Hardwood floors are an ideal design option with many practical advantages, but they come along with high vulnerability to water resources. The major enemy of hardwood flooring is water. Wood is a material that can easily absorb moisture due to its porous nature. Even small spills may lead to staining of the floor. Some common causes of hardwood damage are busted pipes, leaky roofs, overflowing toilets, and other sources of a sudden flood. They can change the commendable wood planking into an ugly mould mess in just a few days.
We may convince ourselves by saying, “Are floor is properly waxed and sealed”, but in reality is that even though sealers and waxes add to the water-resistant property of the hardwood, they cannot prevent moisture absorption completely. These products give us some more time to clean up the water and increase the strength of the hardwood so that it is not damaged completely. It is essential to clear the spilt water as soon as possible to avoid buckling or cupping of the planks after water absorption. As once the cupping process begins, the edges of the floorboards may swell and rise quite higher than the centre, in this case, we are left with the only option, replacement of the entire floor, which comes with a burdensome financial requirement. Proper actions in the correct sequence are mandatory to protect our floor from irrecoverable water damage. Drying hardwood floors properly is more complicated than you think; it takes a lot more than laying of towels on the floor to absorb water.
If you are experiencing issues in drying hardwood floor or feeling clueless, you can follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Clear the area first.
Remove the entire furniture range and rugs, so that you proper space for drying and the articles are not damaged due to water.
Step 2: Vacuum the excess water on the floor.
Remove the visible water using a wet/dry vacuum, which is neither a regular household vacuum nor a steam-cleaning vacuum, but a professional version available at home repair stores only.
Step 3: Scrub the surface with a disinfectant.
After clearing the excess water from the surface, use a disinfectant to eliminate all the dust particles and debris from the floor.
Step 4: Dehumidification.
Set up a professional dehumidifier for about 24 hours to eradicate, the moisture that has entered the pores of the wood. A personal home dehumidifier won’t help. So you may need to purchase a dehumidifier or rent one, that’s why it is advisable to contact a restoration company instead of getting involved in such troublesome activities.
Step 5: Set fans on full pace.
During dehumidification, set up a chain of fans on their full pace; air-circulation will help the dehumidifier in working more efficiently. Set the angle of the fan towards the floor, and open windows to allow moisture to escape.
Step 6: Perform Meter-test for moisture.
When you are done with all the steps mentioned above, there could be moisture chunks present in the wood abstractly. The only way to get an accurate idea about its quantity is to perform a moisture test. Keep on repeating the above steps, till you get a clear reading on the moisture meter.
To make that the damage caused is minimum and the drying job is done correctly, the best thing that we can do is to approach a certified expert. ASAP Restoration has many trained professionals who can assist us in handling the situation and reduce the damage exponentially. Sometimes, we think that we can do the drying jobs ourselves, but we might end up suffering even higher financial loss and injuries too. And the DIY method may not be always cost-effective as it involves the purchase of tools or renting them and an enormous amount of time and effort.