It can happen fast – your washing machine leaks, a window is left open during a rainstorm, or the tub overflows – next thing you know, your floors are soaked. Depending on the damage done, your water-logged flooring may have to be cleaned, repaired, or even replaced. Here’s how to salvage your floors and restore them to their former glory:
Minimize The Damage
You should eliminate as much water as you can, as quickly as possible. If outdoor humidity is low, open your doors and windows to exchange moist indoor air for drier air. Place fans on the floor to keep that dry air circulating, and direct the fans to those spots where water may have seeped into the subfloor. You can also try cranking up the furnace or radiant floor heating to dry the floors faster.
Carpet
Depending on how soaked your floor is, your wet/dry vacuum may not have the power to extract liquid buried deep within the carpet and padding. If that’s the case, you’ll need to rent a carpet cleaner, or hire a floor-care company to remove large amounts of water quickly in order to facilitate rapid drying. To extend the life of your carpet, it’s wise to have it professionally cleaned, sanitized, and deodorized.
Carpet made from synthetic materials can tolerate a thorough soaking as long as it is dried out quickly. For other materials such as wool carpeting, rot can be a serious problem. Watch for discoloration and odor as these are signs that your water-damaged carpet may be harboring mold or mildew. Sometimes, a small section of damaged carpet can be replaced with new material that blends well with the rest of the floor. More often than not though, you’ll need to remove and replace the entire carpet to completely eliminate the damage.
Laminate
Laminate flooring consists of layers of material that can quickly absorb water and swell, which causes the layers to separate. This occurs when liquid penetrates through the water-resistant laminate top, or when flooding is so severe that your floors become completely submerged (such as a basement flood). Warning signs of water damage include, swelling, splitting, separating, or discoloration. There is no cost-effective way to repair the damage, it can only be replaced.
Hardwood
Start by removing water from the flooring surface using a mop, sponge, towel, or a wet/dry vacuum. If you can eliminate all of the water fast enough, you might not have any damage. Should warping, cupping, buckling, or separation occur on only a few boards, the simple repair is to nail or screw them back into place. If that does not work, you may be able to find matching wood to replace the damaged pieces. However, if the damage is more extensive, you’ll need to replace the entire floor.
Tile, Vinyl, & Linoleum
Tile, vinyl, and linoleum are practically impervious to water, making them a great choice for bathrooms, showers, pool areas, and entryways. If flooding is severe enough though, there may be damage to the subfloor – the plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) that lies beneath.
Even when there’s no obvious harm done, you may notice an odor, indicating mold. This could also be discovered by looking at the subflooring from below, such as in a basement. Mold in the subfloor should be eradicated by a professional to prevent future health problems related to mold growth. This involves removing the flooring, replacing the damaged subfloor, then reinstalling the tile, vinyl, or linoleum.
No matter what type of water damage your floors have experienced, acting quickly to remove as much liquid as possible is key to minimizing the damage, saving you both time and money.
