How will my laminate floor weather the overflowing toilet?

Question

My toilet overflowed, big time, this evening. It went across the tile in the bathroom and into the hallway, which has laminate wood flooring. I mopped it up as quickly as I could, but it still squishes when I step on the floor in that area. I know to put a fan on it, but right now my only fan is blowing in the corner of my carpeted bedroom where it soaked through the wall. (what a [insert curse word] mess!)

Anyway, will my laminate flooring ever stop squishing? Will it ever completely dry? Will it rot underneath or grow mold or something?

Answer 1

Hooo boy you do have a HE-double-hockey-sticks of a mess.

Yeah, it'll dry out eventually.  The quickest way to dry it is to turn off your A/C and let the house get hot.  I know - dratted uncomfortable.

The quicker you get it dry the less likely you are to get mildew.

The effects on the flooring have a lot to do with what kind it is and its quality.  Higher quality stuff with a fair amount of resin, or made with bamboo, should hold up okay.

Answer 2

Time will tell but it could swell up from the moisture.Keep the fan on it.

Answer 3

If the over flow is as bad as you say you may have to take up the laminate flooring. It may be installed with a cushion that will just hold the water and destroy the floor .Make mold. Rot. Talk to your insurance agent for your homeowners policy for a local contact that deals with water restorations ASAP. You may have to make a claim or not. The referral will be able to help you with this. If you feel you have to deal with this yourself and you have a crawl space under wet area try drilling some holes with a drill bit through the floor in the lowest part of the flooded area. Test the floor with a small hand level and try to drill in a knot or other feature of the floor so later when you recaulk the floor to match it will be less noticeable. Sorry about the flood. Keep your airconditioning on all the time. This helps get the vapor in the air out of the house to lower the humidity. Also get some heat blowing on the wet spots. Works like a hair dryer. Turns moisture into vapor and then the ac takes out the vapor. Odd but true.

Answer 4

good answers about trying to dry it out and getting in touch with your insurance agent.

my personal experience with a similar problem was the floor had to be replaced and it was covered by my insurance.   Pergo and the other laminate  floorings are easily damaged by both standing water and water that gets under the floor as the water has no place to evaporate to and begins to delaminate the product face from the core.