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Wood likes water as long as it is a tree - once the tree is cut and turned into durable products, like natural wooden flooring or furniture it is a combination that can cause problems.
Accidents do happen of course. This guide is partly a case study, partly advice and tips from us as wood flooring specialists and from an insurance specialist on what to do to prevent more damage when such an accident should happen in your home.
Case-study:
Wood You Like received the following 'cry for advice' (*1) through the 'ask a question' webform:
"About 10 years ago we purchased a wooden floor for our kitchen and dining room from a company that no longer exists. The floor is oak (French oak?), tongue and groove.
We have had a leak from our water tank onto a section of the flooring. The area affected was about 2m x 2m and although the boards have dried out quite well in the last week, the floor has buckled and has a pronounced ridge where the water has penetrated. There are also some stains on the wood.
We are in need of advice as to how to proceed and what kind of restoration work may be needed.
Are you able to give us some help? We could email pictures if that would assist."
Our first reply:
Dear Mr.. Thank you for your question. Having a leak is never a nice encounter, we know.
Although only a small area is affected, replacing only that area would show a significant colour difference with the existing wood - specially after such a long time. Your insurance company might be willing to agree to have the floor in the whole room replaced - clients of ourselves have been allowed this too. There would be another problem with only replacing the damaged boards, specially when the wood came from a company that no longer exists: trying to match the exact size and location of the Tongue and Grooves.
"Thank you for your swift reply.
I attach a photograph that shows both the general style/colour of the boarding and also the distortion/discolouration caused by the water.
Our insurance assessor is not due for another 10 days, but given the area of damage covers less than a sixth of the whole room, I imagine it will be hard to convince them that the entire floor would need to be redone. However, if they did, well and good, and we could have a conversation about that.
If they did not, then the problem is a different one, which would be how to re-lay the existing boards and to restore the finish to as close to the original as possible. If I had to go down the latter route, how long should I allow for the damp to dry out (there is a concrete floor underneath) - and is there any preferred way to do this other than leaving things as they are (with a ridge in the floor)? Do you have experienced fitters in West Kent who would be happy to do this (if this was the way forward)? And how about removing surface stains - is it a good idea to sand the wood down and re-wax, or will this make things worse?
Sorry, more questions!"
Our reply:
Dear Mr ..
The first thing we always advice is to make sure all water from the leak is removed and has plenty of ways to evaporate. Removing some boards straight-away is very recommended, so also the water from (in) the concrete can go.
The longer any residue water can influence the wood, the worse it will get. Long standing water in Oak will give it very deep and dark marks that can hardly be sanded down.
Hence the 'willingness' of most insurance companies to just replace the whole lot.
"Thank you for this. What is the best way to remove boards to allow drying out given that they are fixed very firmly together? I can see that I could do a great deal of damage if I tackled this wrongly - is this a job for a professional fitter?"
Our reply:
To be honest Mr.. some of the boards will be damaged beyond repair already due to the leak. On the picture I notice flat beading has been used. Lift the beading on the wall where it runs along the floor, this will give you some room to move. I do see two boards reaching up so far they're stuck underneath the radiator. If possible, try to move them even further up in the hope the Tongue and Groove will open up and you can remove those boards 'easily' without damaging others. This will create a large gap where the remaining water can evaporate through.
"Hi. Thanks once again for replying.
I have removed four or five boards and the floor beneath is indeed saturated. The boards are warped and damaged beyond repair as you said, so this was good advice. We are drying the floor out now.
Thanks for this freely-given advice. I will wait now for the insurance assessor's visit to see what's next."
"The assessor arrives tomorrow..."
"Hi. Our insurance assessor has been around and recommended the entire floor (28m sq) be replaced. So I am now on a search for a "like for like" product and was wondering what you might have available."
End of case-study and practical 'first-aid' advice from us, the wood flooring specialists. But the whole episode made us realise that most home-owners facing a like-wise problem could do with practical advice from another specialist. We contacted our own insurance agent who was more than willing to be interviewed on this matter.
Practical advice from an insurance point of view - interview with Ray Johnson:
 Ray Johnson is the proprietor of Independent Insurance Services, based in Folkestone Kent with over 20 years commitment to serving their clients to a high standard and to providing appropriate insurance solutions by offering Value, Service & Choice. Independent Insurance Services are an award-winning company and have trained and helpful staff who are focused on customer service. IIS also cares for the environment and support good causes. Only recently they won an award with Channel Business Awards for 'Commitment to the Community'. Also, the company is the world's first Carbon Neutral Insurance Broker.
