Timber Floor Drying in Hull

What happens when a timber floor gets wet

• Boards swell and cup, the edges lifting higher than the middle as the underside takes on water.
• The void holds water. In Victorian and Edwardian terraces the ground under the floor is often bare earth or a thin concrete skim, and water pools there.
• Joists and wall plates stay damp, and timber that stays wet for long enough invites rot.
• Air bricks can't keep up. They ventilate a dry void well, but they can't dry a flooded one.

How we dry it

1. Lift a few boards to reach the void and check how much water is there.
2. Pump out standing water and remove wet debris or insulation from the void.
3. Get dry air moving through the void, and dry the boards from above with air movers and dehumidifiers.
4. Take readings in boards and joists on every visit until they're back to normal.

Cupped boards

Cupping often settles as the floor dries evenly, so we don't sand or replace boards until the readings are right. Sanding a cupped floor while it's still wet leaves it crowned, with the middle higher than the edges, once it dries. If boards are split, soft or delaminated, they're replaced.

After a flood

If the water came from outside, it was probably sewer water, so the void needs cleaning and disinfecting as well as drying. Afterwards, check the air bricks aren't blocked. Some Hull homes have had them covered to stop draughts, which traps damp under the floor for years.

For hardwood and parquet, see specialised drying. For solid concrete floors, see concrete floors.

For what drying and the repairs after it usually cost, and what insurance tends to pay, see our water damage cost guide.