Replacing Flooring After a Flood or Water Damage
One of the most costly and important things to do after a flood or after severe water damage is analyzing the floors and replacing them. This isn't always necessary, however, and shouldn't be done unless an expert or professional has checked the flooring and made a decision.
Water damaged carpeting can be a nightmare to repair. If a flood has damaged the home and flooring, it will usually be impossible. You'll most likely need to replace the underlay as well as the entire carpet. Consulting a water damage restoration expert is a good idea as a first step though. It's sometimes possible for an expert to dry the carpet quickly without shrinking or stretching it, as well as restoring the integrity and feel of the carpet. Getting the carpet dried quickly is the key to avoid replacement. If you can't get the carpet completely dry within 2 days the carpet should be completely replaced. After this period, the carpet will become completely contaminated and unrepairable.
Water damaged wood floors can be a disaster. Wood floors are prone to rot, and can be easily damaged by floor cleaners, let alone a flood. If your wood floors suffer water damage it may be possible to replace the floor board instead of the entire floor, depending on the extent of the damage. Unfortunately, with water damage resulting from flooding, the problem is much bigger. If the water pools and stays on the wood floors for too long it will leak between the planks and attack the wood from underneath. This will cause the floor to buckle and warp. The key to avoiding replacing your wood floors is to dry them immediately after a flood. You may need to take up the wood panels to allow them to dry underneath as well. Afterward, it's important to use weights to keep the floor from buckling. This won't always work, however. Serious water damage to wood floors frequently results in a complete replacement.
If you have water damaged flooring the first step should always be to consult a water damage professional. It's not always necessary to completely replace the flooring, although it's usually the case with floods. The sooner you hire the consultant, the more likely the chance that they can restore your flooring.
