Flooded Hardwood Floors

Drying hardwood floors flood damage water damage.

Flooded hardwood floors.

After a flood or spill it is imperative to extract as much water from your wood floor as possible. If you are refinishing the hardwood floors you can not walk on these areas for several days. For anyone who lives in hurricane and flood prone areas that have historic homes this comes as no surprise. 50 thoughts on flooded floors.

If major amounts of water flood related or not have come into contact with your wood floor your floors will never be quite the same as new again but you can take steps toward saving them from the junkyard. Hardwood floors add a beautiful touch to just about any room but there s some debate about the best way to clean them. Moisture primarily is the main cause of buckling. Hotel stay if refinishing hardwood floors sometimes.

Standing water and hardwood flooring don t mix. Hardwood floors are a classic design choice with several practical benefits but despite the aesthetic appeal wood flooring is incredibly vulnerable to water damage. Nails may begin to lift glue may release causing separation between floor pieces and tongue and groove floors often cup or buckle when moisture has been absorbed. So if you have a flood or water damage or even just a spill on your hardwood flooring you ll want to remove the water and dry your floors as quickly as possible.

For example we had two employees with strip oak floors that flooded with 4 or 5 inches of water during harvey. Causes of buckled hardwood floors. Speed is the key. Use fans to circulate the air in your home and have patience as your floors dry.

Leaky roofs busted pipes overflowed toilets and other sources of sudden floods can turn gorgeous wood planking into a warped. Next dry the floors completely by pumping out standing water then mop and towel the surface dry. The first 24 hours are critical and the longer the wood is in contact with water the worse the damage will be. These strip floors were installed in a way that seems unique to houston i think it might be because of our petrochemical industry.

This can happen after the wood floor suddenly gets flooded with large amounts of water and when moisture content builds up over time. Even waxed or sealed floors cannot withstand excessive water and if the wax or sealer is wearing. If this blocks your way to the bedrooms and or bathrooms and or the smell is over powering you are usually entitled to a stay at a hotel. 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.