Wet Subfloor Under Vinyl

Chip off ceramic tiles using a masonry hammer and cold chisel.

Wet subfloor under vinyl.

Tape a 3 foot square piece of scrap vinyl to the concrete with duct tape sealing the edges tight. Test the moisture content of your concrete subfloor. Remove the tiles over the damaged area of the subfloor. It is generally made of inch plywood which is quite strong until water is allowed to sit on it.

As the name implies your sub floor is the flooring that sits underneaththe floor you have on top e g. Vinyl flooring can either be glued to the subfloor or it can float on top of it and either way moisture underneath it causes problems. When wood floorboards get wet they swell. However equipped with a dehumidifier and some fans it is easier than you think.

In an area such as a kitchen or bathroom sheet vinyl flooring and water are generally a good match. Seal in the edges so no air can escape. Drying subfloor after flood damage can seem like a daunting task. Pry off linoleum or vinyl tiles with a putty knife using lacquer thinner to dissolve the tile adhesive.

Water damaged vinyl flooring is often unexpected. If you remove a few floorboards one every 5 10 feet 1 5 3 0 m should be fine will allow your floorboards to expand without buckling or cracking. Remove a few boards to let the others expand and dry the subfloor. If it is easy to pull up your subfloor has too much moisture for vinyl.

The key is to isolate the area to use the dehumidifier followed by circulating air using the fans. Another option is to tape a piece of your vinyl flooring to the concrete for 72 hours. Carpet vinyl laminate etc. You can do this with a moisture meter ensuring that your reading is no more than three pounds per 1 000 square feet per 24 hours.

Keep this process going until moisture is gone. Concrete subfloor test the floor for moisture. Leave the vinyl in place for 72 hours. Another way to measure the moisture in a concrete subfloor is to tape a piece of your scrap vinyl to the floor using duct tape.