My apartment recently flooded, and the floorboards have warped. The issue is that they are custom-milled, which I assume means it would take longer to replace them. I am hoping that there is some technique for siphoning out the water in the flooring that will restore to at least usable condition? It doesn’t need to be like new, but I am opposed to the idea of vacating my home for a long time while everything gets replaced. I’ve heard there’s some sort of heat treatment to draw the water out, but I am not sure.
My recomendation as a General Contractor is to have the baseboards removed,
existing wood floor removed,
drill 1" holes on the drywall every 18" about 2 to 3" from the slab, dry the inside of the walls with a fan that you can rent at a Hardware store.
Solving or finding a way to fix the warped floors from a flood may not solve the other critical issue there. Mold growing.
Yes, it will be more expensive, but breathing mold spores as a result of a flood can be serious.
Do it right. Even if it cost more. Just make sure the slab and walls are dry and get rid of the wet wood.
Consult with a couple of contractors if possible. Fixing the warping is not good enough unless you have solved the mold issue first.
Good luck!
First it is important to dry the area, slub, walls.
Drill holes on the walls, remove baseboards.
Do not fix warped floors without solving the possible mold issue first.
REMEDIATION! this is very important if you have experienced a flood. Everything must must must be dried out to at least a 15% moisture reading. one of the answers above mentioned drilling holes in the wall. This is not close to acceptable where we are. if you have experienced a flood significant enough to have warped your wood floors then you have to do a 24" flood cut on the walls that have been impacted by the water damage… that means you strie a line across the wall 24" from the floor and remove the drywall and any insulation. Implement the use of blowers and a dehumidifire in the area to dry the area out. If the moisture has been present for 48 hours, then you are in the early stages of mold growth. This can be a serious issue in your home. The effected ares must be sprayed with antimicrobial/antifungal solution to inhibit any growth. we go as far as to to do Air Quality testing as well to ensure there are no mold spores in the air. Now that you have done all of this you can address your flooring. Generally the buckling looks pretty bad. But if it is REAL wood floors you can bring a guy in to refinish the flooring. The buckled area can be sanded down and filled if/as needed.
A good wood guy in our area in the Pacific North West would run you about $3-$3.50 sq/ft to refinish your floors, Stain and appy 2 coats of swedish finish. This beats paying to remove the floors and buying new ones at about $5 sq ft plus installation.