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Best Floor Option with Moisture

5 years ago

We had a small home fire in 7 months ago. Fortunately all are safe, but we have been out of the home since while repairs and restoration has been happening. This process has had challenge after challenge as a lot of the damage was underestimated- however, the floor has become the biggest issue.

Previously, we had carpet and tile in the home but in making the repairs we made the decisions to upgrade to a beautiful dark colored bamboo. The flooring is absolutely beautiful - however, after two months it began to buckle and then we began to have mystery water damage and spots (other work was still going on in the house and it is still unoccupied) It was assumed the there was damage to the roof during the fire and this has since been replaced. However, we continue to have moisture issues, which was never a problem in the past. We do live in Florida so moisture is a constant battle, but this is extreme. When pulling up some the damaged planks, there is actually mold present despite a moisture barrier on the concrete slab.

At this point, we are very fortunate that the insurance company is willing to work with us and we are being presented with two options- remove all of the bamboo and let the foundation fully air out and then reinstall. Or, install a new tile or vinyl product. I love the look of the bamboo but given the issues, I think it’s time to move on. Does anyone have any experience with high moisture- would you recommend a vinyl laminate over wood looking tile? I feel like tile maybe the safest bet, but worried that this is a trend that will fade and it also seems cold....

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Comments (2)

lyay
5 years ago
We had beautiful wood-grain style tile in our master bath and liked it well enough until I saw the newer luxury vinyl planks. I had to be convinced to even consider them for our new house, but after reading posts on this site and going to a reputable flooring distributor, I am convinced that this is the best alternative to hardwood. Softer and warmer and yet your house could be underwater for months and the floors would still be intact. You have to decide between SPC and WPC (I'm going with WPC) and glue down (quieter - even though we have large rugs) or floating installation, but I was stunned by the beautiful options.
millworkman
5 years ago
If you have consistent high moisture issues or the threat of them you need to fix the issues. No flooring is designed to be used in a constant moisture condition.
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