Why does my laminate flooring keep seperating?

On last year around the early part of 2008, the faucets on the tubs in our new home ( which the contractors had were made out of a hard plastic) cracked and broke. So my husband and I went to the hardware store to buy the metal kind for the two bathrooms. The hardware salesperson told us to bring the part that the faucet are screw on to, to check for the right size. Anyway my husband who is not very handy took out more off the faucets then he should have, and took out the part inside the walls were the faucets go, and to top that he did not turn off the water from the water meter. Anyway water begin to spray heavily everywhere and was on the masterbathroom floors and reached part of the masterbedroom. We turn off the water meter and got up all the water off the floors which are wood laminate throughout the whole house. Then the following day, I noticed that some of the laminate flooring were coming apart in the bathroom, and we would join them back together, and then the masterbedroom floors in some areas where coming apart also. In both the bathroom and the masterbedroom this continued to happen, and each time we join them back together. We figured the padding underneath must be damp and causing the separation. Here it is March of 2009, and we are still noticing the laminate seperating. What is going on with the floors in the bathroom and bedroom, it doesn't seem to be any damage, and the padding is not wet, has the laminate shrunk, and what can I do about this problem? I have Pergo laminate flooring.

rob s2009-03-29T09:56:39Z

Favorite Answer

Your tongue or the slot that it clicks together is either swollen from moisture yet of your flooring is still wet and not allowing the laminate to dry .. Thus your not getting the laminate full clicked together or somethings wrong with the male/female part.. You may never get this back to stay together now.. You may want to look into filing an insurance claim for water damage.. Its worth looking into unless your deductible isn t worth turning it in.. Any flooring questions you can e mail me through my avatar.. GL

althea2016-05-26T05:00:40Z

Laminate is different from hard wood. You do not want to leave water too long on a laminate floor, or the finish will buckle. Make your own floor cleaner by mixing equal parts of rubbing alcohol, water, and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe up small sections of the floor at a time. The alcohol will help the water evaporate.

Cheryl C2009-03-27T00:53:34Z

im just about to lay laminex flooring my self tomorrow and yes u have damage the lining as well as the top flooring as the flooring is not meant to get soaked u can wash it but only with a damp cloth not a soaking one. u are not ment to have them in a bathroom either because of the water u will evenually have to replace the flooring as it will just keep coming up