24/7 Emergency Service
More and more homeowners and building managers are turning to luxury vinyl tile (LVT) as a beautiful and less-costly alternative to hardwood, stone, marble, or ceramic flooring. It is easier to install, reducing installation costs, and can be laid over concrete of wooden subflooring. LVT is extremely resilient and durable, resistant to dents, scratches, heat, and more importantly, water damage.
What Is LVT Flooring
LVT is constructed of four different layers of material. There is a vinyl backing layer, a vinyl core, a photographic print film layer (this layer determines how the finished flooring will look), and a protective clear layer. Part of LVT’s popularity is its ease of maintenance. It can be maintained by just sweeping or dry mopping and can last 25-30 years.
Luxury vinyl has a softer surface than other types of flooring making it more comfortable to walk on. It also has a sound reducing property, so that you will not hear that clickity-clacking noise when you walk across it.
LVT’s Greatest Advantage
Perhaps the greatest advantage that LVT has over other types of flooring is its resistance to damage from water. This is why LVT is such an excellent choice for flooring in kitchens, bathrooms, and any below-grade rooms. Luxury vinyl flooring is completely water-proof and the planks or tiles cannot be damaged by being exposed to moisture of any kind.
LVT and Water Damage
As stated above, exposure to moisture or water cannot damage LVT. The real problem after any water damage event is what damage has been done to the subfloor that the LVT is installed over.
Vinyl flooring can be installed by gluing it down (not recommended) or by “floating” it over the subfloor. During a water damage event, water may get under the LVT and negatively affect the wooden or concrete subfloor. If this happens, it may be necessary to remove the LVT so that problems with the subfloor can be addressed. The LVT itself can be carefully uninstalled, professionally dried by wiping and exposure to low humidity drying conditions, and then be reinstalled when the subfloor has been satisfactorily dried back to its pre-loss condition.
It is important to dry what is underneath the LVT. If wood subflooring is left to dry on its own, it could take weeks or months and the will be the danger of mold developing.
Concrete poses a different problem when affected by water. Many people incorrectly think that concrete is completely waterproof and can’t be affected by a water loss. Water can have a significant impact on your home’s concrete. Although water is an essential component of concrete, it can also be the most destructive. Excessive humidity and temperature can reduce the strength of concrete and concrete’s natural alkalinity can in turn damage your LVT flooring. Also any organic material, like dust and dirt, trapped between the flooring and the concrete subfloor is subject to mold growth.
Always Seek Professional Help
The good news is that if addressed in a timely manner, LVT flooring can be dried and reinstalled after a water loss. Understand that while the water will not cause permanent damage to the LVT flooring, the subflooring, walls and baseboards do require drying, and if left unaddressed, will eventually damage the LVT. At Water Mold Fire Restoration we have the specialized equipment on hand to handle water damage to LVT flooring. Our trained water-damage technicians can be at your home or business in one hour or less. Contact us at 800-905-0277 or email us at help@watermoldfire.net. Our estimates are always free of charge and without obligation.
