How to Dry Wood Floors After Water & Flood Damage

As beautiful and popular as solid wood is, it’s a very absorbent material, which means it’s particularly susceptible to water damage. Hardwood floors, for example, can become wet from extreme rain or storm damage that causes flooding or plumbing mishaps, such as leaking or burst pipes and clogged drains.

Thankfully, there are techniques and methods for drawing excess moisture out of wood to help preserve floors and prevent irreversible moisture damage. However, it’s imperative to monitor progress diligently at all times throughout the drying process. Excessively wet wood flooring is a problem, but wood floors that become too dry can also cause damage, such as splintering, cracking, and warping.

Here, we share three different methods for drawing moisture out of wood. These techniques can be used independently or, for severely waterlogged floors, in tandem to help dry the floor more quickly and effectively.

Three Methods for Drying Wood Floors

In general, it is not recommended to dry wood flooring with either an LGR or conventional dehumidifier alone, especially in more severe cases of water damage. On their own, they aren’t effective enough and may take too long. The longer it takes to remove the excess moisture, the greater the risk of irreversible damage, such as mold growth, mildew, and water stains.

Prep the Area Before You Begin

Before getting started with any of the three following methods, make sure to properly prepare the area where you’ll be working:

Clear the space. Remove any furniture, damaged wood, carpeting, or anything else that may get in your way and make it difficult to work.
Remove standing water on the wood surface with a wet vacuum. If there’s still water on the surface when you arrive, make sure to remove it with a wet vacuum as soon as possible to lessen the chance of permanent damage. Continue vacuuming for a few minutes even if it appears that you’ve got all the water, as there are small pores in the wood where water can soak in.
Do not open windows or doors. To create a stable indoor drying environment, doors and windows should remain closed. This ensures you won't introduce outside humidity into the indoor space or create unfavorable vapor pressure differentials. It also eliminates the security risk of leaving a building with open access points. In almost every case, it’s better to utilize air movers and mechanical dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the indoor environment.

Once the area is prepped, you can begin the drying process.

Method One: Using a Panel System

For this method, you’ll need:

*Although preservation tape is designed to not leave behind a sticky residue, the adhesion is very strong. Thus, it’s possible for the top layer of paint or finish to come off painted surfaces or wood. To lessen the chances of that happening, clean the area thoroughly with soap and water and test a small spot before applying it to the entire surface. Preservation tape is not recommended for usage longer than 60 days, as it will most likely leave a residue beyond that timeframe.

Once you’ve collected everything you need, follow these steps:

Set up the drying system containment area around the room with water damage.
Install your dehumidifier.
Install your panel drying system, making sure the panels are no more than 3 to 6 inches apart, going against the grain and are 12 to 36 apart from it.
Note: This will depend on the construction of the wood floor and which panel system you are using.
Tape the panels to the floor using preservation tape.

When drying any building material impacted by water damage, the dry standard of the material should be found by taking moisture content readings from an unaffected material. The dry standard is the level of moisture content that is present in the building material during normal conditions. The dry standard will vary by region, time of year, species of wood, type of installation, and substrate. During drying, the moisture content should be evaluated frequently (at least daily) on all parts of the assembly to monitor progress and prevent over-drying of any of the materials comprising the assembly.

Method Two: Using a Heat Drying System

If using a heat drying system, you’ll need:

Once you’ve collected these tools, follow these steps:

Using 6-mil poly sheeting, lightly cover the wet area of the floor. The poly should not be taped end to end, but just enough to hold it down to prevent excessive flapping.
Place the thermostat control for your heat system between the middle of the tenting and the egress point and set the temperature to 100–105ºF.
Duct the heat into the containment area.
Monitor moisture content frequently by using a penetrating meter. Make sure you are checking at all levels, including the subfloor.
When monitoring, use either an infrared thermometer or thermal imaging camera to record the material temperature of the wood floor.
Note: If you are not using either the MMS2 or Navigator moisture meter, you will need to have a conversion chart for your moisture reading.

Method Three: Using a Desiccant Dehumidifier

For this method, you’ll need:

Once you’ve collected all the necessary tools, follow these steps:

Using 6-mil poly sheeting, lightly cover the wet area of the floor. The poly should not be taped end to end, but just enough to hold the poly down to prevent excessive flapping.
Duct the processed air from your dehumidifier into your containment area.
Duct the reactivation air outside the structure if possible. If not, duct into an LGR dehumidifier.
Monitor moisture content frequently by using a penetrating meter. Make sure you are checking at all levels including the subfloor.
When monitoring, remember to use either an infrared thermometer or thermal imaging camera to record the material temperature of the wood floor.
Note: If you are not using either the MMS2 or Navigator moisture meter, you will need to have a conversion chart for your moisture reading.

