By: Jason Maxwell
Submitted: 2010-10-07 08:09:56 | Word Count: 489
Flood is a dreaded calamity that occurs in an unexpected time. A flood causes severe damage to properties and livelihood of people ranging from thousands to billions of dollars in destruction. But some of these destructions can easily be fixed, with respect to the severity of damage.
Plywood - majority of houses have subfloors made from plywood. Plywood separates or creates bulges when it gets wet especially with flood water, in the affected area this makes the covering material buckle.
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Repairing a damaged plywood subfloor depends upon its severity. If the plywood has only a small affected section, then replacing that small section with a new plywood will do. But if the entire floor is affected, remove the whole subfloor and replace it with a new one or re-nail a new plywood over the old one, but consult a contractor first.
Tiles - if you see a small number of loose tiles, having it re-cemented will fix it. But you have to ensure that the floor is completely dry before applying the cement.
Hardwood - hardwood floors are one of the most difficult types of floors. These kinds of floors can't even be repaired if it is badly damaged. Take it all out and discard the woods if it is beyond repair. You should allow the subflooring to dry first for several months before re-installing another set of floor over it.
If a floor is warped to some extent, then clean and have the floor dry completely before attempting any repairs. Usually, it would take weeks or months. By the time the floor has dried and you are still able to find some parts of the floor that are warped, remove some strips adjacent to the bulges and place them on their edges.
This will let the warped boards to flatten out. You may also draw some buckled flooring into place through nailing the bulged spots on the floor. Some of these humps may also be removed by planning or sanding the affected part.
Vinyl or Linoleum - if during the flood water was able to seep under a loose section of your vinyl or linoleum sheet, then leaving this without action would damage your floor. Remove the entire sheet carefully and allow the floor to dry completely. Thorough drying may take 5 weeks or more.
When a calamity comes your way, the very first thing you should put in mind is to stay calm. You should do your best to put your life back to normal as soon as the calamity has passed. You do this by coping up with the damage the calamity has done.
Repairing hardwood floors should not be taken lightly. Sure, many of those other sites and home improvement centers make it appear to be an easy project.
