Laminate’s pretty much a lost cause once it’s soaked—no way around it. I’ve seen folks try to salvage it with industrial fans and dehumidifiers, but even if it looks okay for a bit, the swelling and buckling always show up later. For carpet, you nailed it: if you catch it fast, yank the pad and get air under the carpet ASAP. I’d add—if you’ve got baseboards, pop those off too so air can get behind the walls. Mold loves to hide there. For serious floods, I usually recommend cutting out a foot or two of drywall at the bottom, just to be safe. It’s a pain, but way better than dealing with hidden mold down the line.
I’d add—if you’ve got baseboards, pop those off too so air can get behind the walls. Mold loves to hide there.
Cutting out drywall is a pain, but I get why you do it. Still, I’ve seen people go overboard and rip out way more than they need. If the water didn’t get above the baseboards, sometimes you can get away with just drilling a few holes near the bottom to let air circulate—less mess, less cost. But yeah, if it’s been sitting for more than a day or two, you’re probably looking at mold no matter what.
Couple things I’d add:
- Don’t trust your nose—mold can hide even if it doesn’t smell musty yet.
- If you’ve got insulation behind those walls, it’s toast. That stuff holds moisture forever.
- For concrete floors, don’t forget to check for cracks where water might’ve seeped in deeper.
- “Industrial fans and dehumidifiers” help, but only if you start right away. Wait too long and you’re just blowing around spores.
Honestly, after one bad flood, I switched to tile in my basement. Not perfect, but way easier to clean up next time...
Honestly, I’m with you on not tearing out more drywall than you have to—people get demolition-happy and end up making a bigger project for themselves. I’d just add, sometimes that moisture creeps up inside the wall further than you’d think, especially with insulation acting like a sponge. I learned the hard way after thinking I could just dry things out with fans and holes... ended up chasing hidden mold a year later. It’s a pain, but sometimes a little extra investigation saves you from bigger headaches down the road. Tile in the basement is underrated, by the way—makes life so much easier after a flood.
Yeah, I hear you about the hidden moisture. People really underestimate how far water can travel behind the scenes—especially if you’ve got that old-school fiberglass insulation in there. I’ve seen it wick up a foot or more above where the visible water line was, and by the time you notice anything on the surface, it’s already a science experiment back there.
I get wanting to avoid unnecessary demo, though. It’s tempting to just cut out what looks wet and call it good, but sometimes you gotta follow your nose (literally) or even pop off a baseboard to see if things are still damp. I usually tell folks to use a moisture meter if they can get their hands on one—beats guessing and hoping for the best.
One thing I don’t think gets talked about enough is how much those cheap box fans actually don’t do when it comes to drying out inside walls. Air movers and dehumidifiers make a huge difference, but not everyone has access to that stuff unless you’re calling in the pros. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and rent equipment for a couple days.
And yeah, tile floors in basements are a game changer after any kind of flooding. Way easier to clean up than carpet or laminate—plus you don’t have to worry about warping or lingering smells. Only downside is they’re cold as heck in winter unless you spring for radiant heat... but I guess that’s another project for another day.
Curious if anyone’s tried those newer waterproof wall panels? I’ve seen them advertised but haven’t run into anyone who actually put them in after a flood. Wondering if they hold up better than drywall or if it’s just marketing hype...
I get what you’re saying about the box fans, but honestly, I’ve had decent luck with them—at least for surface drying. Maybe it’s just because I can’t justify the cost of renting those big air movers unless things are really bad. Last time our laundry room flooded, I ran two box fans and a borrowed dehumidifier, and it seemed to do the trick, though I did have to pull up some baseboards to check for lingering dampness. I’m with you that moisture meters are worth every penny, though. As for those waterproof wall panels, I’ve seen the ads too, but I can’t help wondering if they’d trap moisture behind them and just hide problems instead of solving them...