Salvaging Wet Hardwood Floors...
Here is something I didn't even know... I was under the impression you had to remove and replace hardwood floors once you had water in them... this is good to know... thanks Michael for this great bit of information...
I am currently in the middle of a a fairly large restoration job in Scarsdale, NY.
The homeowners had a significant amount of water damage after the heavy rains we had for the last few days. Their house sits on the lowest part of a steep incline, with all of the neighboring houses above it, causing any water to flow downhill and towards their home. They just recently bought the house and have done several improvements, including installing beautiful hardwood flooring throughout the first level. As you can imagine, they were really upset when they had a few inches of rain water covering their brand new floors.
My clients assumed that the floors would have to be ripped out and replaced because they had begun to slightly buckle and cup. It's a common misconception. Of course, not all cases are the same, but usually we can salvage wood floors, even after they get wet. First, we remove all of the excess water. We then use specially designed drying equipment to inject air under and in-between the wood planks. It can take several days, or longer, but you have to be sure that all of the wood is drying evenly and completely, along with the rest of the damaged parts of the structure.
So if your home suffers water damage, and your wood floors get wet, don't panic. First, call a reputable disaster restoration company (preferably mine!... shameless plug!... LOL). Second, take a deep breath and let them go to work. A good disaster restoration company should ask you questions about the incident over the phone and should come prepared to handle the situation with the right equipment. If they don't, call another company.
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