Water damage is something every homeowner dreads. Whether from a leak or moisture build-up, you can end up with extensive repairs or the need to completely replace your flooring if you don’t watch out for the signs. Water-damaged floors are more than an eyesore. Being a breeding ground for bacteria and mold, they also pose a health risk to your household! That’s why it’s essential you learn the signs of water damage to protect your investment and your family.
How Do You Know When Your Floors Have Water Damage?
There are many sources in your home where water can sneak in to wreak havoc on your floors. Leaking pipes and faucets can cause water to drip onto your flooring slowly, and broken water-based appliances can cause you more problems in the long run when you have to replace your floors. It’s important you also keep an eye on the flooring around any section of damaged roofing, gutters, or cracks in your home’s foundation. Because the most challenging part about having water damage is finding it, as the damage is sometimes hard to spot, and the signs can vary from a visible puddle to a weird smell you can’t quite nail down.
With standing water bleeding into your flooring and into your home’s foundation, mold begins to grow, emitting a horrible must-like smell. So, if you have any phantom odors in your home, check for water damage! Visible mold growth is also a sign of needing to repair or replace your flooring, and of course, if you see water stains that standing water leaves behind, it’s also a sign your home may need to be looked at. Sagging wood flooring means that the water has begun to rot the flooring material, and tile floors start to crack and sink when exposed to water for too long. Buckling and bubbling of your wood or laminate floors also signify signs of severe water damage, and if you don’t get the source fixed and the problem area repaired in time, it could spread throughout the structure of your whole home!
When to Repair and When to Replace
If your home is not completely dry a few days after an incident, meaning you acted right away after finding the source of a water leak. You most likely have mold growing, making a flooring repair a much more complex task than a complete replacement. The type of water leaking into your home is also an important factor. If it’s clean water, like rainwater from a leaky gutter or pipe, it’s safer to repair the damage, whereas if you have black or gray water from an appliance, sewage, or flooding, you may want to look into flooring replacement.
Since every situation is a little different, you need to consider everything when deciding if you need to completely renovate your flooring in damaged rooms, as the decision can be a health risk for the whole household with the mold and safety issues that come with standing water.
Find A Better Way to Buy New Floors
At Texas Pride Custom Floors, we know your flooring is a big deal, which is why we’ve found a better way for you to buy floors. If you’ve decided replacing your flooring is the safest and wisest option for your family, we have a customer-focused approach to buying flooring your family will love for years to come! Contact us today and let us prove it to you.