Hardwood Floor Drying San Diego
Tips On Saving Your Hardwood Floors From Water Damage
Wood and water. No, that’s not the best combination you’ll find. If your location has lately suffered flooding, water has probably seeped into your home and is now sitting on that lovely hardwood floor you previously cherished.
Water can completely damage hardwood floors because wood absorbs water quickly, causing warping and discolouration.
To avoid further damage, it’s critical to remove water and dry your hardwood floor as soon as possible.
Saving Hardwood Floor from Water Damage
The first 24 hours are crucial because the longer the wood is submerged in water, the worse it will become with each passing hour. You can rescue the hardwood floor from a lot of harm if you act quickly and thoroughly to remove the water and properly dry it.
However, accomplishing all of this is not simple, as you will require a dependable water pumping machine and a powerful dryer to ensure that all of the water has been thoroughly dried. You’ll still need to sand and refinish your hardwood floor to make it look fresh.
Though San Diego Flood Restoration will take care of everything for you, if you have the necessary skills and equipment and want to handle it yourself, here are some of our best hardwood floor water and moisture removal recommendations.
What Happens When Hardwood Floor Absorbs Water?
When your hardwood is wet in water during floods, it will slowly begin to absorb it. Other causes of water damage include toilet overflows, roof leaks, pipe bursts, and so forth.
Wood expands and cups or warps when it absorbs water. This occurs when the sides of the flooring swell and rise higher than the board’s center, resulting in an uneven surface. Even if the water on the hardwood floor is just temporary, it will seep through the minute fissures between the boards or be absorbed by the plywood subfloor beneath it. It will eventually loosen the adhesive beneath it, causing the floor to rise.
When water damage occurs, it is critical to remove the water as quickly as possible and dry the floors. This will save the hardwood flooring, but it will also prevent mold growth, which is a more serious problem that is quite costly to fix. According to the US EPA, mold development can begin within 48-72 hours of water damage and spread quickly.
Does Your Insurance Company Cover Water Damaged Flooring?
Whether or not their insurance carrier will cover the cost of damage is one that we frequently receive from homeowners. It is very dependent on your insurance policy and the nature of the damage. Approximately 20% of homeowners in the United States carry flood insurance. So, if the damage was caused by flooding, which means water flowed in from the outside, your insurance company is unlikely to reimburse it.
If a pipe leak caused the damage, a water heater exploded, a toilet overflowed or even structural damage to the property, such as a roof leak, your insurance carrier might reimburse the costs.
For more information, you should contact your insurance company.
If your insurance company has agreed to cover the loss, they may also be obligated to pay for other damages related to the claim. This includes water cleanup, damaged furnishings, and restoring the home to its previous state; however, paintings and floors may be subtracted.
What To Do After A Hurricane Or Major Storm
If the water damage is severe, the best thing to do is to contact a professional water or flood damage restoration business like us. We are experts in this field and have all of the necessary tools to restore your item to its original state. We understand that every homeowner will contact a restoration company during a flood. Don’t be concerned! We have a large team of certified members who are ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist you with your loss.
If you have recently experienced a flood, we strongly advise you to contact us. The sooner you call, the less damage there will be to your property.
In the meantime, keep these tips in mind to protect your hardwood floor and other valuables until we arrive:
1: Find & Stop The Source Of Water
The first thing you should do is locate the source of water and shut it off immediately. You won’t be able to save the hardwood floor if water continues to penetrate it. The best course of action is to identify the issue and take all necessary steps to address it before it worsens.
2: Remove Other Wet Items Out Of The Area
Remove all wet furniture and other items to the sun or to a dry location as soon as possible. If you’re moving the things to a different room or location, ensure the new location has a waterproof floor or a layer of plastic between the furniture and the floor.
Remove any carpeting and padding that is on top of the hardwood floor as soon as possible. Carpets absorb water at a far faster rate than wood. Thus they are the first to become moldy and stinky. Remove any tack strips as well, as they are sharp and could injure you if you attempt to complete the restoration job yourself.
3: Use A Wet Vacuum To Suck Up All The Standing Water
You don’t want water to just sit there and cause harm to your property. It’s best to use a wet vacuum to absorb as much water as possible as rapidly as possible. This procedure should be left to a professional mitigation business like us, as we have specialized water extraction equipment that can quickly absorb the water.
Important: Depending on the extent of the water damage, you may also need to remove the baseboards and some drywall portions. This may appear to be a difficult operation, but it is critical in preventing mold formation since drywall absorbs water like a sponge and can gather excessive moisture. To guarantee that the removed area is entirely dry, flood damage firms normally remove drywall 18 inches above the highest point where the water has reached.
