How To Minimize Water Damage Cleanup For Wood Floors
Wood and water simply aren’t great friends. If you’ve ever tried to start a campfire near your Billings home with wet wood, you know the frustration. When water seeps into porous wood grains, the wood traps water droplets until it can be sufficiently dried out, usually a process that can take several days. Even with proper drying, wood paneling rarely returns to its original condition. Fortunately, water damage cleanup professionals with the right tools and expertise can minimize the extent of water damage and return your flooring to a good-as-new condition. Here’s how:
Water Damage Cleanup In Billings
General Steps
#1. Remove surface water. The first step in getting sparkling clean hardwood floors is to wipe up any surface water. Use an old towel you don’t mind getting dirty and mop up all of the standing water before moving on to anything else. Be aware that during this step, wood may look discolored due to internal water pockets. This isn’t physical surface water, but many people get frustrated at the lack of progress when they see discoloration on wood surfaces. Be patient and realize the color neutralization will come with time and drying.
#2. Scrub the floor. Scrubbing the floor is important after water damage to remove mud and silt, and any leftover grime that’s been caked onto paneling. The type of wood you have will determine how hard to scrub and what to use, since each flooring has different hardness levels and will respond differently to certain agents used in the cleaning process. This step is really best done by a professional who is trained on how to restore wood without ruining the beautiful finish you paid so much for.
#3. Disinfect the area. After diligent scrubbing to remove stains and dirt, it’s time to disinfect. Again, the agent used will be dependent on the type of wood and extent of water damage and cleanup. Be sure to reach in between paneling to get all of the hidden cracks and crevices that may be hiding harmful contaminants.
#4. Analyze the extent of damage. There’s a reason that we distinguish water damage from a simple juice spill. Water damage can wreak its havoc on the surface, but much of the harm is done underneath the floorboards in the base layer between the home’s foundation and wood flooring. It’s easy to just brush over the possibility of water damage after a leak, spill, or flood, but these issues can compound for months or years, leaving behind unpleasant smells, warped flooring, and a hefty water damage cleanup bill.
#5. Deal with mold. Related to the previous step, mold can grow basically anywhere it wants to as long as it’s damp. Wet wood is the perfect petri dish for unwanted black mold. Dry out the area thoroughly and be on guard for musty smells and weak flooring. If you suspect mold damage in your Billings home, give the water damage cleanup experts a call!
Wood flooring is a beautiful addition to any home and its integrity shouldn’t be compromised by a poor water damage cleanup job. If you’ve experienced a water damage cleanup emergency in any way, the Faithful Cleaning experts would be happy to help restore your wood flooring to its sparkling state.
