Laminate floor - damp from underneath, or just surface film?

RainbowLaura

Hi everyone,

I've noticed recently that part of my laminate flooring (which is on concrete, and was already laid when I moved in five years ago) feels kind of "tacky" to the touch. It's just along one edge, which meets an external wall and my patio doors (this bit tends to be very cold due to where it is). It sounds silly but I can't actually work out if it's damp that I can feel or something more filmy/almost sticky. I have cleaned the floor thoroughly and then blasted it with a hair drier, but can't get rid of this filmy area.

If it was damp coming up from underneath, surely the floor would have started buckling or discolouring before moisture could actually be felt on top of the plastic top layer of the laminate? It looks in perfect condition and feels perfectly solid. I'd rather not start taking it up to look, so I'm just wondering really, does it sound like damp or just something on the surface? The house is less than 20 years old.

Thanks,

Laura

missile

There ought to be a damp proof membrane under the laminate. I had a similar issue with damp. I thought there was just a little patch, barely noticeable but when we lifted a board we were shocked to discover how bad it was.

RainbowLaura

Thanks for your reply Missile. Perhaps it would be worth looking underneath then! What did the laminate look like before you pulled it up? Was it buckled/discoloured, and was it damp on the surface of the planks?