How to Dry Waterlogged Wooden Furniture

If flooding or leaky plumbing has caused damage to solid wood furniture, there are a few ways to remove the excess moisture to preserve the item's integrity. While you can’t use something like a panel drying system as you might with hardwood flooring, drying wooden furniture is a little more straightforward.

Depending on the size of the item(s) and the severity of the situation, you may try:

Placing the furniture in a small, closed room with a dehumidifier on max settings.
Using an air mover or fans to circulate air on and around the furniture.

Do not place soaked wooden furniture outside in direct sunlight. Sun is extremely damaging to solid wood and, if left out for too long, may cause your furniture to warp and crack.

How to Use a Pin Moisture Meter

A pin moisture meter, like the Protimeter MMS3 or Delmhorst Navigator Pro, is used to measure moisture levels in wood floors, subfloors and other building materials. Moisture meters come in a variety of styles and each works a little differently. In this case, pin moisture meters work by measuring the electrical resistance between two electrodes. When moisture is present, the electricity between the two pins will flow more easily.

When using moisture meters on wood floors and substrates, a hammer probe with insulated tines should be used. When the substrate can be accessed from below, via the level below the impacted floor or crawlspace, this is a more direct method of getting moisture content readings from the substrate and bottom portion of the hardwood plank.

Moisture meters can be tricky to get the hang of at first, but they’re imperative throughout the drying process to ensure that moisture is effectively being removed from the wood.

Keep these best practices in mind when using a pin moisture meter:

Always read the manual first. Every moisture meter is a bit different, so it’s important to read the manual to ensure that you’re using it correctly.
Select the right wood species to get an accurate reading. Most moisture meters allow you to select the species of wood that you’re measuring. Since different woods have different densities, they each absorb water differently. Selecting the correct species will give you a more accurate reading.
Wipe away any water on the wood surface of the wood. Puddledwater on the surface of hardwood flooring can interfere with the meter’s reading. Make sure to give the surface a good wipe before inserting the pins.
Apply the correct amount of pressure. Moisture meter pins can be delicate and are easily damaged if you apply too much pressure. Gently drive the pins into the wood to avoid bending them.

Can You Use Desiccant Media to Dry Hardwood Floors?

Desiccants or desiccant media are hygroscopic substances, like clay-based products, silica gel, or calcium chloride packs, that absorb moisture. They’re often used as packaging materials to keep products dry in storage or transit (think of those little silica packets you might find in a shoebox).

When it comes to treating water damage on a hardwood floor, desiccants or desiccant media alone are seldom enough to effectively dry the space. In these cases, it’s best to call a water restoration professional who has the necessary equipment and training to properly dry the floor.

How to Waterproof Hardwood Flooring

Waterproofing hardwood floors can help mitigate the amount of moisture that’s allowed to soak deep into the wood. While it may not remove the risk of damage completely, especially in more severe cases of flooding, it can help.

After the floor is completely dry, brush an oil- or water-based urethane sealer over the surface with a paint roller. Urethane sealer is a popular choice for waterproofing as it allows the property owner to preserve the floor's existing finish.

The Best Tools and Equipment for Drying Wood Floors

For professional results and to minimize the chance of water causing irreversible damage to hardwood floors, Jon-Don recommends these tools:

Earn IICRC Water Restoration Technician (WRT) Certification with Jon-Don

To learn more about how to properly restore structures after water damage, we highly recommend attending the IICRC Water Restoration Technician (WRT) Seminar. This three-day class will teach technicians how to use the latest tools and equipment for water restoration, as well as best practices and techniques for better results when restoring hardwood flooring.

For upcoming classes, visit our course page to see the schedule.

About the Author:

Greg Anderson has been involved in the cleaning and restoration industry since 2004 and spent many years managing emergency mitigation services, mold remediation, construction projects, and disaster relief efforts. In addition to being an IICRC-approved instructor, Greg is an IICRC Triple Master. This prestigious status is granted to those who have achieved the Master Fire & Smoke Restorer, Master Textile Cleaner, and Master Water Restorer Designations. To sign up for an upcoming water damage restoration class with Greg Anderson, visit LEARN.JONDON.COM.

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