Water Damage – Hardwood Floors & Drywall

Water damage can be classified as a tragic event to most people who experience it. The causes of water damage can range from a simple burst pipe, to an extreme storm. With the spontaneous weather changes, and bizarre incidences that occur in the world today, water damage happens more often than not. With this being said, it is very important to know the ins and outs of water damage, and the restoration process.

Water spreads very fast and gravity does what it is supposed to, it will pull the water to its lowest point. Water will then begin to puddle and soak into the material it is set on. The longer the water remains there, the more damage it will cause. At this point, the water damage may be visible. If it soaks into carpet flooring, it will damage all layers. Such as the carpet itself, the pad laid underneath, and the sub-floor. What about hardwood floors? What can water damage do to it?

When It Comes To Hardwood Floors

More often than not in homes today, you will find hardwood floors instead of carpet. Even if there is carpet in the main parts of the home, you will still find hardwood flooring in rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, or small bedrooms.

The drying process of hardwood flooring is much different than carpet flooring. Water can be trapped, floors can be damaged, and mold can grow. Mold is especially efficient on hardwood floors, because it is made out of organic materials.

Extracting water from carpet flooring is simpler because of the amount of equipment that is specifically made for that material. Most water extraction equipment used on carpet cannot be used on hardwood floors but this does not mean it is impossible. In fact, there have been many cases of drying all water, along with saving the original flooring installed.

The important things to take note of: include the amount of water that has spread, the type of hardwood flooring, and time. When the damage occurs, it is important to call professionals right away. The professionals will let you know if your damage is too severe to save your flooring or if the flooring can be dried out and saved.

What can happen to an untreated hardwood floor?

  • Morphing can occur, along with splitting.
  • Morphing can lead to cupping, making the floors unsteady and a safety hazard.
  • Mold can grow and make the floors un-savable.

To save your hardwood floors, dehumidifying is an option. The downside of using a dehumidifier is that it may not get all of the water. If this is a problem, pulling a small portion of the floor can be an inexpensive and fast. If the water damage is more severe, the whole floor may have to be removed.

What other damage can occur in homes after a water damage?

Drywall is the shell of a home, what happens when water is introduced to it? Water is heavy, especially when absorbed, the more it is absorbed, the heavier the material will be. This can cause a ceiling to basically peel off of it’s own structure, leaving you without a ceiling, or wall. The water will also be absorbed into the insulation behind the drywall, which makes matters much worse since drywall and insulation are both great breeding grounds for mold. Both materials can hold a substantial amount of water, which more times than not, results in the removal of them.

Then comes the damage you cannot see. Sure, a lot of the damage will be very visible on the outside, but we can’t possibly see behind these walls, and not everyone has the right tools and technology to find out. The effects you will not be able to see can be the rotting of wood, metal materials rusting, and the growth of mold, just to list a few. And depending on the category and class the damage is listed in, the effects could be more, and could be worse. In any category and class of water damage, health concerns are always brought into play. The health concerns can be even worse depending on the family living in the affected home, and their present health problems. Allergies and asthma are difficult to have by themselves, but when mold is introduced to such health problems, rashes, itching, running eyes, and aggravated asthma symptoms can occur. These health concerns are why it is important to not let water damage go untreated, and why it is recommended to hire professionals. This way the problem can be treated by Technicians specifically trained to keep you and your home healthy.

About Dan Camara

Dan Camara is the CEO of PuroClean Home Rescue in Sacramento. We have been helping the good folks of Northern California with water damage dryouts, mold removal and fire cleanups for nearly 5 years now. Connect with me on Google+
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2 Responses to Water Damage – Hardwood Floors & Drywall

  1. Carpet flooring says:

    I comment when I like a post on a site or if I have something to add to the discussion.
    It’s caused by the passion communicated in the article I browsed. And after this post When Water Damage Occurs | Water Damage and Mold Removal Blog. I was excited enough to post a comment ;) I actually do have a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind – I’ll shoot you over an email with them a bit later…

    • Liya John says:

      I would say that if water damage happens in your hard wood floor, it is entirely due to your negligence. You should make sure that your floor joints remain dry and free from dampness

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