Water damage can come by complete surprise and shock anyone when it rears its ugly head. It has an effect on anything and everything that it can touch, especially within your home. Unfortunately, one of the most susceptible parts of your home to water damage is the flooring. They usually experience the brunt of the damage and will show signs before other parts of the home do. After experiencing a difficult disaster such as water damage, it may be difficult to know where to go from there. Determining if your home has been water damaged in any way is an important first step as water damage can result in problems such as mold.
Water Damage Restoration – Anchorage
Hardwood and carpet are among the most prone to water damage compared to other floorings. Both are highly absorbent and difficult to restore. Moreover, the longer that the flooring is exposed to water, the deeper the damage will go. This can make water damage restoration extremely difficult and may require overall replacement if it isn’t handled promptly. Watch out for these signs to check if your floors have been water damaged.
Mold
Mold will thrive on anything that is damp, including your flooring. Since a lot of types of flooring are absorbent, it is the perfect breeding ground for mold to attach to. Mold will begin its growth within 24 hours of the damage occurring, so the longer that moisture stays, the worse the mold will get. It can appear in numerous ways, from black splotches to white furry patches on the surface of your floorboards. They typically release a damp, musty aroma that will signal to you that mold is present. Too much mold leads to numerous potential health issues, releasing toxins and creating unhealthy air quality within your home. It also causes rot, further damaging your floors to the point of no return.
Discoloration
As water sits on or underneath the flooring, this color change will stand out to most. Water causes colors to change in most materials as it dries down and evaporates, leeching the color out of them. Water-damaged wood, carpet, linoleum, and other floorings will be left with a washed-out spot, usually minerals and salt left behind from the water evaporating. Water damage stains can also look like dark stains, depending on the type of flooring.
Shape Changes
Once the flooring has been water damaged, even its original shape will begin to change, especially in hardwood. These show in buckling, crowing, cupping, and warping. Buckling happens because the subflooring disconnects from the flooring altogether, causing it to peel upward. Crowning occurs when the floor shrinks due to water loss, while cupping occurs from the floor absorbing too much water. Crowning will leave the planks rounded, and cupping will put a depression in the middle of the plank. Warping is also another sign that the floor has absorbed too much water.
Once you notice that any of these problems are occurring in your flooring, it is time to get help. If you don’t think you have experienced water damage, and you are seeing these types of changes, the water damage could be hidden. Attempting water damage restoration on your own is very extensive and difficult, and, at the end of the day, you may not have completely erased it. Contact professionals at TCM Restoration to successfully remove any water damage and restore your home to its original state.
