Proactively Drying Wet Wood Floors

While visiting a store today, the salesclerk asked me the following question: “I had a water damage about two years ago, and I let the oak wood flooring sit for about 7-8 months until it went flat: was that the right thing to do?” What a question!

I sometimes think that the restoration companies and adjusters of the world now understand that even if the floors will go flat in 3-9 months that other unseen and damaging things can be happening beneath the finished wood. There is the almost absolute certainty that the fasteners whether staples or nails will have rusted and are not holding as well. The backs and sides of the boards will be contaminated with a degree of mold. It is impossible for there not to be if it took that long to dry.

The correct and appropriate steps are to either dry quickly to get the structural moisture content below 16% as soon as possible and to eliminate the cupping, or remove the wet flooring and dry the subfloor (much more costly). Drying the finished wood in place will absolutely preclude mold from developing. Finishing can occur after the floor has finished its acclimation period which generally runs another 30-90 days. Never refinish a floor that is not in equilibrium, and if your floor refinisher does not say that, you need an expert.