4: Cleaning The Surface With A Disinfectant
The most important thing is to keep your hardwood floors free of mold. You can also disinfect with a non-sudsy disinfectant. After you’ve finished, use a wet vacuum to remove any remaining water.
5: Using A Dehumidifier
You almost certainly have a dehumidifier at home. It’s time to seize the opportunity. Simply position it in the room’s middle. You can also put many dehumidifiers in the same room if you have them. Ensure that the water is cleaned every few hours until aid arrives. The dehumidifier should operate for at least 24 hours and up to three days, if necessary. It is recommended that you use it for several weeks. While the floors are drying, you should keep foot traffic to a minimum.
6: Use Large Fans
Large fans can help speed up the drying process. Ensure the fans are aimed at the floor and open the windows for optimal ventilation. Fans will aid in the evaporation of excess moisture as well as provide necessary ventilation. Keep the windows closed if it is pouring heavily outside or the temperature is humid. Only leave the doors to the rooms open and run the dehumidifier constantly. Make sure the fans are turned up to 11 and running at full speed. It’s a plus if there’s an oscillation feature.
You can also use air conditioning to supplement your fans, but no heat. Heat causes splitting and cupping, which is undesirable and increases moisture in the area, which promotes mold growth.
Finally, make sure the fans are clean and free of dust before turning them on. Water should not come into contact with any of the plugs or cables.
7: If There Is A Level Below The Water Damage Area, Reduce The Moisture In The Sub-floors As Well
Water would almost certainly have leaked through the leaks and holes in the hardwood floor and reached the sub-floor beneath it. You should also dry this region. It will be really beneficial if there is a room beneath the damaged area with an unfinished ceiling. Use fans and a dehumidifier in this space to help speed up the process.
If the ceiling is done, make a small square hole in the ceiling to allow the sub-floor to dry out more quickly.
8: What If Boards Start To Pop-up?
As the wood absorbs moisture, it has a significant risk of swelling, causing the wood buckles to appear. You won’t be able to walk across the floor; in that case, remove a couple of boards for better sub-floor ventilation.
9: Check For Signs Of Mold Or Mildew
After the floor has completely dried, look for any evidence of mold or mildew. If you smell or see evidence of growth, scrub the floors with a baking soda and water mixture right away. You can hire a mold/remediation business if the mold has spread too far. When you hire San Diego Flood Restoration to handle your flood damage restoration, we also take care of mold and mildew.
10: Using Moisture Meter
The floors can take up to 6 weeks to thoroughly dry on average. It is critical that you wait for the flooring to dry completely before attempting to sand them. If you are impatient, you will quickly suffer the repercussions of your actions.
Use a moisture meter to measure the moisture level of the wood to check that it has completely dried. These are low-cost devices that may be found easily online. Use the moisture meter to test for moisture in numerous spots before sanding the floor. There’s a good chance that some portions of the floor have more moisture than others. Before you consider installing or sanding hardwood, the moisture content should be between 6-9 percent.
It’s possible that your insurance provider is rushing to close the case. Allow this to happen; otherwise, you will suffer more damage in the future.
11: Sand & Refinish The Hardwood Floors
This is where you should sand and refinish your floors to restore their clean and attractive appearance. The water would have worn down the polyurethane, and some parts or sections may need to be replaced entirely. Even if some polyurethane remains on the floor, it will be much thinner and damaged, indicating that it will not last long. Refinishing the floors is the greatest option here.
Water-damaged floors may usually be sanded and resurfaced. Minor cupping will be handed out during the procedure. Only the damaged floor areas need to be replaced in most situations, but it all depends on how much water was absorbed and how effectively the floor was dried. Contacting professionals is the best solution here.
Notes On Finding Contractors
While the choice of contractor is entirely yours, you are not obligated to select the contractors recommended by your insurance provider. It is against the law for them to do so. You should contact the person with whom you are most at ease. We take pleasure in the quality of our work as a recognized organization and strongly advise you to hire us in an emergency. You can read reviews about our services from other individuals.
Final Words
You never know when a disaster will occur. Flooding may damage your hardwood, and the only way to keep your lovely floor looking the same is to get rid of the water as soon as possible. Though the suggestions mentioned above will be beneficial, they cannot be implemented promptly by a single person. Get in touch with us at San Diego Flood Restoration for your restoration needs.
So don’t be afraid to hire our professionals. Get a free estimate by calling us today.
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