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Carpets
- Throw out wall-to-wall carpet and padding that has been saturated by flood waters. Usually these carpets can not be cleaned and dried quickly enough to prevent the growth of molds and bacteria. Wrap these in plastic and
take them to an area transfer station or landfill for disposal.
- Small area rugs may be taken to a laundry or cleaners and be professionally cleaned and dried.
Wood Floors & Sub-Flooring Some warped wood flooring is repairable and some is not. The extent of damage will depend partly on
the kind of material used in the floor. Different woods react differently to dampness or flooding.Do not attempt to straighten warped or buckled wood floors until they have dried out.
Remove rugs and other floor covers to allow the floor to dry more quickly. To repair slightly warped hardwood floors:
- Clean and dry the floor completely before attempting any repairs. This may take weeks or even months.
- If the floor is still warped in places when it is dry, remove strips adjacent to the bulges, and plane them on their edges. This will give space for the warped boards to flatten out in time. (If boards are tongue and
grooved, consult a carpenter about the special techniques necessary for this work.)
- You may be able to draw some buckled flooring into place by nailing the bulged spots. Some humps may be removed by planing or sanding. Heavily planed or sanded
floors, though unsuitable to be used uncovered, can serve
as a base for new flooring, or carpet or resilient floor covering.
Pine Wood Floors
Warped wide pine board flooring will often flatten out after it has thoroughly dried. Clean the floor and let it dry for several months. Using the furnace as much as possible during the drying time will speed
up the process. (Do not build fires to hasten drying.) Do not try to repair the floor until it is dry. If any boards are still slightly warped when dry, use the same technique as for warped hardwood floors. When laying a new
floor or subfloor, remove baseboards and molding. The finished floor should be the same level as the original floor, if possible. If floor level changes, doors must be refitted to the new level. Consult a carpenter before
attempting this work. Plywood Many homes have plywood subfloors. Plywood usually separates (de-laminates) from excessive
moisture. This will make the covering material (carpet, sheet-flooring or tile) buckle.If only a small section of the subfloor has separated, replace that section with new plywood. If the entire floor has de-laminated, either
remove the entire subfloor and replace it, or renail new plywood over the old. Consult a reliable contractor for this work. Engineered & Laminate Wood Floors
When it comes to these types of wood flooring, it is best to just remove and relace. The cost to repair this type of wood floorng would cost much more then it would cost to replace.
TILE OR TERAZZO FLOORS
- Remove ceramic tile or terrazzo if the underlayment was wood sub-flooring. Clean and reinstall the tiles using a moisture-proof sealant or adhesive after the underlaying material has dried thoroughly or has been replaced.
- Floor tiles may loosen if the adhesives have been damaged or the underlayment or sub-flooring has warped. Remove loose pieces of tile to dry the underlayment completely, then, re-cement the tiles.
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