Humidifier Laminate Flooring

What happens when humidity and laminate mix.

Humidifier laminate flooring.

You only need a damp mop and spot cleaning for spills. During warm humid weather laminate might expand to give the floor a crowned look. Aim to keep the humidity in your home between 35 and 55. As the humidity levels rise above 60 your flooring expands.

Repair or replace a leaking humidifier immediately. If a small amount of water has leaked toward the edges of the flooring pull up any quarter round shoe molding or baseboards around the perimeter. The humidifier can easily make your floor or carpet wet. Low humidity levels can also have an impact on your flooring.

Don t clean your laminate floors with excessive water. Because laminate is installed using a tongue in groove click to lock system this expansion can push the sides of each plank into each other causing them to buckle. And we all know that inhaling moldy air is extremely bad for your health. The national wood floor association nwfa states that normal relative humidity levels should range between 30 50 to ensure successful long term performance of your wood flooring.

Checking a humidifier often for leaks will minimize your risk of damage to the wood floors as will placing the humidifier on a piece of wood or a plastic tray which can act as a protective barrier for your floor. High pressure laminate flooring is excellent for high humidity applications because it s made with a special glue that reduces the absorption of moisture. So between the nightstand and the floor the nightstand is a better option. Humidity levels in your home are often affected by seasonal changes and laminate flooring responds by expanding and contracting.

To allow for this expansion place 3 8 inch spacers along the wall to leave a consistent gap around the edges of the floor. Although it s not waterproof high pressure laminate flooring experiences little expansion and contraction. Wetting the floor regularly or allowing water to stand on the floor can allow moisture to seep between the planks and warp the wood. If the water is not pervasive you may be able to extract it with a wet dry vacuum.

Water under laminate flooring. When the water reaches under laminate flooring the water must be removed immediately. During dry cold weather laminate might shrink causing cracks to appear between each plank. If the moisture gets deep enough it can cause mold.

Laminate flooring is inexpensive comprised of wood composites that are pressed together for high strength and water resistance. Where should you put it. The first thing to know when learning how to lay laminate flooring is that all laminate flooring will expand and contract due to temperature and humidity fluctuations.