Industrial Floor Solutions

If a pipe leaks in your home or something else causes water damage, it's important to dry your hardwood floor out quickly to reduce the amount of damage it sustains. You may need the help of a professional to get your floor dry fast and then repair the damage. Your floor may need to be resurfaced to restore its appearance. Here are some steps involved in resurfacing water-damaged hardwood floors.

Fix The Water Problem

If the issue is from a slow pipe leak, have the leak fixed right away since the floor will just get wet again after the restoration company dries it out. The company may be able to start drying the floor while repair work is going on.

Dry The Floor

Wood flooring soaks up water, and that's why it's not a good match for laundry rooms or bathrooms. When the wood planks get soaked, they warp and bend. It's essential to dry the wood floor, but it can't be done fast with heated dryers like are used for a tile floor. That could cause the wood to crack.

Instead, the restoration company may put down floor fans and run a dehumidifier to dry the floor out more slowly so the wood gets dry without being damaged. You might be able to tell if the boards are still wet by looking at the type of damage they have.

When wood floors soak up water, the edges either curl up when the moisture is under the floor or curl down when the most moisture is on top. If moisture is under the floor, it may be more difficult to dry out. The contractor can use a moisture meter to tell when the floor is dry.

Resurface The Floor

If the planks have a lot of warping or cracking, the contractor might recommend pulling them up and replacing them with new planks. If possible, they might repair the old planks by sanding away signs of damage, such as curled-up edges. The type and extent of repairs are determined by how much of the floor is damaged and how long the planks were wet.

If most of your floor was underwater, a flooring contractor may need to resurface it, which involves replacing all the bad planks that need it, nailing down loose boards, grinding uneven areas caused by water damage, and sanding the floor to get rid of imperfections.

Once the floor has been restored, the contractor can add a new finish to it so the floor has a uniform color and sheen. Resurfacing water-damaged hardwood floors is a lot of work, so you may have to put up with inconvenience for several days while you wait on the floor to dry out and be repaired.

Contact a professional to learn more about water-damaged hardwood floor resurfacing.