Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Swelling of laminate floor

We have Wilsonart Classic laminate flooring that was professionally installed seven months ago in our kitchen, laundry and adjacent powder room. It was installed over the existing vinyl floor which sits on the concrete foundation. The installers used a blue foam pad under the laminate. They siliconed in front of the dishwasher, around the toilet and around the perimeter of the laundry room. They glued the planks in the powder room.

I have been mopping with diluted ammonia in water and a terry cloth mop, all in accordance with Wilsonart's recommendations

In the past several weeks, we have noticed swelling around the edges of the planks, primarily in the powder room, but to a lesser extent in the laundry room and kitchen as well.

The installers came out today and looked at the floor. They said it looked like water damage but it was too big for them to work on without someone higher up looking at it. After sitting in their truck on the phone, they came back to my door with the phone number of my salesman and said I needed to call him to have him explain the warranty.

Seeing that the last experience with this salesman was less than satisfactory, I sense that I am about to get shafted.

Do I have any options? Is there anything I need to know before talking to him? Any advice?

I forgot to mention that there was no swelling around the toilet edges. The swelling started in the planks the furthest from the toilet. We have no evidence of a leaky toilet.

Wood and wood products swell when they take on moisture and shrink when moisture is removed. The rooms with a new floor are all high risk for potential moisture in todays busy families. Moisture is probably the cause for the swelling, Sorry. Is the existing vinyl sheet goods or tiles?Is there a layer of polyethylene sheeting over the vinyl and is it turned up at the edges?

Mopping sounds like a wet mop which isn't good. Damp mopping or spot spritzing with a spray bottle and wiping before a terry cloth buffing is preferred.

The original vinyl is sheet, not tile. As far as I can tell, by looking under the dishwasher and oven, there is not a layer of sheeting over the vinyl, just the foam layer.

The mop that I use is not a wet mop, but a damp mop. It uses a replaceable terry cloth towling with elastic that slips over the mop pad. It is wrung out before putting on the mop. It's the same as wiping with a damp terry towel, just easier on the knees.

The powder room has had throw rugs down in the winter that would catch any small drips and they never showed any indication of being wet. The floor is quite lumpy in there.

Ya know, I called the laminate manufacturers before getting this installed and all assured me that it works fine in these areas, assuming they are properly installed. If what little bit of water that gets splashed on the floor causes this mess, then I have been greatly misled.

well, it sounds like the salesman should get a chance at figuring this thing out, if you still don't like his response then call the manager. Wilsonart works great in those areas as long as moisture doesnt sit on it for a period of time.
sounds to me like it is not the mop.

When you asked about the polyethylene sheeting -- what is the purpose of that? Is that usually used during this type of installation?

If this is moisture damage, does it tend to revert back somewhat after is dries, or is it permanent?

Also, how does one go about determining the source of the moisture?

sheet vinyl should be good enough as a moisture barrier, but if there was no vinyl, or if it was vinyl tiles, then a 6 mil poly is necessary.
Moisture damage can revert back to normal, but don't expect it. it all depends.
the moisture can be determined by evaluating all aspects of the situation. If there is no water from above then is can be slab related.

Ok, so we have a combination foam pad with poly backing. So, now I'm assuming we are out of luck in getting this repaired under warranty. $2 grand, 7 months. Bummer.

We are not aware of any interior leak problems. Who do we contact to determine if this is an exterior leak? A foundation specialist, a plumber?

We had a laminate floor installed in April 2003, by December it began to swell. It had been placed over an existing wooden floor with a moisture barrier. According to the manufacturer the cold air from the floor ( My home is on a concrete slab) and the warm air from above caused moisture to accumulate. Hence the rising. They likened it to like a cold drink on a hot humid day, and moisture forms on the glass. The manufacturer says it is an "enviormental" problem and has nothing to do with their product, and the store where we purchased the floor who supplied the installer, has not called us back. Our only option is to hire an attorney.

a little back ground first. i do service work for a plumbing company in illinois. hot muggy summers and cold winters. i have a lot of years of experience trouble shooting leaks and moisture problems.
one customer had a problem similar to yours, on a slab, kitchen, bathroom, and utility room all done in laminate.
her floor buckled almost immediately after instulation. it buckled in all 3 rooms
a second floor was installed by the flooring contractor, they thought they had a moisture/ vapor barrier problem with the first floor instulation.
when the second floor started to show signs of buckling in the kitchen, that is when i was called in by the contractor to look for a leak.
after a lot of thought and 2 trips to the house looking for a leak i finally found it. it was a small leak on the sink drain that was under the base cabinet and getting between the vapor barrier and wood. it was such a small leak that i was amazed by how much damage it could do. just a drop or two every time the sink was used. the leak was at a pvc coupling under the cabinet and above the slab.
if i remember correctly the insurance company payed for the last damages.
that was about 7 years ago. i was at this same customers house a few monthes ago and her last floor still looked great......