Are you noticing signs of water damage on your flooring?
Water damage can occur in a home due to a variety of reasons which include leaking pipes, leaking roofs, or natural disasters like flooding and storms. If the problem isn’t addressed quickly, water damage can cause serious structural damage to your home and permanently ruin its walls, flooring and even furniture. All this damage then requires expensive and time consuming repairs and renovations for the restoration of your home.
This is why it’s crucial to identify the cause of water damage at its earliest stage and fix it so that you can avoid greater inconvenience and more serious consequences in the long run. Continue reading this article to find out everything you need to know to avoid floor damage due to water leaks in your home.
Spotting Signs of Water Damage
All types of floors can get easily damaged when they are exposed to water leaks continuously, however wooden floors get damaged the quickest. Identifying whether the floor of your house has been damaged by water is rather simple. All you have to do is inspect your flooring for subtle signs of damage like discoloration or warping. Each type of floor shows different signs that you need to watch out for.
Hardwood Flooring
A hardwood floor will show signs of water damage through cupping, the appearance of dark spots, bulging or buckling. Cupping is when the floor planks of hardwood become uneven and have dips and higher edges. The appearance of dark spots on hardwood flooring can be an indication of mold growth on the floor which is a consequence of water leaks. Moreover, bulging is when the floor planks bubble in an upward direction because of the absorption of water. Buckling occurs when the planks of hardwood flooring start to move from their fixed place as they are no longer attached to the floor underneath. All of these signs indicate floor damage due to water leaks and they must be taken seriously.
Tiled Flooring
Stubborn stains on tiled flooring are an indication of water damage on the flooring. To inspect this matter further, you should tap your tiled flooring with a coin to notice if the sound is hollow. A hollow sound is an indication that the fitting of tiles has become loose due to water damage.
Carpeted Flooring
Carpeted flooring will show signs of floor damage due to water leaks in a different way. The carpet will usually start to have an unpleasant odor due to the presence of mold growth on it. The carpet will also begin showing signs of discoloration which is another indication of mold growth. The important thing to realize about the appearance of mold growth is that it always occurs as a consequence of water damage. In order to get rid of mold growth, you must always fix the water leak first.
Laminated Flooring
Laminated flooring will indicate water damage through visibly noticeable signs of swelling and warping. Sometimes a laminated floor will also become discolored due to water damage.
Please visit our website for more information on floor damage due to water leaks.
