How Do I Know My Flooring Needs Replacement After a Water Damage?
12/6/2021 (Permalink)
Absorption and Saturation of Flooring Materials Can Weaken and Destroy Underlying Support Materials if Not Addressed Quickly in your Boynton Beach Home.
Standing water or surface moisture can be a considerable threat to your Boynton Beach home or condo. The longer that sensitive materials like carpeting or wood flooring remain exposed to water damage effects, the more potential damage and deterioration can result.
As a restoration team, we work to limit the amount of water damage repair in Boynton Beach properties as much as possible. Identifying the need for controlled demolition and reinstallation of flooring materials involves an intricate process to note the stage of water damage present. This is especially the case with wood plank flooring and other hardwoods, as the cellulose in these materials can quickly absorb standing water and leave moisture in one of three sequential phases:
- Surface Water – If only in this stage, efforts like extraction and drying along the surface can prevent the need for tearing out and replacing the flooring.
- Trapped Water – Once the water has penetrated the surface into the wood planks, it is considered trapped water. In this stage, efforts like floor mat drying systems can still remove this moisture.
- Bound Water – The final stage of water damage to wood flooring is when these molecules bond with the material and cause physical harm. At this point, traditional water restoration is impossible.
What Happens When Physical Damage Exists?
If bound water exists, you will begin to notice these signs along the wood planks' seams. Warping and distortion can indicate irreparable damages have occurred, and the only solution is removing damaged portions of the floor. Our in-house IICRC-certified contractors can help with replacing this flooring when adequate drying approaches have completed.
Damaged flooring can be a challenge to address, but with a union of restoration technicians and general contractors on our SERVPRO of Boynton Beach team, we can help. Give us a call today at (561) 413-9754.