If you live in Nashville or the Greater Middle Tennessee area, then you’ve probably noticed the wet weather we’ve been having lately. If you own your home or office, this can be a major sign to keep an eye on your flooring since water and moisture can wreak havoc on floors if not taken care of right away.
Damp Hardwood Floors are Not Dank
One of the most common ways moisture works its way into your home is through damp. Dampness is one of the most frustrating moisture-related issues that floors face. Damp occurs when moisture from outside the home enters through condensation or from an improperly sealed roof or walls. It can slowly seep into the floorboards, causing all sorts of structural problems such as buckling floorboards, cupping, and more. Because the problem comes from the outside, you need to be vigilant about keeping an eye on the whole home. Look for any leaks in the roofing of your home or any cracks in the walls, especially near windows, which is where condensation happens the most. If left untreated, damp problems can lead to rotting timber and can cause harmful molds to develop in the hardwood flooring.
Laminate and Vinyl Are Susceptible to Water Damage Too
Although it earned its reputation for being able to deal with water, laminate and vinyl plank flooring is not impervious to the dangers of moisture and water. The problems are just different. For example, if laminate flooring comes into contact with a large amount of water (like from a pipe breaking), it will begin to absorb the water and swell after only a couple of hours of submergence. Once water is inside the flooring tiles, they become almost useless. The offending tiles will need to be torn up and the whole area will need to be thoroughly dried before new tiles can be installed in their place.
Residential Carpet Can Be Saved, But You Might Not Want To Save It
It isn’t the end of the world if a residential carpet gets wet, but it’s best if you act quickly to save the carpet with something like a wet vacuum to get all of the water out of the carpet. You’ll want to make sure it dries properly, too. This involves using a dehumidifier to get all of the moisture out of the air, since any remaining moisture will lead to mold and that musty smell no one wants. Be sure to check and see if the subflooring is affected as well, since that’s where mold likes to live and stay.
Moisture and water is always the number one killer of floors and the number one cause of flooring problems. As our area gets wetter and more damp and cool, keep an eye on your floors – and if anything happens, be sure to give Ozburn-Hessey a call.
