Storm Damage Leads to Restoring Hardwood Floors

9/29/2016 (Permalink)

Hardwood Flooring Requires a Faster Restoration from SERVPRO To Mitigate Damage

One of the first elements a visitor notices in a Southern home are the hardwood floors. They naturally stand out from carpeting and when they are properly cleaned and maintained, also help the resale value of a home tremendously.

Hardwood floors in Nashville homes also stand up to storm damage much better than carpets and softwoods. SERVPRO has developed a strategy designed to addresses the effects of submersion in stormwater. In order to prevent the warping or cupping of hardwood floors from becoming permanent, we have three points to address once standing water has been removed:

First, we need to immediately reduce the humidity of the flooring to a range of 30 to 45 percent. To accomplish this, our technicians will place a series of air movers (fans and other blowers) to key spots both on top of and underneath the affected flooring.

Second, once the floor's moisture content has been reduced to under 16 percent, we'll raise the temperature of the surrounding air to increase the evaporation process. To do this, our technicians will deploy a series of commercial heaters designed for this purpose.

Third, if the floor finish acts as a vapor barrier (prevents or substantially slows the evaporation process), it may need to be removed. Depending on the customer's desire, it can be stripped completely, or we can use a specialized tool called a pin roller to perforate the finish in the major areas to allow evaporation to continue uninterrupted. This process is often not needed as long as our technicians can get under the affected hardwood with the air movers.

If we do have to remove the hardwood floor's finish, we use a penetrating moisture meter to ensure the moisture content is below 12 percent before applying a new one or even begin sanding. If the moisture level is above that when work begins, there is a possibility the flooring would warp again.

Restoring your home from the effects of water damage is an intensive, time-consuming process. SERVPRO of South Nashville is ready to support our community with almost five decades of experience in the business of helping get your home and life back to normal. Call us today at (615) 331-0200 if you need our assistance.