Waterproof Flooring and The Rest of The Story
Waterproof flooring has been all the rage for many years. The marketing of having a ‘waterproof’ floor has dominated advertising across the flooring landscape. But what does waterproof mean to the consumer? What does waterproof mean in the language of the manufacturer? And what does waterproof mean in the language of the water loss restoration contractor?
MARKETING PHRASES
“100% waterproof, kidproof, petproof luxury vinyl planks and tiles”
“Waterproof, stain-resistant, and pet-friendly floors with beautiful hardwood visuals, minus the maintenance and expense of real hardwood”
“The Wow Without the Worry”
“Waterproof & Stain-Resistant Spills and stains wipe away, leaving nothing behind”
All this great marketing is telling you that the floor is waterproof!! What does waterproof actually mean? The dictionary says waterproof means impervious to water. That sounds enticing when it comes to flooring. Many of us remember the original waterproof flooring of sheet vinyl (or linoleum if you’re THAT old). Top-down waterproof. Spill a glass, no problem! A rogue ice cube from the door, no problem! A sloppy dog, no problem!
Then came laminate... a unique flooring that gave a wood visual without the wood price. Laminate has gone through so many innovations it’s barely recognizable from the glued and strapped floors installed in the 90s. The innovations in locking systems and edge treatments make them significantly better than they ever used to be. Many laminate floors are now marketed as being ‘waterproof’ and ‘water-resistant.’
The consumer shopping for flooring can be very confused when they walk into a store and see all the “water” marketing. What is it they want? What is it they need? What does any of it mean?
Even as a sales professional, it can be confusing with all the different marketing that is out there. What does waterproof mean in the flooring realm? Read any manufacturer’s warranties and they will state that the flooring is only waterproof from the top down.
WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS
“Flooring will resist damage from normal topical household spills under normal use for the specified duration.”
“The flooring system will resist damage from normal topical and household spills and domestic household pet accidents under normal use for the specified duration. The flooring will also withstand moisture from damp or wet mopping.”
“The Waterproof Warranty applies to the product itself and does not extend to damage of the subfloor or adhesives. The warranty refers to topical moisture or topical water exposure. It does not cover moisture or water coming from below/underneath the product and does not cover flooding or intentional damage or misuse.”
“This warranty covers topical moisture as long as the water does not flow over the edge of the surface (edge of the room, cut boards, etc.).”
“Products, where applicable, to be waterproof from topical moisture. The structural integrity of the flooring plank will not be significantly diminished by exposure to topical water. The integrity of the flooring planks will not be affected by topical moisture.”
Those are a lot of words to mean the same thing: topical moisture is the only thing that is covered under any manufacturer's warranty whether it is luxury vinyl or laminate. Floods, subfloor moisture, plumbing leaks, etc. are not covered.
MORE WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS
“Exclusions: These limited warranties do not apply to flooring that has been subjected to abnormal use or conditions or abused in any way, which includes, but is not limited to, moisture damage from plumbing, storms, or flooding; damage from smoke, fire, or other casualty events.”
“The flooring is not designed to withstand flooding, acts of God, plumbing accidents, or leaking appliances (icemakers, dishwashers, clothes washers, etc.). These and other casualty events are not considered topical spills. • The flooring is not designed to withstand water or moisture in the subfloor or underneath the flooring, including, but not limited to, damage from subfloor hydrostatic pressure (water or moisture under the floor that is transmitted to the surface through exerted pressure) or other conditions that result in water or moisture beneath the flooring. • The flooring is not designed to withstand damage from moisture that originates from outside the room where it was installed.”
“Damage caused by events beyond everyday household use is not covered by these limited warranties, including, but not limited to, flooding, standing water, leaking pipes, mechanical failures or appliance leaks. • These limited warranties do not apply to product that has been put to abnormal use or conditions or abused in any way, which includes, but is not limited to, moisture damage from plumbing, storms, or flooding; damage from smoke, fire, or other casualty events; damage caused by negligence; improper alterations of the original manufactured product; damage from use of the flooring that is unreasonable considering the normal and expected uses of a wood product in a residential environment; or damage of mechanical nature.”
“This limited warranty does not apply to moisture damage from spills, flooding, standing water allowed remaining on floor, appliance leaks, leaking plumbing, or any source of water or moisture. This limited warranty does not apply to damage caused by subfloor moisture.”
