Saving Water Damaged Hardwood Floors with the Injectidry Drying System

Why the Injectidry System Is So Effective

The Injectidry system pushes warm, dry air down into the boards and draws the moisture back out, drying the wood from the inside instead of just the surface. Getting the water out quickly is what keeps the floor from warping, cracking or rotting later, and the wood holds its color and texture through the process. We've used it on a lot of hardwood floors, including some that had been soaked for almost 10 days.

Don't Make This Mistake

One of the most preventable mistakes you can make as a homeowner is to have your hardwood floor refinished too soon after drying. Wood that has suffered water damage needs months to acclimate again, even after it's been dried out by something like the Injectidry system. Refinishing the wood too soon by sanding it can lead to an uneven floor a couple of months later when the wood returns to its original shape. So let's repeat this here once more: Do not get your hardwood floor refinished shortly after drying it out!

Can Injectidry Only Be Used on Hardwood Floors?

While we've had our biggest successes using the Injectidry system with hardwood flooring, it actually can work with some other floor types as well. Here's what you need to know about its effectiveness per floor type:

• Hardwood and Parquet: The Injectidry system is highly effective at drying hardwood floors. In fact, it can penetrate deep into the core of the wood, allowing for rapid drying and reduced damage. Some types of parquet floors can also be dried effectively using this system, but not all parquet options may be suitable.

• Laminate: Unfortunately, laminate floors cannot be successfully dried with the Injectidry system. Laminate is made from a synthetic material that doesn't allow moisture to pass through easily, preventing the system from working effectively.

• Tile: The Injectidry system can be used to dry tile floors, drawing moisture through the grout. This makes it an ideal solution for tile floors that have absorbed water due to flooding or spills. This solution does not always work well, in particular if the tile floors have a wood substrate.

• Cement and Concrete: The Injectidry panels are also effective at drying cement and concrete floors. However, the water source should not be groundwater, which can affect how well the system performs.

• Vinyl: Injectidry panels are not recommended for drying sheet vinyl floors. Vinyl is not porous enough to allow the system to pull moisture up through the material, rendering the technology ineffective.

Let's Save Your Floors Instead of Replacing Them

For water damaged hardwood floors the Injectidry system provides a welcome alternative to ripping everything out and replacing it. We've used it successfully with many clients in many different situations. For tile, cement and concrete flooring it is often worth giving it a try as well. If you live in the Atlanta area and contact Flood & Flame Restoration to help you out with your water damage problem, we will always find you a fitting solution to your problem, whether that is the Injectidry system, or any of the other water mitigation tools we have at our disposal.