Wet carpet over a dry subfloor
Carpet that was wet on the surface and in the pad can often be dried in place if the pad is removed and the subfloor reads dry. The carpet is stretched back on the tack strip once it is dry, and the seams are checked.
Serving Lauderdale County
Hardwood and Carpet Drying in Meridian
Lifting and drying wet hardwood and carpet from underneath after storm or pipe water in Meridian.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Storm, wind and flood water
- Scope explained before work starts
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Floor Drying
Hardwood and Carpet Drying: what it covers
Quick answer
Hardwood and carpet drying removes the water from floor coverings and dries the subfloor beneath them. In Meridian, wood floors and carpet wet by storm rain or a pipe must be lifted and dried from underneath, because the surface dries long before the subfloor. A local technician decides what can be kept, and records the readings before the floor is closed.
A wet floor can look dry long before it is. Carpet holds water in the pad, and hardwood takes it into the boards and the joints. The water moves downward into the subfloor, and it can keep the wood underneath wet while the surface feels fine to walk on. Wood that stays wet for a long time can cup, crown, gap or lose its finish, and carpet that stays wet can start to smell.
The drying is done from underneath as well as on top. Carpet is pulled back, the pad is removed where it holds water, and the floor is opened or ventilated so the air can reach the subfloor. Hardwood is lifted where it has taken on water, so that the boards and the subfloor can be checked and dried separately.
If a floor is wet, call (833) 490-5225. Lift the furniture off the wet area if it is safe, move rugs out of the way and do not walk on hardwood that is cupped or swollen.
- Service area
- Meridian & Lauderdale County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
Warning signs
Signs you need hardwood and carpet drying
Do not walk on hardwood that is cupped, swollen or soft, since boards can crack or shift underfoot. Keep children and pets off wet carpet and off the area being lifted. Do not use an electric carpet cleaner on a wet floor near outlets. Wear gloves when handling wet pad, and keep tools away from the subfloor until the crew has checked the wiring beneath.
- Cupping, where the boards curve up at the edges, or crowning in the middle
- Gaps opening between boards that were tight before the water
- Carpet that is wet, spongy or sits higher at one spot after rain
- A musty smell from carpet or a floor that stayed damp
- Stains or dark lines along the edges of the boards or the carpet seams
- Baseboards that have lifted or swelled at the floor
- A floor that squeaks or feels soft after water has been on it
Our process
How our hardwood and carpet drying visit works
Check the floor for safety and map the wet area
Soft or swollen boards are not walked on. Moisture readings are taken across the floor, along the walls and at the edges, so the wet area is mapped before any covering is lifted.
Extract the water from the surface
Standing water on carpet and hardwood is removed with extraction equipment. Carpet is pressed and extracted, then pulled back where the pad holds water.
Lift the covering where it holds moisture
Carpet and pad are removed from the wet area, and hardwood boards are lifted or removed where the readings show water beneath them. The pieces are numbered so they can be put back in the same order if they are kept.
Dry the subfloor from underneath and above
Air movers and dehumidifiers are set to reach the subfloor, and vents or openings are used to dry from below. The subfloor is dried until it reads dry at each point on the map.
Decide what can be kept and record it
Boards and carpet that have dried to readings and show no cupping or staining may be kept. The technician explains what is kept and what is replaced, and the readings are written down before the floor is closed or replaced.
Why does a floor look dry when the wood underneath is still wet?
The surface of carpet and hardwood dries faster than the subfloor and the pad beneath. Moisture moves downward and is held in the wood and the padding, so a floor can feel dry while the material under it still reads wet.
A carpet pad absorbs water like a sponge, and it holds that water against the subfloor for a long time. A hardwood board that has taken on water swells, and the moisture goes into its underside and the joints.
This is why the crew reads the floor at the subfloor level as well as the surface. A surface reading that is dry can hide a wet subfloor, and the drying is not finished until the subfloor is dry.
Can hardwood that has cupped be saved?
Sometimes. Cupping often flattens as the boards dry evenly from underneath, but boards that have split, lost their finish or delaminated are replaced. The crew measures the boards after drying and records what flattens.
Cupping is caused by the bottom of a board taking on more moisture than the top. Once the moisture is equal on both sides, the board can flatten. Drying must be even for this to happen, so the crew checks several points on the board and the floor.
Boards that do not flatten after drying are usually replaced. A flooring installer can match the species and finish, and the crew will tell you which boards are in that group.
What moves the cost of a wet floor job?
The area of wet flooring, how deep the water has gone, the type of floor covering and the amount of subfloor that must be dried all decide the job. The price is explained and approved before work starts.
A small wet area in one room is a shorter job than water that has reached several rooms and the hallway. Carpet that can be dried in place costs less than carpet and pad that must be removed and replaced.
Hardwood that must be lifted and renumbered takes more labour, and it is more work to dry from underneath. The crew explains each of these factors before it begins, and gives you the scope in writing.
Why does humid air make floor drying take longer?
Humid air holds moisture, so the drying rate is lower than it would be in a dry climate. Dehumidifiers are needed to keep the air dry enough for the floor to keep drying, and the job runs for more days.
