Q: The dishwasher leaked at my mother’s house and damaged the flooring. She has adhesive vinyl floor tile, and I can’t find a match. Is there any way to make a repair without replacing the entire floor?
A: Water-damaged sub-flooring that has swollen, warped or rotted will have to be replaced. The good news is that with adhesive vinyl tile, you might be able to re-use the same finished flooring after replacing the damaged area of the subfloor. Unlike a wood floor subfloor, vinyl holds up to water, so try using a heat gun to reactivate the adhesive on the back of the tiles, and piece them back over the repaired subfloor.
