WET WOOD FLOORING? DRYING ADVICE TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE

2/23/2022 (Permalink)

Water Damage Services Ventura County

WET WOOD FLOORING? DRYING ADVICE TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE

Hardwood flooring is a common structural element of homes and condos. When direct water damage occurs, there is an urgency to clean up the mess before significant harm results. Water is the enemy of hardwood flooring. Due to the porous nature of wood, moisture can easily have absorbed into the material. So your flooring may show signs of staining from small spills. The wet floor may also begin to buckle and cup when large amounts of water absorbed as the planks well.

Sealers and waxes are designed to add more water – resistant benefits to wood flooring, but they can’t completely prevent moisture from being absorbed. These products are designed will give you more to clean up the water from the floor, as well as toughen the flooring so that it does not become easily damaged. Drying floors quickly is essential to reduce the amount of permanent damage. Below are ways that you can take if you have wet wood floors after plumbing accident or flooding has occurred in your home of commercial property.

Remove water soaked objects from the floor

Rugs and furniture that has been soaked with water will continue to shed moisture into the wood. Wet furnishing can create mildew and mold growth, which will get into the pores and seams of your flooring.

Clean the Entire Wood Surface

Add a liquid to the floor after siphoning off the water. There will still be debris and dirt in the pores of the floor which can store water as bacteria that can further harm the wood materials.  Apply a wood cleaner to remove the leftover disinfectant.

Completely Dry the Wood

Use a dehumidifier placed at the highest setting possible to dry the floors. You can also open the windows to bring more moving air.

Monitor Moisture

Check if there is any remaining moisture in the wood with a moisture testing meter. It can take up to several weeks for wood flooring to completely dry.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should never wait for flooring to dry naturally. Extraction is one of the first actions. Standing water is a grave concern to hardwood flooring and should be removed as soon as possible with pumps and vacuums.

For comprehensive 24/7 water damage response, you can count on the experience of our team. Call us SERVPRO of Ventura at (805) 656-3911.