Is My Wood Flooring Ruined After a Flood?

9/13/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Can Often Save Flood-Damaged Hardwood Flooring in Portsmouth with Our Advanced Equipment and Expertise

SERVPRO Restores Flooring in Portsmouth Properties

Floodwater impacts virtually everything in its path, and unfortunately, your Portsmouth home may be in the track of an oncoming flood. The added element of contamination makes the cleanup process more challenging because of the additional protocols relating to floodwater. After technicians remove the black water (level 3) with extraction equipment, it is time to examine your flooring to determine the level of damage. Our trained project manager or team leader scope the damage to your home before creating a complete restoration plan.

What Can SERVPRO Do to Save My Floors?

Technicians Use Equipment and Techniques to Dry Flooring

SERVPRO Uses specialized equipment after flood damage in your Portsmouth home. SERVPRO technicians focus on mitigating further damage, such as preventing buckling, cupping, or permanent warping of materials. Hardwood floors require a moisture stabilization rate of about 12% before technicians can refinish them. The level and flat surface of the planks may require light sanding. If the floors are over-dried, they can splinter and become permanently damaged, and under-dried can cause moisture to sit and foster mold growth and the wood to rot. An effective extraction method for wood flooring is through the use of drying mat systems.

How Does the Injectidry System Operate?

This system is one method of using specialized advanced equipment for water extraction.

• Injectidry or Dri-Eaz systems consist of a hardwood floor drying mat, which acts as a "tent" to create a closed area to increase the effectiveness of suction, and an extractor.
• A single mat or multiple connected mats lay on top of the flooring, connected to the truck-mounted or portable extractor with a vacuum hose for excess moisture removal.
• Technicians periodically check under the mats to physically wipe excess water and to ensure they extract the appropriate amount of water from the flooring and monitor the mats for moving them to optimize the extraction.

What Other Things Can We Do to Protect Your Floors from Further Damage?

• Manage humidity in your home through the use of dehumidifiers and air movers.
• Remove baseboards for adequate access to flooring.
• Properly ventilate the impacted area by drilling small holes in the baseboard area and using tubing with the injecti-dry system for either positive or negative airflow.

For assistance after a flood, contact SERVPRO of The Seacoast, SERVPRO of Dover-Rochester, and SERVPRO of Durham at (603) 433-4300. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.