Water Damage in Flooring

We recently discovered our refrigerator water line had been leaking for some time. We have gotten the leak fixed and are now dealing with the damage. We discovered the leak after water began coming up from between the planks of bamboo flooring in the living room, which is on the other side of the wall that the fridge sits on. We have been in touch with our homeowners’ insurance company and are working with restoration specialists they recommended. The large fans/dehumidifiers are drying things out, but we have learned there is water under the tile in our kitchen, too, and it may extend into the other tiled areas of the house.

My biggest concern is that we believe the previous owners laid the kitchen tile and the wood flooring on top of an original layer of tile. We have seen grout underneath the wood flooring when we replaced some trim a while back, and the seam between the tile and cabinets in the kitchen makes it clear that the cabinets do not sit on top of the top layer of tile. I am concerned that a lot of water may be trapped in the original layer of flooring and will not be dried up with the fans/dehumidifiers.

Our restoration specialist says the water can stay in the tile and it shouldn’t cause damage other than grout discoloration over time. I’m not so sure. This seems like a big risk to me. Should we fight to have the top layer of flooring and the original tile both removed to ensure the water is all gone? I don’t want to have problems later on or have mold start to grow.

Our Answer

You have a valid concern but my experience would dictate that there’s little to worry about if the leak was fixed. That water will dry out – and probably much quicker than you’d imagine. The bigger concern is structural. If the water leak went on for a long time, you may have rotted floor components and those should be fixed, even if it involves removing tile.

Try gently stepping on the floor in the are of the leak and note if it feels spongy or softer than adjoining areas. If it is, further evaluation may be needed. If a flooring replacement is needed, there have been many advances in waterproof flooring you can consider.