A floor left in humid air can stop drying once the air in the room reaches a high moisture level. The dehumidifiers keep the air drier, which allows the wood and pad to keep releasing water.
The crew sets the readings on a schedule and changes the set-up if a floor stops falling. You will be told the expected length of the drying after the first readings.
What should be done to the floor once it is dry?
Let the floor finish drying to the readings before any new covering or finish is laid. A floor that is closed up while still wet can cup, mold or fail later. Ask the technician for the final readings before the floor is covered.
Laying carpet or hardwood on a floor that is not dry traps moisture under the new covering. The final readings show the subfloor is dry and that the floor is ready for the next step.
The laying and finishing of the floor is done by a flooring installer you choose. The crew does not lay or finish floors, and it will tell the installer what it dried.
Options
Types and options for hardwood and carpet drying
Hardwood that has taken on water
Hardwood that has cupped or swollen is lifted where it is wet and dried from underneath. Boards that dry back to flat can be kept. Boards that have lost their shape or split are replaced by a flooring installer.
Floor coverings over a wet subfloor
Vinyl and laminate over a wet subfloor often lift at the edges and must come up to let the subfloor dry. The technician checks the bond and the underside before deciding what can be reused.
Lauderdale County
Why hardwood and carpet drying is different in Meridian and Lauderdale County
Humid Mississippi air keeps wood and carpet pad damp for longer than in a dry climate. A floor wet in Meridian often needs the dehumidifiers running for more days than a homeowner would expect, and the readings are the reason for that.
Storm rain can come into a house through a door, a window or a damaged roof and reach a floor in the same afternoon. The crew checks the floor at each of those entry points, because the water often runs to a low spot near the door.
A wet floor from a storm or a pipe can take a long time to reach its final dry reading in a room that stays closed. The crew asks you to keep doors and windows arranged so the air can move as the drying requires.
Skip the guesswork. Call for a straight answer.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what hardwood and carpet drying should cost.
Where we work
Hardwood and Carpet Drying across Lauderdale County
- Floor Drying in Meridian
- Floor Drying in Marion
- Floor Drying in Bailey
- Floor Drying in Daleville
- Floor Drying in Toomsuba
- Floor Drying in Lauderdale
- Floor Drying in Collinsville
- Floor Drying in Chunky
- Floor Drying in Porterville
- Floor Drying in Stonewall
- Floor Drying in Little Rock
- Floor Drying in Enterprise
- Floor Drying in Hickory
- Floor Drying in De Kalb
- Floor Drying in Quitman
- Floor Drying in Decatur
- Floor Drying in Rose Hill
- Floor Drying in Pachuta
- Floor Drying in Union
- Floor Drying in Newton
- Floor Drying in Scooba
- Floor Drying in Shubuta
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Crawl Space Moisture After Rain
Removing standing water and drying joists and subfloor in a crawl space after heavy rain in Meridian.
Structural Drying and Dehumidification
Air movers and dehumidifiers that dry walls, floors and framing to measured readings in Meridian.
Appliance Leak Damage
Water removal and drying after a washer, dishwasher, refrigerator or ice maker leaks in Meridian.
Mold After Water Damage
Drying wet materials to readings after water damage, and what mold work involves in Meridian.
Guides
Read before you book
What Moves the Cost of Water Damage Restoration in Meridian
A water damage quote in Meridian depends on how much water got in, how long it stayed, which materials it soaked, how hard the building is to reach and how long the drying takes.
Drying Floors and Walls in Humid Air: What the Equipment Has to Achieve
Drying floors and walls in humid Mississippi air is slower than in a dry climate, because the air already holds moisture and cannot take much more from the materials.
FAQ
Hardwood and Carpet Drying FAQs
Can you dry my carpet in place?
Often, yes. Carpet that was wet on the surface can be dried in place when the pad is removed and the subfloor dries to readings. Carpet and pad that have been soaked through and cannot dry are removed. The technician will show you the readings before deciding.
My hardwood has cupped. Will it flatten back?
It may. Boards that dry evenly from underneath often flatten. Boards that have split, lost their finish or swelled beyond their shape usually do not. The crew checks the boards after drying and tells you which are kept.
Should I put fans on the floor myself?
Household fans can help the surface dry, but they do not dry the subfloor. Running fans with the windows shut in humid weather can add moisture to the air. Ask the technician to set the equipment, which includes the dehumidifiers.
How soon should I call about a wet floor?
As soon as you see water on the floor. Wood and carpet pad take up water quickly, and the longer the water stays, the more material may have to come out. Call the line at any hour, and crews are sent as soon as one is free.
Can you replace the boards that cannot be kept?
The water crew removes boards that cannot be dried and dries the subfloor. Installing new boards is done by a flooring installer, who will need the subfloor dry and the readings in hand. The crew can give the installer the record.
Is it safe to walk on the floor while it dries?
Walk on it only if it is firm and has not lifted or cupped. Keep to the dry areas, avoid the wet spots and keep children and pets off. Ask the technician for the route through the house while the work is under way.