If water damage is going to occur, it usually starts from the point of entry. In homes with tile or vinyl floors surrounding a kitchen area, the grout lines may become an invading route for water seeping in from cracks or damaged areas in the flooring or sub-flooring. If this is not immediately repaired and water begins to pool up on the floor below, wood rot can soon become an issue as can other types of permanent damage. Hardwood floors are particularly sensitive to moisture exposure so if you find standing water after a flood has passed through your home, act fast to remove it and begin drying procedures right away. Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes…
Will water mess up hardwood floors?
The short answer is yes, but it depends on what caused the water damage in your home. If you have a hardwood floor between your kitchen and the outside patio or porch, there’s a chance that it will be damaged if standing water creates puddles between them. The same holds true for any wood flooring in your house when exposed to too much moisture.
Most of the time though, major problems with flooding are associated with natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, or massive storms that can cause devastating damage to homes. Floods are also often induced by burst pipes or overflow from faulty appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and even furnaces. When this is the case, sometimes fast action is taken once the waters recede to salvage what can be saved of hardwood floors, cabinets, and other aspects of the home.
Even with quick intervention, however, there are times when it is too late to save wood flooring or similar products. If flooding has occurred in your basement for example, especially over a period of days or weeks with no noticeable cause, you may have an issue on your hands that will require professional restoration services to deal with. There are also cases where severe water damage itself has caused the need for the complete replacement of certain building materials like wallpaper or carpeting instead of simple repairs. When this happens, homeowners often wonder how much all this will cost them so let’s take a look at some related information…
How much does water damage cost?
The average damages caused by flooding in the US are calculated at $7,500 so many people will turn to insurance companies for help with this. Most policies today cover some type of water damage but only if it can be proven that certain conditions were met before the damage occurred.
If you’re dealing with water seepage or leakage during a storm, for example, there’s no guarantee that your home owner’s coverage will apply. Floods, heaving rains and other natural disasters may fall under special policies instead so expect to pay more than average out-of-pocket costs if this is what happened. It is also important not to act too quickly on any repairs yourself since some types of water damage require drywall extractions and others before floors can even be touched. If you attempt to take care of your water problems on your own, you might make things worse and end up with a home filled with toxic mold.
If however, you do have a clear explanation for how water damage occurred, there are many restoration services available that deal with homes in every state. Just be sure to hire an established company that can provide proof of insurance, better pricing options, and the ability to handle all kinds of jobs from start to finish. They may also bring hardwood floor specialists into the picture if they see a need for this type of professional advice at any point during the process.
How much does it cost to repair hardwood floors?
In most cases when the wood is found underneath flooring materials like carpet or vinyl, it is relatively easy to clean and restore. If water damage has caused wood floors to warp or bend, however, replacement may be the only option.
As mentioned before, hardwood flooring services can also save your floors once they have been exposed to water for as short as a few hours as long as the right procedures are followed. The longer you wait though, the more likely it will be that certain parts of your home’s structure will need major renovation instead. This includes carpentry work that would normally involve drywall installation and other steps but now might require additional help from restoration specialists like those found on our site.