Flooding is a traumatic event, and if one occurs at your home, it can cause considerable damages to your floor, such as:
- Breaking the floor away from the subfloor.
- Creates mold and mildew.
- Discoloration and staining of the floor.
- Ruining laminate flooring.
- Warping wooden planks.
- And other issues.
In the event that a flood hits your home, it’s not too late to save your floors! Here are the seven tips to follow when restoring a water-damaged floor.
Ascertain and Address the Water Source
Before restoring a water-damaged floor, homeowners must take steps to prevent any more water from entering the house. All efforts to clean and dry flood-damaged floors will be in vain if water continues to flow into their residence, so finding the source of the flooding should be their top priority. If the flood was due to a weather event, then mitigation efforts should be put in place to reduce the chances of a flood in the future.
Remove Wet Objects
Once the immediate danger of the flood has passed, begin the clean-up process by extracting any wet objects, such as furniture or rugs from the area with the flood-damaged floor. This step will not only reduce the amount of water that could saturate your floor but will clear up more space. Bring the items outside so they can dry off in the sunlight, but if that option is unavailable, place them in a room where flooding has not occurred and residual moisture can be controlled.
Get Rid of Surface Water
Next, it’s imperative to remove any standing water still present on the floor. Use a wet vacuum, a shop vacuum with the wet mode setting enabled, or other similar product to gather up all the water to prevent more damage.
Scrub the Floors With Disinfectant
After all the water has been removed from the room, the next step in restoring a water-damaged floor is to scrub it with a disinfectant. Floodwater is filled with contaminants, and if you don’t take the time to remove it with detergent and disinfectant, your floor will remain dirty even after it has dried out. When scrubbing the floors with a brush, rinse it out frequently using a bucket of water.
Dry Out Your Floor
Now that the dirt has been taken care of, it’s time to dry the floor. There are many methods of doing so, including but not limited to:
- Opening windows to enable air circulation.
- Using a dehumidifier.
- Turning on the air conditioning.
- Placing fans in the room to blow air over the flood-damaged floor.
Search for Mold Areas
Even after drying out the floor, there are still steps you must take when restoring a water-damaged floor. Excess moisture allows for easier mold growth, which can cause long-term damage if it is not addressed. Search for any areas of the floor that show signs of mold, such as discoloration, and scrub them with a cleaning solution.
Contact a Restoration Company
If you need assistance remediating/restoring a water-damaged floor, contact your local restoration company. Their 24-hour services can help if a flood from a broken pipe, overflowing toilet, mother nature or whatever the source ever strikes your home.
If you seek the assistance of mold remediation in Lebanon, PA, contact ServiceMaster Restore today!
