How to Treat a Wood Floor That Is Drying Out. Once the cupping process is underway, which is when the sides of the floorboards swell and rise higher than the center, there’s only one thing left to do: rip out the flood-damaged floor and replace it. At Certified Restoration, we’ve been restoring water damaged wood flooring in San Diego for over 20 years. While too much moisture can be detrimental to wood flooring, the complete lack of moisture may be just as bad. After severe water damage, it is likely that wood floors will have to be replaced. If you don’t have a professional-grade dehumidifier on hand, some home repair stores offer equipment to rent. The experts at Certified Restoration have saved hundreds of hardwood floors by using advanced drying equipment and over 20 years experience. Use fans to circulate the air in your home, and have patience as your floors dry. Mold grows on organic materials in environments with high humidity or trapped moisture. A liquid is an enemy of hardwood floors. Time is of the essence when it comes to water damaged hardwood floors – the moisture, temperature, and dust layer beneath a flooded wood floor can provide an ideal environment for mold and many other problems. Even when you think you’ve done a good job of it, being wrong could end up costing you a lot more than you tried to save by doing it yourself. Blame the pores again. If they are wet too, set them outside in the sun to dry. If this has occurred, it will also need to be replaced before installing new dry hardwood floor. In the end, you will have to replace the flooring anyhow. The main types of hardwood floors are: Laminate Wood Flooring: Laminate wood flooring has become very common among California homes. At wet/dry vacuum will suction up standing water, but don’t stop once the floor appears to be dry. They will work with you and your insurance company to decide the best option – drying or replacing the floor. Drying hardwood floors properly is more important than you think, and there’s more to repairing water damaged floors than laying out a few towels and a fan…dry … Don’t waste your time and money! Before you can determine how to properly dry hardwood floor, you need to determine what type of wood flooring you have. We’re here to help, so give as a call. I have three cats and 2 children less often is not an option. This type of flooring is most often replaced in the event of a flood and is hard to salvage because they have a low tolerance for moisture. That said if water has flooded your beautiful hardwood floors, and you insist on addressing it DIY-style, here are the steps you should take to dry the mess before costly replacement is your only option: The only way to effectively tackle a wet wood floor is clear it completely of furniture and rugs. Moisture Damage to Wood Floors. According to the EPA, mold can grow in as little as 48 – 72 hours on almost all household material if they have a moisture level of 16% or higher. Point the fans toward the floor, and if you have air conditioning, run that as well. Water, as with just about any household issue, is almost always the cause of hardwood floor warping. Today's hardwood is treated to endure certain amounts of wet cleaning, but this doesn't mean you should just drench your floors with a liquid cleaner. Please note that laminate floors are NOT considered wood or hardwood flooring. The only downfall is that in the event of a flood or water overflow, hardwood floors cannot be easily taken out and dried like carpet can. If floors have cupped, popped, or cracked, it may be an indication that the sub-floor has experienced water damage as well. This can be caused by changes in temperature and the issue often occurs during a seasonal transition. Keep in mind that this can be a slow process and take up to seven days. After removing all excess water, you’ll need to scrub the hardwood floor surface with a non-sudsy disinfectant, which will ensure there’s no leftover dirt or debris that could store water in those invisible pores. It’s our policy to be on-premises within an hour of your call, and we have 24/7 emergency response available. A flooded hardwood floor can have up to 40% moisture content and can retain well above the normal amount of moisture for weeks if left to dry on it’s own. I usually mop every week to every other week. When it comes time to wet-clean your floor (every four to six weeks depending on foot traffic) work on small areas at a time and use only a damp cloth or mop. If you decide to dry hardwood floor in place, Certified Restoration has sophisticated drying equipment that forces airflow beneath the surface of the floor, allowing moisture to be released. To dry beneath wood floors which have been flooded, first you should remove any wet floor coverings such as rugs or carpet. Usually, it's due to humidity or moisture. 24/7 Water Damage Restoration and Flood Clean-Up, Containment, Removal, Disposal, Deodorization, About the company, our mission, team & partners, Capabilities, government codes, & license info. Leaky roofs, busted pipes, overflowed toilets, and other sources of sudden floods can turn gorgeous wood planking into a warped, mold-prone mess in just days. Mildew isn’t as much of a health risk as mold, but it can still damage wood from the inside out. 4. To ensure a proper job of drying your hardwood floors and minimizing the damage, the best thing you can do is call a certified expert. While dehumidifying, set up several large fans in the room to run on full blast—air flow will help the dehumidifier work more efficiently. I use a Floormate to "mop" and it dries the floors as I go. The only downfall is that in the event of a flood or water overflow, hardwood floors cannot be easily taken out and dried like carpet can. Even waxed and sealed floors can absorb water into the grain of the wood if the flooding is excessive enough. The excess moisture has to go somewhere, however, so open windows in the room about two inches. Next, dry the floors completely by pumping out standing water, then mop and towel the surface dry. And the DIY approach isn’t even cost-effective when you factor in all the equipment you’ll need to buy or rent. Find out why. We take immediate action to minimize the damage to your wood floors. Commercial property restoration services. Continue vacuuming the surface in order to remove water from invisible pores in the wood that can cause water damage later. Following these steps immediately after experiencing water damage will help ensure your hardwood floors dry properly and maintain their look and functionality. Commercial property restoration services. This brings us to our question – Can you dry hardwood floors in place, or does everything need to be ripped out and replaced? And if it tests positive, you’ll need to leave the dehumidifier running until the meter gives you the all-clear. Drying hardwood floors properly is more important than you think, and there’s more to repairing water damaged floors than laying out a few towels and a fan…dry-looking wood can still buckle later. No job is too big or too small, so give us a call. A proper dry out starts with identifying the source of the excess water, and shutting it off when possible. What causes a wood floor to warp? Unfortunately for your hardwood floors that... Would you know what to do if emergency water damage like a burst pipe or heavy rain intrusion happened... 4 Sneaky Causes of Water Damage We often associate home water damage with large-scale causes like flooding or other... How to Treat Hardwood Floors for Mold After Water Damage, Preparing for Water Damage Disaster for Properties. Within the first 24 hours, irreversible damage can happen, leaving you with no choice but to rip up and replace. Here are some of the main considerations you should make when calling a local restoration company to dry hardwood floor. M ajor storms like Sandy can cause extensive water damage to hardwood floors, but panicked homeowners should not rush to replace what appears to be beyond repair. 24/7 Water Damage Restoration and Flood Clean-Up, Containment, Removal, Disposal, Deodorization, About the company, our mission, team & partners, Capabilities, government codes, & license info. “Normal” moisture content for wood floor can fluctuate between 6% and 12%. Call a water damage restoration expert as soon as you notice the flooding. My hardwood floors are very dry and the planks are pulling away from each other is there anyway I can rehydrate them. Moisture can still linger deep within the water damaged wood, so you’ll need to crank up a dehumidifier to full power in the center of the room and leave it running for at least a full 24 hours. “Normal” wood floor moisture varies from 6-12%, which means it doesn’t take much “missed” moisture to do some serious damage. Take note: small, personal-use dehumidifiers won’t be up to the task. This can be done with a simple mixture of baking soda and water. They were sealed at one point, but are very old and not sealed very well at this time. Professional floor drying is much less expensive than replacing wood flooring, and you get the added benefit of peace of mind that the job is done right. First, you need to recognize the four key factors that play into properly achieving a dry hardwood floor: Water damage can increase drastically if not taken care of properly, professionally, and in a timely manner.