John's Waterproofing Case Studies: Swelling Wood Floor in Basement - Lyle, Washington
Challenge
A homeowner had wood floors in her basement. The problem was a few years ago they had a pretty bad plumbing leak and the wood was permanently damaged. Now every time she walked downstairs she had to look at her ruined, swelled wood flooring that was beginning to rot. She wanted new flooring in her basement but was afraid that if she spent all the money it costs to put in brand new wood flooring then it would be ruined just as quickly and easily as the wood that she currently had.
Solution
Real wood absorbs water vapor from concrete on basement floors. That causes it to swell and get moldy and rot. And one plumbing leak, such as the one that this homeowner had, ruins it immediately. ThermalDry Elite Plank flooring has no wood at all which means that it won't be affected by moisture or water at all. It looks just like wood flooring but without the hassle or worry that real wood causes. These planks lock together and have a raised bottom that suspends them about the cold, hard, and damp concrete floor of a basement. This allows the floor to breathe. No water vapor gets trapped underneath the flooring. If there is a leak then the ThermalDry Elite Plank Floors can easily be removed, dried out and then reinstalled without having to be completely replaced with brand new planks. It also gives a thermal break from the cold concrete slab of a basement floor. This makes the surface temperature up to ten degrees warmer. Now this homeowner can have a luxurious wood plank look, design and even feel but without ever having to worry about spending more money to fix water issues.