Did Flooding in Wilmington Damage Your Hardwood Floors?

3/5/2020 (Permalink)

Keep your hardwood floors beautiful, even after water damage. Call SERVPRO when your floors suffer water damage.

Flood Damage in Wilmington Hits the Floors Hard

 When flood damage flows into a home, even though SERVPRO emergency response teams arrive quickly, most of the water recedes. The problem is that it often has wicked into building materials and left contaminated debris on the floor. 

 Stormwater surges are frequently the root cause of flood damage in Wilmington properties. The biggest issue with this category of water is when it enters a property, while there is little to no standing water in the home, the contaminated debris is present on the floor area.

 Scoping and Moisture Extraction

Although the water in the home may not be readily visible, the SERVPRO techs use their moisture detection equipment to locate anywhere the floodwater went within the property. Common areas water winds up is behind baseboards, under cabinets, and in the subfloor.  

 Careful Cleaning

The techs test the debris to determine any contaminants that are present and sometimes use spray antimicrobial or antibacterial products to lessen the contagion factor during cleanup. The techs take safety precautions such as the use of air scrubbers to capture airborne water vapor molecules, wearing personal protective gear, and using respirators.

 Different Types of Flooring Have Differing Outcomes

 Water exposure can wreck a floor in a short period. 

• Composite wood floorboards tend to fall apart quickly and are a complete loss. 
• Vinyl laminate and glue-down carpet tend to loosen rapidly and, in many cases, have no restoration potential. 
• Hardwood floorboards absorb moisture, but in many cases, through the specialized drying methods of SERVPRO, can get brought back to a preloss condition. 
• Tile with a sealed grout often fares the best under these circumstances, and if the techs do not find water in the subfloor, they get dried in place and then treated with a biocide to disinfect the grout line and prevent any mold growth. 

 Choosing Drying Methods for the Best Outcome

Bringing down the ambient humidity is crucial for the home. SERVPRO technicians carefully set up drying equipment, including dehumidifiers. The drying phase gets carefully monitored to ensure preset drying goals get attained in the timeframe set. 

 SERVPRO of New Hanover at (910) 762-8180 reverses flood damage in homes through the use of their advanced equipment and cleaning technicians to make the loss to the house, "Like it never even happened."

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