When wood and water mix, the results can be devastating for a homeowner—especially when considering wood floors or paneling. Because wood retains water, having the wood surfaces in your home exposed to water continually or for an extended period of time can leave them disfigured, displaced or worse, rotted. When it comes to salvaging wooden areas that have been tainted by overexposure to water, it can be difficult to see a positive outcome, however with proper water damage restoration in Callao, VA, your chances of averting disaster are greater than simply letting the problem fester.
Saving your wood surfaces from becoming permanently disfigured takes quick action, proper care and a keen eye for future prevention, which is why water damage restoration in Callao, VA should almost always be left to a professional.
The scope of damage
A few warped floorboards or a single rotted wall panel are generally not indicative of the water damage problem that your wood is experiencing. Too often, homeowners believe that if they’re able to replace a small section of wood, that the problem will be fixed—however this is usually just the equivalent to sweeping it under the rug. Water that seeps into wood generally spreads to other wooden spaces nearby—meaning that your single rotted wall panel is just the epicenter of the problem and the real issue could in fact be much larger.
To truly measure the scope of water damage, it takes a professional eye to examine the integrity of your other wooden surfaces. A restoration professional will be able to measure the scope of damage by pinpointing the main source of the issue, then expanding their range to encompass everything that’s been affected.
Restoring the wood
Depending on the level of damage and the berth of its reach, the process of restoring wood can vary significantly. In light cases, no material replacement may be needed and instead, a professional will eliminate the cause of water and go to work eliminating the moisture from the wood, finally sealing it to protect it against future wear and tear. In heavier instances, however, entire sections of wood may need to be replaced in order to eliminate rotting, while the surrounding damages undergo restorative services to bring them back to a healthy level.
The most important things to consider when repairing water damage are these: find the source of the water, eliminate it and protect the wood against future water incursions. Without being careful to assess the source of the problem and protect against future issues, your wood will continue to succumb to damages even after a restoration.
How to pinpoint a problem
In many cases, determining if your wood requires restoration is as simple as observing a standing puddle of water or examining water damage to your home after a particularly bad storm. In other cases, however, it’s far less easy to spot water damage. Look for warped sections of wood, wood that appears decayed and be sure to check for smells that indicate excessive moisture or rotting wood.