What Swelling Wood Could Mean for Your Home

11/20/2020 (Permalink)

Finding swelling wood means you have structural damage

What Swelling Wood Could Mean for Your Home

If you find swelling wood around the water dispensing and draining areas of your home, such as bathrooms and kitchens, it is best to check for a leak. Wood is highly porous and will absorb water easily, making it especially susceptible to water and mold damage. The parts of your home that can become swollen due to leaks include:

• Ceilings
• Cabinets
• Walls
• Floors
  

Finding Swollen Wood Means You May Have Structural Damage
Most homes in Kansas City, MO, are made up of a wooden structure covered with drywall or wooden planks on the ceilings and walls. It is difficult to spot damage to the structural wooden planks because they are hidden behind the ceilings and walls. If you spot a water stain on either, it is likely that you also have swelling wood in the structure of your home. It is important to fix this right away because if wooden planks remain damp, the water damage will attract mold and cause them to deteriorate. Leaks often develop around water supply lines that connect to sinks, washing machines, and toilets. Your plumbing system can also become worn and develop pipe tears, or break at the joints. This can lead to burst pipes and a flooded home. Upon noticing any leaks or worn pipes, call a plumber right away for water pipe repair to prevent severe water damages.

Contact a Restoration Service
Some wooden surfaces can be renewed through a process called water damage restoration. A company that provides this type of service will assess the damage, extract the water, and dehumidify the wood with professional tools to restore the wood. This is a great service to fix drywall and real wood, but cabinets and subflooring will need to be replaced.
If you have noticed swelling wood or ceiling and wall stains in your home, call a water damage restoration service to fix it. This will prevent the moist wood from developing mold and deteriorating, saving you the costs of unexpected repairs.