If you have been the unfortunate victim of a flood and you’re looking at repairing the resulting flood damage to your wood floor, there are several things to bear in mind, but before looking at that, let’s look at some of the causes of flood.
Essentially, there are three types of water flooding and these include sanitary water, non-sanitary water and what is termed as black water flooding. Sanitary water flooding, as the name suggests refers to excessive water spillage which originates from clean sources such as plumbing pipes in the home. Unsanitary water, again, as you would imagine could be described as dirty water. Typical sources of unsanitary water flooding in the home include floods caused by white goods (washing machines, dishwashers etc) and toilet overflows. In some ways, the worst type of flooding is black water flooding, which includes coastal flooding, river flooding and sewage flooding.
Generally speaking wood floors and excessive water aren’t a good mix and in some instances flooding can have an irreparable effect on floors. There are, however, a couple of things that will affect how your wood floor deals with a flood, no matter its source (sanitary, insanitary or black). One of the main factors that will increase your floor’s chance of success is the quality of its installation. A well-fitted (or installed) floor is much more likely to withstand the challenges of a flood than a floor which has been badly fitted.
The other important element that will impact on the survival of your wood flooring in the event of flooding is how quickly you are able to remove the offending water. As you would imagine, the quicker you can remove the water, the better the chances your hardwood floor has of being rescued.
One of the scariest aspects of flooding when it comes to wood flooring is the fact that flood water isn’t always visible and you could find yourself having to deal with problems which have been developing without your knowledge. Flooding under and around wood flooring can be as damaging as flooding on the surface of the floor if it goes un-noticed and un-treated for any length of time.
Arguably the biggest risks associated with flooding are the health hazards presented by black water floods and the risk of mould spores developing in the sub floor, but either way, the best way to tackle any serious flooding on your wooden flooring is to bring in flood professionals at the earliest opportunity.