What about my floors?

8/30/2019 (Permalink)

This hardwood floor was damaged by a broken supply line.

One of the first questions often asked of SERVPRO of Davie & Yadkin Counties technicians when they enter a customer’s home or business is, “does my flooring have to come out?”.  A lot of the times that answer is yes.  Ultimately this answer comes down to two factors. 1.  What type of flooring you have and 2. The source of the water.  Most flooring does not react well to contact with water.  Almost all of your laminate floorings would require removal regardless of the water source.  The same is true of some carpets, especially ones that are latex backed (latex is water soluble).  Even when the source of the water is not an issue and you have flooring that will stand up to water damage it still may be necessary to remove your flooring in order to save/prevent damage to your subfloor. The source of water can also have an effect on the ability of the restoration contractor to save your flooring.  Clean water (category one) from a broken supply line can sometimes be dried without removal of carpet or pad, but if there is a vapor barrier present (some pad has a plastic lining over it) it will prevent it from drying out and will create the risk of secondary damage and mold growth if left I n place.  The same goes for vinyl flooring.  The vinyl is a vapor barrier and will prevent the effective drying of materials beneath it.  Category two (gray water, think used bath water) and category three (black water, think sewage or flood waters) are significantly more contaminated than category one water.  In the case of category three water it is treated as sewage contamination and any flooring contacted would be removed with the exception of ceramic tile, as non porous materials can be cleaned and sanitized.  In other words, your technician will make a decision based on a number of factors and then advise you on the recommended course of action to best mitigate your damages and protect your health and safety.  Should water damage become at issue at your properties, contact our team at SERVPRO of Davie & Yadkin Counties for help, 336 677 1415.