We recently replaced carpeting with laminate flooring in one room of the basement. Yesterday the pipe disconnected on the sump pump and flooded the basement. (that problem is solved) We’re pulling out the rest of the carpeting and replacing it. The question is do we have to pull out the new laminate flooring? This is the room all the water went through to get to the carpet. I’m worried about mold.
laura3937
Great move replacing the carpet with laminate flooring. Even if you hadn’t had a flood, carpet is a really bad idea for a basement. Basically it is mold food! Mold needs three things to grow: water, air and organic matter. Carpet holds dust and dirt, which can be very organic. Plus, the backing material itself is also very organic. This plus the allergens it holds like dust mites make it a very bad idea.
Laminate, on the other hand, has no such limitations. In fact, it can be submerged for days on end and suffer no deterioration whatsoever. And, since the material is totally inorganic, you should have no worries about mold. Just dry everything up, damp mop it with a 10-20% bleach to water solution, and you’ll be good to go.
Also, you might want to talk to an insurance adjuster about your flood. With any luck, you could claim enough damage to pay for the rest of that new floor!
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