Question: Ray, thanks for taking time for us. You've read the case-study above and I hope you can shine some more light in the darkness by explaining that mitigating damage or extra loss is well looked upon by insurers.
As experienced insurance agent I'm sure you receive many panicky calls from your own clients when a water tank has spilled its content all over the house. Or when a central heating radiator has drained empty, heaven knows how much water these apparatus contains.
What is the first advice you or your staff give to them? Finding the stop-cock no doubt?
Ray Johnson:
Heaven forbid, should any escape of water happen, the best thing to do is to immediately locate the stop-cock and turn the water off, as this would prevent ongoing leakage. It is always a good idea to identify where this is located before such an event. Maybe the rest of the family should also know in the event the person who would deal with it is away.
If it is a piece of apparatus that appears to be leaking, i.e. a radiator, then it is advisable to also turn this off by the valve located near the floor.
We would then advise a confident plumber (corgi registered is a good standard) to attend to rectify the problem. Again, if you know a plumber, keep their details handy - perhaps on the back of a cupboard door or in an address book.
We would then report the claim, or indeed out of hours most insurers have a 24/7 claims notification line that can assist further and log the claim for further action/consideration. If the damage is severe, the insurers may well instruct a loss adjuster should the cost of the repairs be significant. We always ensure our clients receive their entitled compensation from cover should say redecoration, plastering, replacement carpets or contents need replacing.
Q: In our clients experience it can take between 3 to even 14 days before the loss-accessor of their insurance pays them a visit to look at the damage and put together the claim. We, as wood floor specialists, know that leaving any residue water under the wood floor will only make things worse in the short and long run. Wood likes water as long as it a tree, never after that.
When we advice them to remove at least some of the, mostly cupped and damaged beyond repair, floorboards to give any remaining water the change to evaporate most of our clients feel reluctant to do so before the loss-accessor has paid his/her visit.
What's your or any insurer's opinion on this: should a client try to do as much as possible to limit the further damage, even if this means changing the 'damage-scene'?
Ray Johnson
From our experience, it can be frustrating if you are waiting for a loss adjuster; however, it is rarely any more than 3 days due to the service delivery standards we have in place as brokers. We have experienced longer days, but only after the earthquake which was exceptional circumstances.
Our general advice would be to perhaps take photos and video, if possible, to show the damage caused. It is not unfair to remove the immediate damp wood as this would prevent a damp smell.
It is practical to then obtain a report/estimate from Wood You Like for the reinstatement or replacement.
Our view is that the insurers will pay for the repair of or replacement of. If there is a likelihood that a repair would look different to the rest of the floor (i.e. patch), we would press for replacement. It may be worth mentioning that insurers do not generally pay for the repair of the plumbing works as this could be attributed to 'wear and tear'. However, when it comes to flooring, we see no reason why this should not be paid in full.
As brokers, we would close the claim to the satisfaction of the client - good luck if you go direct!!
Ray, one more question if we may. This is something that perhaps everybody should ask themselves every year around the renewal date of their insurance policy: How do I know I am adequately covered?
Ray Johnson's answer:
When you buy a property, it should have been valued and the surveyor would have given a sum insured based on the square metre area for insurance purposes. It is important to ensure that this sum insured is maintained. Insurers will normally index link the policy each year to reflect inflation.
Alternatively, you can instruct a surveyor to establish the rebuilding cost. According to the ABI (Association of British Insurers) a large proportion of households are underinsured for both buildings and/or contents. Should, we feel, the worse can scenario occur - a fire, with being underinsured it would only result in a proportionate amount of the claim being met. Therefore, the policyholder stands to lose out!
Independent Insurance Services give impartial advice in this regard and we are confident all our clients are adequately covered therefore.
Do check your current policy or contact us for a no obligation quotation.
Ray, thank you again and I'm sure everyone reading this particular Wood Floor Guide now knows what to do and what not to do when such a watery accident should happen to them.
Email this guide to a friend.
*1 - email conversation is edited by Wood You Like on irrelevant and personal details, all in agreement with our client
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