How Long Does it Take for Water to Damage a Floor?

Learn how long it takes for water damage to affect hardwood floors and what steps should be taken in order to prevent further damage.

How Long Does it Take for Water to Damage a Floor?

If you have hardwood floors, you don't want any liquid to stay on that surface for too long, as it could deform the wood. Whether it's a leaking pipe or a flooded basement, identifying the source and preventing more water from escaping is the top priority.

Water damage

can ruin your home faster than you think, and within the first 24 hours of a leak or flood, mold, damage to floors, walls, and electricity, and even structural problems can occur. That's why it's always best to quickly hire a water damage restoration in Arlington TX professional near you to consult and repair. As a leak or flood spreads, they will soak up everything around them.

This means that personal belongings, such as books and photographs, can swell and become deformed immediately beyond repair. Soft furniture and upholstery will get soaked and walls and floors will begin to absorb water. Drywall, furniture, wooden doors, and window frames can swell. In addition, paint or wallpaper can peel off or blister and affect electrical systems.

When water damage occurs, it's important to remove water quickly and dry the floors, not only to save hardwood floors (and the subfloor), but also to prevent mold growth (which, of course, can be a bigger and more expensive problem to solve). According to the EPA, mold growth can begin in 48 to 72 hours when floors (or walls) get wet. To minimize the spread of mold and the risk of serious structural damage, contact a water damage restoration professional within 24 to 48 hours. While consulting a contractor may be a homeowner's first response to a water-damaged home, it's less beneficial than calling a water damage restoration professional.

If you leave water damage for more than a week, the time frames, costs and effort involved in any restoration work will increase significantly. As a water damage restoration company, ServiceMaster DAK responds to emergency situations quickly every day of the year. Hardwood floors are damaged if any amount of accumulated water is allowed to sit for about a day, causing the boards to bend and other repair problems. For minor water damage, dry your home from home but professionals are needed for cases of more serious damage.

However, if water damage occurs near the switch box, appliances or electrical outlets call an experienced professional to ensure safety. While water damage restoration companies can restore paper items to a certain extent, it's recommended to protect them from exposure to water in the first place. The most common sources of leaks include rusty and corroded pipes, high-pressure water, extreme temperatures, broken water connectors and more. The effects of water damage are slow and constant; you might not notice that anything is wrong with hardwood floors for a while so be preventive and clean up any amount of water right away.

Once an initial inspection determines the kind of water that caused the damage specialists begin the water mitigation process using advanced water extraction equipment. If you notice that the sides of the wooden floorboards are higher than the center of the plank then you will know that they are deformed and that the cause is undoubtedly water damage. Once you determine that it is safe to re-enter the house the sooner the cleaning and restoration of water damage is carried out the better.

Julianne Huval
Julianne Huval

Hardcore beer enthusiast. Freelance beer geek. Extreme social media aficionado. Avid music practitioner. Infuriatingly humble internet evangelist. Tea scholar.

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