Vinyl plank floor over basement concrete is cupping-seller says put down plastic
I won't mention the brand name, but we installed one of those new plank vinyl floors that do not require gluing. Simple to install which it wasn't but we followed the directions carefully and the floor was very snug, i.e. no gaps between planks. The company advised us to use double-sided tape on some of the short ends which we did. We have a nice smooth basement floor from which we removed an old vinyl floor. Because of some concerns about possible asbestos in the old glue we sealed the concrete, prior to install of new floor, using concrete sealer--the kind that goes on milky and dries clear. At least 2 coats were applied. Six months after installing the vinyl planks we noticed that some of them were cupped, forming a potential tripping hazard so we applied more double sided tape. A year later when the cupping progressed we called the company. They came for an inspection and found some moldy areas under some planks. This was surprising as we had done repairs to our drainage and foundation two years previous, plus we had sealed the concrete. Furthermore when removing a two year old carpet in an adjacent room, there was no evidence of mold or moisture. The vinyl flooring was advertised as appropriate for concrete basement floors. A company rep is now advising us to remove the flooring, put down 6 mil poly over the concrete and to reinstall the planks. I'm reluctant to do that because with even a millimeter of play the flooring is going to cause the planks to slide in this rental unit. And I wondering about creating an even better environment for mold under the plastic. I even wonder if the planks are promoting the growth of mold by creating a warm environment over a cooler concrete. Any thoughts? I assume you are talking about a laminate floor??? If you read the directions, they probably said, install a moisture proof barrier under the floor if over concrete..........and it has to be their barrier. If it was one of those floor with the built in barrier, not sure what to suggest. Since it warped, you are screwed..... Bill, I think it is Allure instead of laminate. I would also question the spacing at the edges. Did you leave at least 1/4 of space for expansion and contraction? The plastic is still going to hold the moisture. You need a floor that will breath. No, it is called Drop Done--vinyl planks. I did leave a little space around the perimeter. It was promoted as suitable for basement concrete floors and it cost more than other flooring because you pay for the convenience of easy installation. The company is currently being attentive to our problem, but I'm not happy with this idea of putting down plastic. I just did a test in an adjacent room that still has the bare concrete. I taped down a piece of 1 foot square plastic. After 24 hours I lifted it and there was no moisture and the concrete did not display any change in colouration--i.e. it was not darker from moisture. Airman. I agree. I don't want to create a petri dish with the plastic. I'm inclined to glue it down or get a different product. If it was intended for the area where it was installed, and was installed per manufacturers instructions........there should be a warranty. Was your basement damp before and/or after the install of this new flooring? Also, what part of Canada are you in? Being Canadian, I know that we have a major variety of weather conditions from region to region. You may have to run a subfloor under your flooring. I'm on the west coast but in a relatively dry area. There was one damp area when we bought the house, but we did the drainage, repaired the foundation, and sealed the concrete. The basement was dry for two years since. I think that moisture is forming between the cool concrete and the warmer vinyl plank. Yes, there is a warranty but the company is making more excuses each time I speak to them. I see they have now changed the information on their web site. Sure hope we don't have to install a subfloor as the kitchen has already been installed. Main problem is that this part of our home is rented--for top dollar--so we can't get into anything major. why wont you mention the brand name? It would probably help and help another person. Not to mention it might get the company on the ball if they know your hitting forums. as far as im aware almost all those flooring products have their own form of vapor barrier/insulation that goes under them. Is this below grade? the reason you dont have m old under the carpet is because carpet will still breath, for it to get moldy it would have to stay constantly damp. as far as sealing a concrete floor thats pretty tough since almost every product ive seen says it wont work for floors. i just finished drylocking my above grade block foundation and was thinking fo hitting the floor but even that says its not meant for it. Honestly i would say there is not much you can do in this case aside drill tiny little holes in the flooring to attempt to allow air circulation (just a theory tho). This may help because sealing the concrete may have done more harm than good. concrete breaths both in and out. By sealing the floor you may have cause the condensation to build due to the temp differences but now it has no where to go. I put down a drop and done floor in one room of my basement a couple of years ago and it was glues in some parts with PL and double tapes around the perimeter. I did not put it directly on the concrete floor. Instead, I used dricore sub-floor panels which are elevated to allow air flow and allow drying if any moisture does get in there. This first room was about 240 square feet. Now I am doing the other 110 square feet of the basement the same way, dricore and drop and done. I did see that they say you can put it directly on a concrete floor but I wasn't about to do that do that which is why I bought the dricore sub-floor system. I live on the 'wet coast' too. Welcome to the forums, Russcles! That's good information but, since the discussion in this thread ended more than a year ago, it's probably safe to assume that the issue has been resolved. I'll just close this to more replies now. Please start a new thread with any question you think we might be able to help with!
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