Why do you need a waterproof floor?
by Guy Thornycroft
Let’s put ‘waterproof’ into perspective. Yes, a degree of water resistance is useful but that is not the whole story. In a worst case scenario (eg: failure of a Dish Washer) a substantial amount of water will be in contact with the underneath of your flooring for an extended period. Is there any point in the flooring surviving, but the subfloor having to be taken up and replaced? In either case your flooring would need to be taken up to allow the subfloor to dry. In most cases, boards would be damaged in the taking up process or destroyed it if it was glued together. There are a number of other structures that could be compromised too. Kitchen kickboards and units, walls and skirting may also be damaged by water and need replacing. In some products your flooring would have been glued together and the water would compromise the glue. The danger of not getting all areas dry is the quick development of mould which is considered a substantial health risk. The point is in these cases the damage is covered by insurance and the degree of ‘water-proofness’ is irrelevant. Waterproof is not a defined word and there are degrees of water resistance that at some point can start to be called waterproof. Your ‘waterproof’ torch or camera might be ok for being splashed but can you take it underwater
to 5m, 10m or 50m? The marketing still calls it ‘water-proof’. Do you need a floor that adequately deals with the normal spills in a Kitchen? Perhaps you have a swimming pool and need a floor that will deal with kids running in wet? For these applications you don’t need a waterproof floor as much as a water resistant one. A cheap laminate will damage after an hour of
surface water while a mid-priced laminate will be fine after 48 hours. A top end one can be steam cleaned! How much water-resistance do you really need? Look at colour and texture first or call for advice on the different options.
Pro Flooring are located at 258 West Street Umina Beach NSW 2257 contact on 0243426666 for an appointment and arrange a measure and quote.
We have an extensive range of quality Bamboo, Timber and Laminate flooring. We will organise experienced installers to install your flooring for you. The tradesmen we use are insured with a high level of experience, making your installation a stress free experience. If you would prefer to do your own installation, we will package everything you will require to complete your project.
Contact us and one of our experienced staff will be able to assist you with choosing all your flooring needs. Please come and have a look at our showroom and check out our comprehensive range.
Ordered to much product, don’t worry we will buy your unused packs.
http://proflooring.com.au/index.html
