Picked laminate over LVP for my basement and sort of wish I hadn't

I spent about 3 weeks going back and forth on flooring for my 500 sq ft basement. Laminate was cheaper at $1.50 a square foot versus LVP at $2.80. I figured the moisture rating on the laminate was good enough since the basement has never flooded in 10 years. Fast forward to last month when my washing machine hose burst and I had water sitting for maybe 6 hours. The laminate puckered up along the seems in two spots and now I gotta replace those planks. Has anyone else switched from one to the other after a water mishap?

2 comments

2 Comments

iris_dixon912d ago

Oh man, that washing machine hose story hit close to home. My sister had a similar thing happen but with her fridge ice maker line, and she had tile down so it was just a mop situation. I went with LVP for my basement after my neighbor told me about his laminate buckling just from humidity changes during summer months. The stuff swells up like a sponge if you look at it wrong. I waited for a sale at the local flooring place and got LVP for $2.20 a square foot during their spring clearance, which was way better than the regular price. The click-lock system on mine is pretty solid and I actually installed it myself over a weekend with just a utility knife and a rubber mallet. Only downside is it feels a bit cold underfoot in winter, but a cheap rug fixed that.

sarah_nelson2d ago

That hose leak is brutal and I totally get the frustration. I had a similar thing happen with a basement sink drain that backed up and soaked the corner of my room. The laminate did that same pucker thing right along the seams and I was so mad because the planks are a pain to replace without messing up the whole floor. Switching to LVP after that felt like a no brainer even with the higher cost, just for the peace of mind. Did you end up patching the spots or are you ripping it all out?