Water Removal on Hardwood Floors after a Storm in Chicago

8/2/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Uses Drying Mats to Extract Water from Storm Damaged Hardwood Floorings

SERVPRO Has the Equipment and Training to Mitigate Water Damage and Salvage Most Floorings

Water flood from a storm can lead to colossal property destruction. Hardwood floors are especially vulnerable to water damage. When it makes its way into the building, the water can penetrate hardwood floors and cause irreversible damage.

When a storm occurs in your Chicago area, our water removal services can help deal with the situation. SERVPRO has highly trained technicians who can dry the water damaged hardwood floors quickly and efficiently.
 
Hardwoods tend to hold up better from moisture than softwoods in a water damage situation. During a storm, the combined high density of the wood and high moisture conditions causes it to retain more water. Our water removal procedure centers on preventing permanent warping, cupping, and buckling. The amount of water present and how long it has been there can influence the extent of the water damage.
 
SERVPRO technicians are IICRC-certified and can assess whether the cup and warp are severe before choosing a solution. If not, we may use sanding during the refinishing process. Before this, we have to stabilize the moisture content level to below 12 percent. It can take 1-2 months before initiating the sanding and refinishing processes, as we have to wait for the wood floors to acclimate. When done prematurely, sanding can cause your hardwood floors to cup or crown as drying progresses. One of our techniques is to place drying mats, about 10 square-feet each, and suction the water from this large surface area from between the joints, and if structured, the below sub floor and floor joists.
 
Veneer Hardwood flooring is more vulnerable to water damage caused by a storm, as it has a considerably thinner surface. The layers of these types of planks present an almost no chance of restoration. It is typically more economical to discard and start anew. The purpose of our water removal efforts is to dry the hardwood floor as much as possible. Drying prevents mold growth on the wood, which can occur when moisture levels are above 20 percent.
 
This type of water damage situation also requires minimizing relative humidity to 30-45 percent. SERVPRO technicians use air movers to achieve this purpose, which facilitates airflow above and underneath the wood floor. We may also need to increase the room temperature after the storm, which helps accelerate the evaporation process.
 
Water damage on your hardwood floor does not have to stress you out anymore. SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City is available 24/7 to offer quick water removal services to your community. Call us today at (773) 337-3993.

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