A hardwood floor is a large investment, and you don’t want it all to be ruined by water damage. At 24 Hour Lake Elsinore Water Damage, we have over 8 years of experience in saving hardwood floors from damage and restoring them to their former conditions. Contact us anytime for 24/7 emergency hardwood floor drying and restoration services.
HOW HARDWOOD FLOORS REACT TO WATER
Hardwood floors are an organic material and naturally contain a certain amount of moisture. The moisture content quickly responds to surrounding conditions and will fluctuate. As moisture content increases, the wood will expand. As moisture content reduces, the wood will shrink. This is normally not a problem because hardwood floor manufacturers account for some expansion and shrinkage when installing the floors. However, when extreme moisture changes occur, the hardwood floor can be permanently damaged.
CROWNING:
This is a common problem after hardwood floors get wet. The wood absorbs the water and starts to swell in the middle of the board. As a result, the wood board becomes convex, or “crowned.”
CUPPING:
This is the opposite of crowning. Instead of getting a convex shape, the wood board rises on the sides so it becomes concave. Cupping usually occurs when moisture levels are too high in a room.
BUCKLING:
This is the worst-case scenario for wood floors affected by water damage. The wood becomes so damaged that it literally pulls up off of the subfloor. If your wood floor was flooded, you need to have it professionally dried ASAP to prevent buckling.
DRYING HARDWOOD FLOORS
Hardwood floors are considered Class 4 water damage, meaning that they are a specialty drying situation. Because air cannot flow into the wood grains, it can take years for wood floors to dry out on their own. By this time, mold growth and staining will have likely already occurred.
To dry hardwood floors, we use a specialty system called the Rescue Mat. The mat is placed onto the hardwood floor. It has tubes connected to it which are attached to our extraction machine. Using pressurized air and suction, water and moisture are effectively removed from the wood.
Drying hardwood floors should only be performed by a professional with knowledge of wood moisture content levels. If wood floors are not dried adequately, then mold growth and staining will occur, and possibly buckling. If wood floors are dried too quickly or unevenly, then cracking can occur.
Our professionals are IICRC certified for hardwood floor water damage cleanup. You can count on us to restore your hardwood floor to its former glory.
CLEANING HARDWOOD FLOORS
Water damage can leave unsightly stains on your hardwood floors. We have a powerful extraction machine which can flush dirt out of the wood floor so it is clean again. This method is effective in most cases of water damage where mold has not yet begun to grow. We also have an arsenal of non-toxic, pH safe cleaning products specially designed for use on hardwood floors.
INSURANCE BILLING FOR HARDWOOD FLOOR DAMAGE
Hardwood floor water damage is typically covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy. We will do everything in our power to help make sure you get compensation for the damages, and also make the process easier for you. In our many years in the cleanup and restoration industry, we’ve worked with all major insurance companies and become very familiar with the claims process. Not only will we advise you on how to proceed, but we will help document the damage and meet with the insurance adjuster.
We work with ALL insurance companies and bill directly to them!
AVAILABLE 24/7
Hardwood floors react quickly to water, so you need to respond to water damage quickly. We are standing by 24/7/365 and will be at your door in 30 minutes or less. Contact us now for immediate service from licensed technicians.