Flood Water vs. Building Materials

9/3/2019 (Permalink)

Damaged wooden floor in a Dickson, TX home

What Can Be Saved After Water Damage In Your Home?

When water floods your home one of the first questions you may have is what can be saved? To answer this question, it's helpful to know what happens to the materials in your home when they get wet. Swelling wood, stained fixtures, and damaged carpet are just a few of the things you can expect to find. Professional cleaners and restoration specialists can help you salvage and reclaim much of your home.

Flooring

Soaked carpets and carpet pads can be cleaned. Wood floors can often be dried and re-laid. If you have significant swelling wood, however, particularly in the subflooring, you may need to replace those sections. Tile flooring tends to survive flooding well and can usually be reused.

Cabinetry

If you had a supply line break in the kitchen, your cabinets probably took a hit. As cabinets tend to be a mixture of particle board, MDF, or plywood, they will have to be replaced. These water-absorbent materials are weakened in a flood. If you have solid wood cabinetry, it can be dried and saved.

Walls

Drywall is another material that can be successfully dried out after a flood. However, if you need to perform water pipe repair, chances are you will be ripping some of that drywall out anyway. The key to saving drywall is to call professionals as soon as possible. They have specialized equipment for drying drywall. Once the drywall has started to sag or bulge, it's too late. The drywall will have to be replaced.

As water damage repair is a case-by-case basis, it's important to consult with professional cleaners in Dickson,TX. They are Here to Help. Only an on-site inspection can determine what is salvageable in your home. If you see swelling wood, water stains on drywall, or pools of water under pipes, it's time for a home assessment and a close look at all your plumbing.