Hardwood & Tile Floor Drying

Here are the factors to consider when drying hardwood floors:

• The Category of water loss. Category 1, within the first 48 to 72 hours of the water intrusion a hardwood floor can be saved.
• Volume of water flooding the floor.
• Time, how long the floor has been soaked.
• Wood naturally holds water—more than 10% depending on the species and geographic location of the structure.
• Wood floors are very sensitive to changes in the environment where they are installed, so proper drying is critical.
• Wood can absorb another 5% to 10% of its weight in moisture without showing any noticeable effects. Within a few days, however, the floor will expand causing cupping, which is very difficult to restore.
• Emergency response is critical for any damage to wood floors.

Hardwood Floors or Tile? No Problem!

Hardwood and tile floors require special attention from restorative drying companies. Many people believe that replacement is the only option when their hardwood floor is affected in a water loss. However, this is not always the case. When Allied Restoration is called into action on a water loss before the hardwood floor has begun to buckle, (buckling occurs when the nails begin to pull through the floor) in most cases we are able to save the floor. Allied Restoration can formulate a plan to put our Injectidry System to work for you. This top rated equipment has saved many homeowners and Insurance Companies thousands of dollars in replacement costs.
Allied Restoration can restore hardwood floors in gymnasiums, racquetball centers, department stores, theaters or homes. Allied Restoration’s drying techniques can literally reverse cupping and swelling. In humid conditions, wood flooring and fine finishes can absorb moisture directly from the air causing warping, cupping and expansion. These factors play havoc with installations and refinishing. Floors with 10 inch 'waves' have been dried and gradually returned to their normal condition, saving tens of thousands of dollars.

How does it work?

The black panels you see in the picture above have been placed on the hardwood floor with an air tight seal around the edges. The small yellow tubes are attached to a port in the panel. The other ends of the tubes are connected to the larger yellow suction hose. This hose is connected to the Injectidry System which draws a vacuum forming suction under the panels. Air will travel from between the sub-floor and the hardwood floor through the grooves between the boards, bringing with it any moisture. This system combined with very dry air from our dehumidifiers will pull the moisture right out of the wood.

When dealing with any water loss, a rapid response is the most critical factor in mitigating the loss, and it is especially important in the case of hardwood floors. The longer they are wet, the greater the chance that buckling will occur. So the next time you’re dealing with a wet hardwood floor, don’t just count it as a loss, count on Allied Restoration to get it dried in a hurry!

Here is the difference between cupping and crowning.

Tile and Stone Floors

The drying process for tile floors is approached in a similar manner to drying a hardwood floor. The challenge that Allied Restoration overcomes is the problem with pockets of water that are bound between the underside of the tile and the sub-floor. Tile, Marble, Slate, Granite, and other dense materials, such as the cement based grout and mastic products used for these flooring installations will not give up the moisture stored in them easily. Drying these materials requires specialized drying techniques and equipment to remove the moisture that was absorbed during the flood event. It is important to dry the surface materials, but the job is not complete until the substrate is also dried to industry standards. Allied Restoration has the know-how and experience to return your floor to its pre-loss condition. We will make every effort to save you from the inconvenience and cost of tearing out and replacing your floor.

We can’t win them all.

Any Category 3 water loss requires the removal and disposal of all contaminated floor covering so the sub-floor can be properly cleaned and disinfected.

Types of floor coverings that cannot be saved after being wet.
Laminate & Engineered Wood Flooring

Laminate Flooring

 

 

 

 

 

Laminate is a recent development in the flooring industry. The surface of laminate is typically made of an extremely tough-wearing aluminum oxide with a printed photograph adhered to the surface which gives it that hardwood look. The core of the laminate is usually made of high density fiberboard. When this type of flooring is flooded, water will penetrate through the seams causing the boards to swell. These floors usually have a polyethylene under-layment that will trap moisture on the sub-floor. The flooring and under-layment must be removed to properly dry the structure.

Engineered Flooring

Engineered floors are constructed of three to seven layers of thin wood that are stacked together and then glued. The top layer is a thin piece of domestic or exotic wood that gives the plank its finished look. The planks range from 2 1/4" to 7" wide in various thicknesses. Water affects this flooring in much the same manner as laminate floors. The flooring must be removed.