How Soon Should I Clean a Wood Floor?
2/22/2022 (Permalink)
A water pipe burst at your Vanceboro, NC, commercial building can quickly turn into a major disaster. The influx of water can inflict significant damage on practically everything in the area of the faulty pipe. When it comes to water damage, time is of the essence. This is especially true when trying to take care of a wet floor, especially a laminate or natural wood floor.
There probably won't be a way to avoid damage if the water has already come into contact with the wood floor. However, you must take several critical steps as soon as possible to begin mitigating the damage.
Water Exposure: Every Second Counts
It's essential to start the flood cleanup process as soon as possible to slow the loss. It can be helpful to know the procedure before experiencing this type of disaster so you can get to work immediately.
- Prioritize Your Safety
When water leaks into your building, water could flow into areas where electronics are plugged in. In this case, electric currents could be running through even the tiniest amount of standing water. It's vital to shut off the power to the affected area or the entire building before stepping foot into the flooded area.
Call a professional electrician or your power provider if you cannot safely get to the breaker box.
- Remove the Standing Water
A wet/dry vacuum is certainly not necessary for removing standing water from your floor. However, it will make the job much faster and easier. Depending on how much water you have pooled in the area and the size of your wet/dry vacuum, you might have to empty the vacuum's water receptacle once or more during the wet floor cleanup process.
- Clear the Flooded Area
It will probably be necessary to clear as many contents as possible out of the area to make room to work. After all, you will need to remove all the water and properly dry everything after a pipe burst. Some of these materials will probably be unsalvageable if they have water damage.
- Clean and Sanitize Everything
Once all contents are removed from the flood-affected area, everything must be thoroughly cleaned to prevent mold from growing and bacteria from spreading. This is the case even if it involves a clean water pipe bursting.
- Dry the Area and Contents Thoroughly
Next, it's critical to dry everything thoroughly as quickly as possible. Ensure that even small crevices are dry, as water can seep into the tiniest spaces. In addition to the damage the water itself does, mold can begin growing in as little as 24 hours. The best option is to contact water damage remediation professionals due to their knowledge, experience and industrial-grade equipment. Following a pipe burst in your structure, it's essential to begin the water cleanup process as quickly as possible to salvage your wood floor. A wet floor can lead to damage from the water itself as well as lead to secondary damage like mold growth. Immediately doing a thorough job will prevent further damage.
Follow these recommendations to ensure you perform the cleaning and drying process sufficiently.