Does Water Damage Floors?

1/21/2020 (Permalink)

Water Damage on Floor

Customers often ask SERVPRO of Edgewater/Deale-Churchton/Lothian if water damages flooring. The answer isn’t always straight forward. Depending on the type of flooring you have, water damage may not occur. Here are some general answers:

Laminate Floors. The top of laminate flooring is technically resistant to water damage. If you spill some water on laminate flooring but promptly wipe it up, then the floor will suffer no damage. Unfortunately, the situation changes if and when flooding occurs. If and when laminate flooring becomes saturated with water, it becomes warped and damaged.

Hardwood Floors. Whether it’s raining outside and water managed to get onto your hardwood floors or there’s a spill or leak within your house, when your wood floors are exposed to water or moisture, they are at risk of cupping and permanently damaged. At SERVPRO of Edgewater/Deale-Churchton/Lothian we can use Rescue Mats to dry hardwood floors. Rescue Mats pull moisture out of the floor with a vacuum.

Tile Floors. Ceramic floor tiles are not harmed by standing water but it can damage the grout between the tiles and detach the adhesive. The damage may not become noticeable for many weeks or even months, until after flood waters have diminished. Rescue Mats can be used on tile floors to remove moisture in the grout as well as sub floors.

If you feel your floors need further inspection due to a recent water damage, please reach out to us at (410) 867-3590.