Drying Hardwood Flooring after Water Removal in Your Chicago Home

7/18/2022 (Permalink)

Proper steps must be followed to dry water damaged hardwood flooring correctly. If you experienced water damage, contact SERVPPRO.

SERVPRO Technicians Follow Proven Steps When Dealing with Water Damage

Finished flooring is becoming increasingly popular in today’s homes in Chicago. When it becomes flooded for any reason, how it is treated depends on the kind of wood, kind of finish, response time, amount of moisture, the method of installation, and the degree of water damage that is already evident. 

As with all water-related incidents, timing is of the utmost importance. Your floors risk permanent damage if water removal in Chicago is not taken care of right away in your home. Hardwood flooring absorbs moisture more slowly because of the porosity of the product, but a restoration specialist from SERVPRO is needed to repair the damage for you. 

Upon arrival at your home, we begin our inspection – a crucial part of the restoration process. Hardwood flooring comes in various species, including maple, oak, pine, and cherry, and each variety poses different challenges in the drying process because of the multiple absorption levels. 

The initial installation method needs assessment as well. It could have been glued, nailed, or floating. Moisture can allow for the release of glues, and if the installation occurred with a floating method, it might not be authentic wood and could be laminated. 

Effective drying of hardwood floors is a slow process that could sometimes take seven to ten days to let the flooring get rid of enough water to stop the forced drying process. SERVPRO staff know that removing all the absorbed moisture from the floor results in high costs, and you must let nature help in the process. 

The process of drying hardwood must be halted when the moisture content is at four percent of the dry standard of that flooring. After this, nature removes the rest of the water, although prolonged. It could take anywhere from three to six months. After it is adequately dried, some damage to the finish could remain. Sometimes finishes need removing to allow for proper moisture removal. Once the floor is dry, it can be re-finished. 

SERVPRO of Hyde Park / E. Bridgeport / Bronzeville understands how to dry various hardwood flooring so that you can trust your floor to them confidently. We are available anytime at (312) 509-5000 for Bridgeport, Bronzeville, or Chicago residents.