What do I do if my hardwood floor gets water damage?

Here are some steps to follow if your hardwood floor gets water damage.

1. Mop up as much water as you can, as quickly as you can.
2. If you plan on making an insurance claim call your insurance agent.
3. Wait 30 days.
4. Call a wood flooring contractor to come look at the floor and give you an estimate.
5. Get a second opinion – If the two opinions vary greatly get a third opinion (this step is unnecessary if you have someone you have worked with before and you trust them.)

     Step 3 is very important! It is hard to wait when you want it fixed and looking good tomorrow. The wait sometimes pays off and you will need less repairs than it looks like originally. There is no way to guess what the wood will look like after 30 days. It could have cupping or crowning or warped boards or it could go back to what it looked like originally. I have seen it all.

     Also moisture in the subfloor needs time to dry out completely so it will not affect the repaired floor or new floor. You never know how deep the moisture has gone. Be patient and trust me it will payoff.