Water Damage Can Warp and Buckle Flooring

9/5/2022 (Permalink)

Water Damage to Wood and Laminate Flooring is Very Common

When your bathroom fixture or dishwasher leaks, the basement floods or a window is left open during a torrential downpour, your flooring can get quite wet. When these things happen, your flooring can sustain enough water damage that it has to be cleaned, repaired or even replaced. The guide below to flooring water damage costs can help you understand what steps will have to be taken to bring your floor back to a preloss state, if possible.

Water Damage to Hardwood Flooring
In humid or wet locations like the laundry area, bathrooms or the basement, flooring contractors try to discourage homeowners from installing hardwood flooring. When there is high humidity or a significant amount of water present, moisture gets into the wood, causing it to expand and producing separating, warping and cracking.

Flooring which is engineered handles humidity a lot better since the underlayment attached is made to expand and contract with normal humidity changes without damaging the solid wood layer on the top. It is however still not a good choice in locations that are humid and wet. In rooms with high RH, avoid wood. Concrete, tile or vinyl is preferred in these areas.

Water Damage to Laminate Flooring 
Laminate flooring is composed of layers of material which will absorb water readily and swell, making the layers separate. This happens when water penetrates past the water-resistant barrier of the laminate top. This is often the result when a flood causing standing water to collect for an extended length of time. In this case, laminate flooring needs to be replaced, as there is no cost-effective way to repair the loss. Therefore, this flooring isn’t recommended for areas that are often humid or wet, either.

Tile Water Damage
Grout and tile are quite water resistant, and this is one of the reasons it’s such a good choice for pool areas, showers, entryways, and bathrooms. Your primary concern is the subfloor, as water can get through cracks in the grout, or around the tile field edges. The subfloor will swell if damaged, and the tile and grout can crack or the tile field in this area will be raised.

Linoleum and Vinyl Flooring Water Damage
These both can stand up to water quite well. It can be dried by using a wet vacuum to get rid of the standing water and fans can be placed in the area to dry up water which could have seeped into the subflooring while increasing the evaporation rate.

Hiring the Professionals
Professional water restoration companies, such as SERVPRO, specialize in drying out flooring of all kinds with pumps, fans, wet vacuums and desiccants. We have the right equipment and knowledge to dry out each kind of flooring properly if it is possible to salvage it, and we also know when it needs replacing. We can also sanitize and deodorize your flooring to stop mold and mildew from growing and to eliminate any potential odors.

When water damage in your Bourbonnais home affects your flooring, call SERVPRO of Kankakee County right away at (815) 935-0077 so we can come out to your property and perform the water removal and remediation services that you need. We can restore your beautiful home "Like it never even happened."