Waterproof laminate: it’s one of mankind’s greatest dreams, up there with landing on Mars and solving world hunger. Moisture has long bedeviled the laminate flooring industry, and has been one of the major reasons why many homeowners choose not to install laminate in wet places.
The Core of Laminate Floor’s Problem
The problem is not with the top layer, but with the core. Laminate flooring’s core is little more than high- or medium-density fiberboard or particle board. If you’ve ever seen a sheet of particle board get rained on, you’ll know how it bubbles up and crumbles like a wet soda cracker.
Moisture During Manufacturing
One little-known aspect of this moisture-and-laminate issue is that the moisture problem actually starts in the factory, not in the home. Flooring manufacturers have found that high moisture content in the fiberboard particles in the factory can result in poor adhesion of the top melamine wear layer.
