How Water Damage Affects Your Wood Flooring in Madison

3/6/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is a Pro at Restoring Damaged Wood Flooring

When unwanted water invades your home, how does it affect your wooden flooring? Whether it is repairable or not depends on things such as how long the water is in contact with your flooring. It is, of course, important to react quickly to reduce damage and raise the chance of restoring the floor.
 
Water damage of any kind to your Madison Water damage of any kind to your Madison home can have a significant, detrimental effect to your wooden floors. To have a good chance of restoring it, you need the professional help of SERVPRO, an experienced restoration company. They can help you decide what is salvageable in your home, including the flooring, and create a plan of remediation.
 
Warping and Buckling
Wood contains moisture naturally but expands when it absorbs excess moisture. Sometimes, the boards warp, and expanded boards can push against each other and could buckle at the joints where the boards meet or at the walls. How much the boards buckle depends on how much moisture is absorbed and the kind of wood it is. Buckling and warping could be permanent once the wood dries. Floors need replacement if the proper drying and refinishing isn’t able to remove the damage.
 
Cupping and Crowning
Cupping happens when the water absorbs from the sides and bottom of the wood. The edges rise slightly or cup. Cupping can be corrected much of the time by sanding it out.
 
Crowning occurs when the top of the wood has more moisture than the bottom and the sides, which makes the wood arch, creating a bowed shape in the middle. Crowning usually happens when the bottom of the wood is over-dried. You cannot sand out flooring which shows signs of crowning.
 
Wood Products
Plywood, particleboard, and oriented strand board are durable enough to withstand exposure to moisture to some degree. These woods are at-risk for water damage if glue which can be dissolved by water is used during installation. In these cases, plywood can delaminate, particleboard and OSB can disintegrate, and all three can warp, swell, and buckle. Plywood, in general, is more resistant to water damage because of the method of construction and the materials and adhesives used.
 
Moisture affects wood framing of many structures. In a few situations, wood could warp to the point it needs replacing. Finishes on wood affect evaporation and absorption. How porous the wood is varies depending upon the type of finish, which slows the rate of moisture absorption by making the surface of the wood less porous.
 
SERVPRO of Madison/Goodlettsville understands how water damage and moisture affects your wood flooring and take all necessary steps to try and salvage it. Contact us right away at (615) 868-5324 when your flooring becomes saturated for any reason so we can assess the damage and try and save your floors.