Asked on May 01, 2016

What caused these black spots on my vinyl floors?

Lynn Couch
by Lynn Couch
Can anyone tell me what cause these spots that have appeared on my floors? The floor is 6 yrs old.
  24 answers
  • Rebecque D Rebecque D on May 02, 2016
    I believe they may be caused by moisture.
  • Linda Y Linda Y on May 02, 2016
    It could be the surface has worn away.
  • Lyn Johnson Lyn Johnson on May 02, 2016
    Excessive moisture underneath the floor can cause this.
    • Lynn Couch Lynn Couch on May 02, 2016
      @Lyn Johnson I live between Houston & Galveston, TX. We have a lot of humidity here & after heavy rain, the yard floods. Is this the kind of moisture u r talking about?
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on May 02, 2016
    Agree to much moisture stayed on the floor.
  • Mary-Ann Mary-Ann on May 02, 2016
    Usually this is caused by the wrong adhesive being used under the vinyl. There is only one solution-tear it up and put a new underlay down before installing more. Sometimes house insurance will cover this kind of problem.
    • See 2 previous
    • Lynn Couch Lynn Couch on May 02, 2016
      I have concrete driveway.
  • Lorraine Lorraine on May 02, 2016
    moisture can lead to mold spores
  • Sherry H. Sherry H. on May 02, 2016
    This happened to me. live in a Mobil Home. There was a leak in a pipe, small leak. The water traveled along the pipes. It was getting all the floors wet underneath and they were staying wet. Then we were getting the floors soft. Well my husband checked under the trailer. We had to rip up the floors and tile and replace it all. Mold and mildew can get into the wood floors. This is a bad problem. Check for leaks, pull up your tile and look. A small under the got a wall wet and caused the bottom of a wall to rot, mold set in there.You can do the job yourself cheaper. Check for leakage first.
    • Lynn Couch Lynn Couch on May 02, 2016
      @Sherry H. I have concrete slab & all my walls do not show any water stains. This is gings on in the hole house...
  • Margolynluvsu Margolynluvsu on May 02, 2016
    You got water leaking someplace. Water finds lowest point, or your floor might be over a crawl space that has accumulated water and is now throwing up mold. Is there a nearby water pipe someplace, it could be leaking.
  • Margolynluvsu Margolynluvsu on May 02, 2016
    Black mold is very dangerous to your health. Very dangerous.😷😷😷😵😵😵
  • Jill Burns Jill Burns on May 02, 2016
    As Mary Ann stated from Canada -it has to do with the underlayment and the adhesive used ... I had a vinyl floor that did the same - not the entire floor but places ... I was told by another tile company this was the issue.
  • Barb Gimbel Barb Gimbel on May 02, 2016
    There needs to be moisture for mold to grow... or at least humidity. If you cannot find a leak, there may just be a condensation problem. Quite often in Canada, our concrete basement floors feel damp even though there aren't leaks. Some things that can cause that dampness are interior moisture sources such as humidifiers, unvented clothes dryers, bathrooms, and cooking, as well as the moisture in concrete after construction.
  • Susanmarvin Susanmarvin on May 02, 2016
    This same thing happened to me in my kitchen. I had light blue and cream vinyl, I discovered a slow leak and it was going under the vinyl little by little until it started turning dark with mildew. The only thing to do is take it up , find the leak and get rid of mildew before putting new floor down.
    • See 1 previous
    • ROBERTA LEAHY ROBERTA LEAHY on Jan 15, 2019

      I moved into a place with new vinyl wood pattern and black stuff came off on our feet and also stained the bathtub. Does anyone know what this is? I cannot get it off the tub.

  • Pam Pam on May 02, 2016
    I sure hope it is the glue. If mold or a leak, it can be a big expensive fix.
  • Sheila D Sheila D on May 02, 2016
    You might need to call in a remediation company. The can tell you if it is active mold or old stain. If active they will have a game plan.
  • Grandmasue10 Grandmasue10 on May 02, 2016
    I have no answer, I just want to wish you good luck. It is no fun having a problem like this.
  • Bls4489698 Bls4489698 on May 03, 2016
    Lynn, I have had this problem...Started in a small area then continued to spread...My personal opinion is that the plastic roll sheeting that the builders put down just before the concrete is poured, shifted. Thus allowing the moisture to come up from the ground. That visqueen is your moisture barrier.
  • Sandy Hartnett Sandy Hartnett on May 03, 2016
    Seems like mold to me. Good luck...hugs
  • I had a problem in our bathroom of black spots appearing on the linoleum. When the new sheeting was put down the old one that was glued down wasn't removed. The wax ring allowed water to seep between the two layers thus getting the top layer wet on the underside. This is what caused the black spots. It was not mold.
  • Gai5197505 Gai5197505 on May 03, 2016
    Asphalt
  • PattyB PattyB on May 04, 2016
    Happened in my kitchen in front of the refrigerator. It was moisture build up from the fridge exhaust, causing mold. Had to remove the flooring and replace.
  • Nick Nick on Jun 27, 2016
    Do you have a pet?
  • Nick Nick on Jun 27, 2016
    Looks like water spots that were there for some time
  • Cory Cory on Jan 18, 2017

    Probably from the rugs

  • Sherry H. Sherry H. on Jan 18, 2017

    It could be water under flooring and mold. It needs attention right away before it spreads more. No one should be breathing mold !! :( Good Luck