Water-Damaged Hardwood Floor Repair in Cary, NC
We repair hardwood floors after leaks, spills and floods in homes across Cary, North Carolina.
- Quotes in writing
- 10 areas covered
Cary Hardwood Flooring repairs hardwood floors damaged by leaks, spills and floods in homes across Cary. We find out how far the water went, replace the boards that cannot be saved and finish the repair to match the rest of your floor.
Act quickly after a leak
The EPA says it is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. It also says to fix plumbing leaks and other water problems as soon as possible.
We start on the floor once the leak itself is fixed, because new boards laid over a wet spot will soon be damaged too.
Why wet boards lift and stain
The U.S. Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory says wood takes on moisture from its surroundings. It says the moisture left in wood tends to come to balance with the humidity of the air around it.
After a leak, we look for board edges that have risen, boards that have pulled apart, dark stains and soft spots that give when you step on them.
What we check before we quote
We check how far the water spread under the boards, not just where you can see it on top. We also look at the subfloor, which is the layer of wood the boards are nailed to, because a wet subfloor has to be dealt with before new boards go in.
A U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory study says engineered wood flooring is made of several sheets of solid wood, called veneer, bonded together with glue under heat, pressure or both. On engineered hardwood flooring, we check whether the layers have come apart before we decide to repair or replace.
Dry first, then repair
The EPA says that if you clean up mold but don't fix the water problem, the mold problem will most likely come back. So we don't sand or finish boards that are still wet. We wait until the floor and the subfloor are dry before we fit new boards.
Dirty water and mold
The EPA says that if the damage was caused by sewage or other dirty water, you should call in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by that kind of water. We'll tell you if your job needs that cleanup before we work on the floor.
What changes the price
We price water-damaged hardwood floor repair for your house once we've looked at the floor, and you get that quote in writing.
We set our price by how many boards need replacing, whether the subfloor needs work, how easy it is to find matching wood, and whether we sand and finish just the patch or the whole room.
What to get in writing
Ask for these in writing, whoever you hire:
- Which boards will be replaced, and how many.
- Whether any of the subfloor will be replaced.
- How the new boards will be matched to the old ones.
- Whether the patch gets sanded and finished, or the whole room.
- Who fixes the leak, and whether that is part of the job.
Questions about water-damaged hardwood floor repair in Cary
Do I need a permit to repair a water-damaged floor in Cary?
The Town of Cary lists replacing floor and wall coverings among the jobs that don't need a building permit. If you are unsure whether your job needs one, the town says to call its Inspections and Permits Department on 311 inside town limits or (919) 469-4000.
Can a water-damaged hardwood floor be saved?
We check each board once the floor is dry. We keep the boards that are sound and replace the ones that are still soft, split or badly stained.
Will the dark stains sand out?
Not always, because the EPA says mold may cause staining and cosmetic damage, and it may not be possible to clean an item so it looks the way it did before. Where a stain goes too deep, we replace the board.
What if there is mold under the floor?
The EPA says that if there has been a lot of water damage, or mold covers more than 10 square feet, you should look at its guide for mold cleanup in larger buildings. If we lift boards and find mold, we stop work and tell you.
Should I run my heating and air after a leak?
The EPA says not to run your heating and air conditioning system if you know or suspect it has mold in it, because it could spread mold through the building. If we find mold when we lift boards near an air vent, we'll tell you.
How can I stop it happening again?
The EPA says to keep air conditioning drip pans clean and their drain lines clear and flowing. It also says to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent if you can, and ideally between 30 and 50 percent.
What happens to leftover finish and rags?
The Town of Cary says household hazardous waste should not go out with your ordinary trash, and it lists turpentine and other flammable materials among those wastes. We take our own leftover finish, thinners and used rags away with us when the job is done.
Which towns do you cover?
We repair water-damaged hardwood floors across Cary, plus Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs and the other towns we list on this page.
Get a quote for water-damaged hardwood floor repair
Call us, or send the quote form with your ZIP code and a short note on what happened. We'll look at the floor, go through repair options with you, and give you a written quote. For smaller jobs like a single cracked board, see our hardwood floor repair page, or go to the Cary Hardwood Flooring home page.
Ready to talk about your hardwood flooring job?
Call us or send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.