can be easily picked up, dried and replaced. If you were to get some moisture in one spot, you could easily lift a couple of the planks, dry the area and lay them back down.
This product has been used quite a while in commercial installations because of the durability and the ease of replacing a piece if it was accidentally damaged. We now are finding great uses for it in the home!
It comes in woods looks as well as tile designs. LVT is easiest maintained by mopping. There is a matt finish so that it will not be slippery if water is sitting on it! The higher quality products will have many tile variables within one carton, so that the look is more real. Lower prices laminates have the same tile repeated in the box, so it looks like a fake floor.
The vinyl will be softer to stand on than a wood product, and is very difficult to damage. It is a perfect product for high traffic areas, especially if there are chances of moisture, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and lower levels!
If you need more information on waterproof flooring, give us a call and we will be glad to help you find the perfect floor for your home!
See you soon! Kathy