Water Damage on Harris Tarkett Longstrip Floor

Q: We had some water damage in our kitchen, which has caused some of the boards to pop up (a 3 ft by 5 ft section). Several floor installers have come by to see the floor, and they all have been telling us that the entire floor needs to come up. The Harris Tarkett floating floor (natural oak finish) is in our kitchen and continues in the family room.
This will be a very large project that we would prefer to avoid. It is true that it cannot be repaired or a couple of boards replaced rather than ripping up the whole floor in two rooms? I really need someone’s unbiased opinion. It is not a cost issue, but more of a time and wasted resource issue (we are putting on our home on the market shortly due to a company relocation).
I would really appreciate your opinion.
Best Regards,
Jenna G
A: Water damage is always something tough when it comes to wood floors. Without examining the floor directly I know there are a few issues. First off, this will depend on how long you have owned this floor. Engineered floors tend to see minor changes as often as once per year or so. These small changes, which can be in plank dimensions, locking mechanism, etc., can make new planks and old flooring incompatible. Without knowing, lets examine a few possibilities.
If this floor is relatively new and still in production (or older, but still being produced), replacing this portion could be possible dependent on the location of of the damage. If this is closer to an edge or wall, it can make things easier. The other issue you may run into is that the color of the wood will not match what is already laid down. It may compliment, but wood will naturally darken over time, so it could very well stick out like a sore thumb.
If it will be required to replace more than just the affected area you can replace only the kitchen and use a transition to your other room, which will help on the time side of this case you have. However, if you prefer to keep the look of a floor which flows room to room without seeing transition pieces, such as T-molding, you could very well have an honest opinion in regards to replacing the entire floor.
Reply: Thank you very much for the detailed response. I love the internet! Unfortunately, I really do not know the age of the floor, since it was put in by the previous owner. However, it seems that a similar floor by the same manufacturer is available. The damage is by a sliding glass door and pantry door. Therefore, it is bound on 2 sides by walls. The color could be the largest issue, although I think the existing pieces may be able to be used again. They do not appear to be warped as they have popped at the seams. The previous owner installed this floor right over a parquet floor which is also damaged. I think that once they get in there, they could take out the damaged parquet, put in a filler or something, and put the longstrip right back.
Thanks again,
Jenna G
A: If the subfloor is damaged that could be why the installers you have spoken to have suggested replacing the entire floor. The helpful part of this is that this is near an edge rather than the center of the floor.
Color difference can be major especially when your selling a home. If the planks can be reused, which I would consult one of the installers, then its a matter of fixing the subfloor, being the parquet in your case, which could be relatively easy although without directly examining the extent of the damage I can’t give a definite judgment call.
I would suggest contacting one of your previous installers, or even taking some of the planks from the damaged area in to specialist to make sure they are usable. If so, ask one of the contractors if they can fill the parquet area and reinstall the old Tarkett® flooring.
Follow-Up: After a quick conversation with Ryan W., our product specialist here at iFLOOR.com, he suggested one final approach which should prove the easiest course of action here. This Tarkett® floor has a wear layer (species layer) that is as thick as many 3/4″ solid hardwood floors, so sanding and refinishing is a great option. This will be far more economical than replacing the entire floor.
As long as your subfloor is an easy fix, there should be no need to replace the entire floor as the sand and refinish should remove any wear layer warping and smooth everything out.
Good Luck!