Laminate flooring is one of the most incredibly functional flooring options and therefore, can add to the resale value of your interior. Also, laminate floors offer a more comfortable feel underfoot as compared to vinyl, parquet, or any other flooring options which as well, have their own importance and benefits.
Not to mention the durability, style, and ease of maintenance offered by laminate floors. Adding all these benefits together makes laminate one of the best available flooring options.
This also justifies the reason for a lot of people choosing laminate floors nowadays. However, as with all other things, there is one major drawback, which is the fact that laminate floors offer less resistance to moisture, thus making them ineffective for damp areas.
But problems are there to be solved, aren’t they? And this goes the same for the moisture resistance issue of laminate flooring. Because there are many smart ways that can add to the moisture resistance property of your laminate floor and in some cases, can make it entirely waterproof, too.
The Best Ways To Make Laminate Floors Waterproof
Now that you’ve had laminate floors installed in your home, all you can do is find ways for making them waterproof so as to secure your valuable investment. Elsewise, your laminate floors will get damaged by water and become susceptible to wrapping, rotting, and bending in the long run.
So today at Design Furniture, We’ve explained some smart ways that you can imply to your laminate floors for making them waterproof.
1. Use Silicone Sealants To Fill The Flooring Gaps
One of the most efficient and easy-to-apply methods is the use of silicone sealants. As you know, silicon is a flexible and pliable chemical element that can adhere to surfaces. Therefore, this can be an ideal choice to seal any gaps between your laminate floors.
Because in most cases, laminate floors are damaged by water seepage into the deep layers. And, getting all such spaces/gaps filled using silicone means preventing water seepage, which will ultimately keep water damage away from your laminate floors. Below, we’ve mentioned some of the best and most popular silicone sealant choices for this purpose.
1. RTV Adhesive Silicone Sealant
This is a general, all-purpose designed silicone adhesive that can prove to be helpful to seal the gaps in your laminate flooring. Also, it’s not much expensive, thus paving the way for an affordable flooring fix.
2. All-Purpose Silicone GE Sealant
Being 100% waterproof, this sealant can be an ideal option to help you complete your task efficiently. Also, this sealant has strong adhesive strength and offers flexibility as well.
3. Architectural Grade RTV Sealant
This silicone sealant is most commonly known by its name Red Devil 0820 Silicone Sealant and is suitable for all types of interior and exterior adhesions. Besides, it’s available in different colors and provides long-lasting resistance to water damage.
2. Apply Caulking To Seal The Flooring Joints
This is another type of material that can be used to seal joints and seams. Also, caulking is commonly used to fix the leakage in various structures, mostly piping. Therefore, you can apply caulk sealant to cover up the expansion gap of your high quality laminate flooring, thus preventing the entry of water, smoke, dust, and dirt into the deeper layers.
Adding to that, caulk sealant can prove to be more useful than silicone one because caulk jointed areas are easier to paint and dry quickly. Besides, caulk sealant won’t allow too much expansion or contraction of the flooring gaps, thus keeping them in place and not allowing any cracks to appear.
Here, we’ve mentioned some of the best caulk sealant options to make your laminate flooring waterproof.
1. ColorSeal Flexible Sealant
You can cover up any holes, joints, gaps, spaces, or damaged edges of your laminate flooring using this color seal oak sealant. Also, you can choose to have this sealant in a color that matches your floor, thus preserving the aesthetic appearance of your flooring.
2. Click Seal Gel Sealant
This caulk sealant can protect your floors against water and moisture damage exceptionally well. It is a solvent-free, acrylic emulsion adhesive sealant that has a high bond strength as well.
3. Big Stretch Acrylic Caulk
This acrylic caulk sealant is extremely elastic and can twist, bend, compress, and stretch, in order to prevent tearing. Besides, you can choose from 13 different colors to match the shade of your laminate flooring.
3. Coat The Laminate Flooring Surface With Polyurethane
Polyurethane coating can protect your laminate floors from water damage besides making them shiny and smooth in appearance. And, if your laminate floors look like hardwood flooring textures, then this can be an ideal way to make them waterproof.
However, you need to know that when applying a polyurethane coat, it won’t stick immediately to the resin and settles with time. And, you might need to coat twice for better, effective results.
4. Employ PVA Type 2 Glue To Seal The Locking Mechanism
This is another great way to make your laminate floors waterproof. This polyvinyl acetate-based adhesive can provide good water resistance and excellent bond strength, as well. This glue can be used to seal the locking mechanism (where the planks meet), thus preventing the water from reaching the core of your laminate flooring.
The Conclusion
We’ve explained to you some of the smart and efficient ways that can make your laminate floors waterproof. Applying these methods requires a little bit of your time and effort, plus, some attention to details of the task you’re performing. You can apply either silicone and caulk sealants or can make use of polyurethane coating and PVA Type 2 Glue for making your laminate floor waterproof. This way, you can easily make the most out of them for longer periods of time by preserving against all potential damages.