“The following are not covered by this warranty:
Damage caused by any of the following:
Fire, burns
Flooding
Subfloor moisture emissions
Alkali emissions”
“Do not cover conditions caused by improper use or maintenance, such as:
● Damage caused by burns, flooding, fires and other accidents”
“The following are not covered by this limited warranty: fire or smoke damage; water or liquid intrusion”
“The Limited Warranties do not cover discoloration from mold or from flooding, leaking plumbing or appliances, water entering through sliding glass doors or similar conditions.”
What about the person who may have a moisture issue in their basement? They have had carpet down since forever but want to switch to a hard surface. Here are some things to think about:
Carpet breathes, as in it lets any moisture pass through from below.
What is under the carpet? Some homes built pre-1975 may have Vinyl Asbestos Tile installed on the floor. Most people covered it up and never did anything about it. How does this affect what can go over the floor? Asbestos needs to be professionally remediated or not disturbed. HOWEVER, it is important to know that VAT and VCT (Vinyl Composite Tile) are also both porous – meaning they breathe. Capping them off with a plastic, non-permeable layer such as a floating non-permeable floor, can create issues if there is already moisture vapor transmission through the permeable floorings.
Is there a moisture issue already? If the space feels damp, floods often, or seems musty, a hard surface floor, yes, even a ‘waterproof’ one, may not be your best solution. All mold and mildew need to grow is a moderate temperature, damp, dark, lack of air movement, and a food source.
This flooring is waterproof and reliably secures the flooring panels on all four sides. However, excessive moisture in the subfloor could promote mold, mildew, and other moisture related issues like the trapping of moisture emissions under the flooring, which may contribute to an unhealthy indoor environment
That information doesn’t help the consumer whose friend of a friend’s neighbor pulled up their luxury vinyl floor after their basement flooded and put it back down. While we have heard those stories and maybe did it ourselves, what does the industry standard say should be done with those floors?
The ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration is THE standard for how everything should be handled after a water loss. First, we need to understand the categories of water losses.
Category of Water – Water categories refer to the level of contamination, based on both the source and the quality after contact with materials on-site. Time and temperature influence how contaminants grow or diminish, potentially changing the water’s category. Restorers must consider potential contamination—defined as the presence of unwanted substances not typical of a normal indoor environment—which can harm health, damage property, or disrupt building systems.
Water is classified into three categories:
Category 1: Clean water from sanitary sources (e.g., broken supply lines, rainwater) with minimal health risk. It can become more contaminated if it contacts unsanitary surfaces or remains wet over time, potentially deteriorating to Category 2 or 3.
Category 2: Water with significant contamination that may cause illness or discomfort (e.g., dishwasher discharge, toilet overflows without feces). It contains unsafe levels of microorganisms or nutrients and can deteriorate further under certain conditions.
Category 3: Grossly contaminated water that poses serious health risks (e.g., sewage, floodwater, river or seawater intrusion). It can contain pathogens, toxins, or hazardous materials and is highly dangerous upon contact or ingestion.
In the IICRC The Inspector’s Review publication from April 2025, Fred Hueston wrote this about how luxury vinyl floors should be handled after a Category 3 water damage:
“4. Vinyl and LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile/Plank) Vinyl and LVT are usually more resistant to water than wood-based floors. However, seams and joints can allow water to seep beneath the surface, especially if the flooring was a floating installation.
If Cat 3 water gets underneath, it can contaminate the substrate, adhesives, or underlayment. And if vinyl is glued down, that adhesive can trap moisture and bacteria.
Can it be cleaned?
Sometimes – but rarely. If water has gotten under the surface or into the seams, removal is usually the safest option.”
BOTTOM LINE
That’s all a LOT of information. What does it MEAN?? As a salesperson, it means sell whatever you feel comfortable with. As a consumer, don’t get hung up on the ‘waterproof’ marketing. When people ask me which is better I tell them “if your dishwasher leaks, your basement floods, you’re calling the insurance company anyway.” The waterproof story is good, but remember it’s only from topical moisture. Anything coming from the subfloor, the toilet overflowing, the plumbing leak is enough to make the restoration contractor put the floor in the dumpster. It has nothing to do with if the floor can be dried out and sanitized, it’s more of a question of if it should.