Hardwood Water Damage Mitigation in Raleigh, NC Case Study

Technicians Carrie Curtis and Andre Iglesias inspected the affected hardwood flooring system to assess the extent of water migration caused by the refrigerator supply line leak. Moisture was found beneath the finished flooring and within the subfloor, resulting in elevated readings across multiple areas of the home. These initial findings confirmed that structural drying would be required to address both surface and subfloor moisture conditions.

We deployed four dehumidifiers, including one XL Dri-Eaz unit and three portable Phoenix models, to increase vapor pressure differential and remove moisture from dense materials. Eight air movers were positioned to drive airflow across the flooring surface, while tenting was used to create a sealed chamber that concentrated airflow directly on the affected planks and forced air into gaps. This setup was designed to draw moisture from both the flooring and subfloor below, following psychrometric principles outlined in the IICRC S500 Standard.

For 72 hours, the team monitored moisture levels throughout the drying process across the hardwood flooring and subfloor. Readings remained consistently high despite active drying efforts. Continued drying risked trapping moisture within the system and increasing the potential for microbial growth. After presenting the documented readings to the insurance carrier and receiving approval, the scope shifted from salvage efforts to controlled removal of the affected materials.

Following insurance approval, controlled demolition was performed in the office, kitchen, and garage areas. After determining portions of the flooring were not salvageable, technicians carefully removed affected wood flooring materials using power saws and pry tools to minimize disturbance to surrounding unaffected areas. This process exposed the wet subfloor to allow continued drying. 

Following material removal, the remaining affected structural areas were dried using continued airflow and humidity control procedures until acceptable drying conditions were achieved. Once the affected areas reached dry standard, the mitigation phase of the project was completed and the property was prepared for future repair and reconstruction work.