Robustness of wood flooring to water

[curium]

Hi, I'm considering laying Quickstep flooring running from my lounge into my kitchen.

I'm after some user experience or professional knowledge on how well this type of flooring stands up to water.

Quickstep claim that it's resistant to spills.

I've had a look at some samples in the shop and looks like a type of man-made fibre board with a bonded layer on top.

I'm concerned that water will get into the gaps between the planks and cause the man-made board to swell, disrupting the floor.

Is this an unfounded fear? I have two children under 3 years. The kitchen floor will need regular mopping to cope with the mess after meal times and I'm concerned that this cleaning will cause it to deteriorate.

My instinct is to tile but I have to accept my wife's opinion that the same floor running through-out the ground floor of the house would look better.

Any help from those who know?

Cheers!

 

[mr_vampy]

According to the Quickstep catalogue they say, "moisture-resistant is not the same as moisture proof. All spillages must be mopped up immediately and water should never be left on the floor".

They have a collection called "Lagune" in their range which is designed for bathroom floors but can be used for other rooms. To provide prolonged protection against moisture you have to used their "Seal & Click" sealant which is elastic and transparent, and if used it'll give you a 10 Year Domestic use Wet Area Warranty.

Personally, I would laminate the lounge and tile the kitchen. But if your wife really insists on having laminate in the kitchen, you could look at Aqua-step. I've never used this product before, but it claims to be 100% waterproof as the board is made from a synthetic plastic resin rather than the wooden composite in conventional laminates.

 

[crazydaze]

Pergo is considerably better at resisting water, it's not water proof, it is a better floor all round though. Good quality laiminates will be fine in the area you want to cover, any floor will be affected in some way if you have a washing machine leak, if you have a localised leak then a click system laminate can be easily repaired by replacing boards in the affected area.