Before

After

Reconstruction After Water Damage Restoration in Richardson, TX

Replacing Water Damaged Floor

It’s never pleasant to return home and find water damage waiting for you, yet this is what this homeowner experienced.  To make matters worse, the water damage was a Category 3 and made it impossible to sanitize the property without needing to remove the flooring. 

Removing hardwood flooring after water damage isn’t always necessary.  The right circumstances have to be present to make this possible -- the water damage should be caught quickly so the hardwood doesn’t have a lot of time to absorb the standing water.  Whatever water has been absorbed should be minimal and can be vacuumed and evaporated out of the floor with professional dehumidification equipment and drying mats. Another necessary factor is the category of water.  To save a hardwood, the water should be category 1 -- meaning the water is clean and does not contain contaminants. 

Determining Flooring Replacement Value for Insurance

One of the first questions we get when handling water damage where floor replacement is necessary is how insurance companies determine a replacement value for the floor.

First, we have to determine is a homeowner’s insurance policy covers floor replacement.  Since we are not given a copy of the homeowner’s policy, we instead contact their insurance adjuster and ask if this portion of the claim will be covered.  If it is, we can move onto the next step. If it’s not, we meet with the homeowner to let them know about their adjuster’s decision and ask what next steps they’d like to take.  In almost every case, a homeowner still decides to have their floor replaced even if none or some of the cost won’t be covered by insurance.  The homeowner can either pay out of pocket or take out a line of credit, which we are able to provide upon request. 

If the floor will be replaced, our technicians take a small sample of it, bag it, and take it back to our facility for iTel testing. 

iTel is a company that tests samples of a property’s structure, and their reports provide adjusters a third-party replacement value.  When we receive iTel’s reports, we share them with the homeowner’s adjuster and ask for approval to begin the reconstruction process. 

Homeowners insurance typically covers replacement up to preloss condition, meaning insurance will only pay to make your home the way it was prior to it being damaged.  It will not pay for what it considers to upgrade the home. 

It’s still not an uncommon request for a homeowner to request an upgrade to their flooring.  The difference between what the insurance will cover and the cost of the upgraded floor is the responsibility of the homeowner.  Our reconstruction team will work to meet the homeowner’s wishes, down to the type of wood and their chosen stain color. 

The Hardwood Floor Reconstruction Process

After we get approval from your adjuster to replace the homeowner’s flooring, our reconstruction team gets to work right away. 

First, one of our reconstruction managers arranges a meeting with the homeowner.  They will often take samples of hardwood floors we have available. If the homeowner has a floor they’d like to use, we are happy to take down its information or sample and work with that floor’s manufacturer.  A homeowner can choose any aspect of the hardwood they like, including stain color. 

Once the homeowner has made a decision on which floor to buy, the flooring itself is purchased.  Many times, the flooring is available in the Dallas Fort Worth market and we can simply pick it up from the manufacturer.  When the flooring is custom made, there will be a waiting period. 

Once the flooring arrives and we deliver it to the homeowner’s property, the hardwood acclimation period begins.  Many homeowners are eager for installation to begin when they see their flooring, but hardwood acclimation is a mandatory waiting period that cannot be rushed. 

Hardwood acclimation can take up to two (2) weeks.  This is a period of time when the new flooring readjusts to the moisture content of its new home.  This helps the flooring take its shape so that no shrinking or expansion will happen once it’s been installed.  During hardwood acclimation, the new flooring will sit inside of your home. 

After the hardwood acclimation period is completed, flooring installation begins.  Many homeowners have already taken time out of their work schedules for the other portions of the restoration process, and we are happy to install a temporary lockbox on any property and work without the homeowner being present.  

Photo documentation of the process is taken and shared with the homeowner weekly.  If the flooring installation is part of an insurance claim, all information is also shared with the insurance adjuster. 

SERVPRO of Richarson is a Full-Service Fire and Water Damage Restoration Company

If you need water damage restoration in Richardson or anywhere in Dallas Fort Worth, trust a company with decades of experience.  SERVPRO of Richardson has been serving DFW for over 30 years.  We live and work in our hometown, and we’re always ready to help our neighbors. 

Our franchise is one of the few fire and water damage restoration companies in North Texas that is full-service.  We are able to handle every portion of your restoration project--from remediation to reconstruction to post-construction cleanup.  Many insurance companies and adjusters choose to work with us because we streamline the restoration process and make it simple. 

Call or contact us any time.  We’re ready to help!