Replacing Laminate Flooring

[Leon125]

Hi,
Would welcome any thoughts on the below. Other than laying down some sticky vinyl panels on a floor over some underlay tiles I have no experience in things flooring but here goes...

A while ago I had an issue where a broken dishwasher meant water ran through under the floor of the kitchen and the adjacent living room. The underlay was (still is) wet, but the water does not come up through the floorboards. You can see in the pic however that the damp has had an effect. Occasionally I can still hear it 'squelch' under my feet.

I'd appreciate suggestions on the best way to progress. Maybe not clear from the pic, but the rest of the living room is fine so even if the expense wasn't an issue, I'd want to avoid the effort of moving all the furniture out while all the floorboards were replaced..

i) Ideally, Id purchase the same sort of flooring (I'm hoping it is 'standard') and then ONLY remove the faulty ones. Watching you tube videos, these interlocking laminate tiles should hopefully not be too difficult to install. I've already got some new underlay ready as well.

ii) Is there any chance of lifting up just one/two panels and let the air (I also have a dehumidifer) dry things out. Have I got any chance of replacing the original floorboards afterwards ? -after scraping any 'gunk' off first.

iii) If I use new underlay or a chipboard base (6mm) is it worth trying vinyl (sticky) boards. These seem easier to install, and a fair bit cheaper to replace should things go wrong...

But before going further - reckon the first thing is to dry out the underlay under the flooboards. Is there a 'correct' way to take these floorboards up. Do I need a specific tool ? Appreciate it sounds like I'm being hyper cautious but...

Thanks
Leon

 

[foxhole]

Needs all ripping out and trashing, leave floor below at least a couple of week bare to dry out then decide what to replace with .

 

[Leon125]

Thanks very much for the reply Foxhole. Fair enough, its just that we are talking about less than a quarter of the room here (where laminate is damaged).

Appreciate you've given us a clear answer but is taking up the whole floor my only option even when 75% of it is just fine i.e literally no sign of damage ?

If pulling everything up and letting the affected part dry my only option then i might do that and consider what (cheaper) alternatives I have.

Best
Leon.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Depends how far the wet has got- assuming you used that green felt underlay with polythene sheet below then the water will have gone further under the underlay than you think. The boards in your pic are all fit for the bin (that cupping on the joins is the telltale).
You need to empty the room completely.
Is the laminate under the skirting boards- if so remove skirtings. If there are scotia trims then pull them off- most laminate is laid to the skirting rather than under it, scotia (in my opinion) looks vile but it serves a purpose.
Those boards in your pic are scrap so lift them with a wrecking bar or anything you like - smack a hole in them, get the bar in, lift.
Once you've got 1 row out of the way you'll be able to see which way round they were laid (if you're lucky the last pieces down are the ones that have been damaged).
Removal is gently lift the whole row from the free end by about 30 degrees or so- the joint to the next row should separate. You can then split the row into boards. Examine the joints- any sign of damp (cupping or staining), throw it away.
Keep going until you have removed a clean row. Then lift the underlay tiles and see if there's water underneath- if there is you'll have to lift the rest of the floor to get at the wet underlay.
If the underlay is damp on 1 side rather than soaked then hanging them out to dry (or running the dehumidifier) may salvage them.
While the drying out is happening, roam the DIY sheds looking for a match (yours looks like Wickes bargain range from about 13 years ago, it may still be available).

 

[Leon125]

Hi oldbutnotdead. Thanks that is great info in particular about possibly where I can get replacement boards. Your breakdown for a plan ahead is really appreciated and I can use this to progress.

Now about the underlay, I'm only going by what was in the space between the kitchen and living room. I ended up pulling up the floor tiles here and putting in new underlay (i.e. green tiles) to replace the sodden mess of the previous underlay. So basically, the underlay in the living room could be anything.

I'll start on the skirting boards...getting a wrecking bar first.... Appreciate your help once again.

Best
Leon.