How to Save Furniture After a Flood

Salvaging furniture after a flood depends on the type of furniture and the amount of flooding. Solid wood furniture, being less porous, has a better chance of being salvaged than upholstered or particle board furniture. Even though water damage restoration is better left to professionals, here are some ideas property owners can consider to restore their furniture after a less severe flood:

• It’s important to act quickly and inspect the property and its contents as fast as possible. The more time has passed after a flood, the bigger the damage will be.
• Taking photos of damaged items for insurance claim purposes. When deciding which items to salvage, the severity of damage, sentimental value and the cost of restoration should be taken into account.
• Moving salvageable furniture to a dry area to begin the drying process. If a piece is too heavy to move, property owners can consider placing wood blocks or aluminum foil under the legs to protect the furniture from the wet floor.
• Upholstered furniture can sometimes be salvaged if it came in contact with just a small amount of clean water during the flooding. In this case, upholstery fabrics should be separated from other colored items to prevent color bleeding, then the drying process can begin.
• Upholstered furniture that has been soaked in floodwater is usually not worth saving, as contaminants are very hard to remove. To restore heavily soaked upholstered furniture, professional restoration services are required.
• Solid wood furniture is more resistant to water damage and can usually be salvaged. First, dirt and mildew must be cleaned, then the piece should be dried completely and re-glued where necessary.
• To open or close swollen doors or drawers, air should be allowed to circulate until the wood dries fully. Doors and drawers should not be opened forcefully.
• Wood furniture must be air-dried with the help of fans in a shaded and well-ventilated area. Furniture should not be exposed to the sun, as it may cause wood to crack or warp.        

Tips to protect homes and properties from flooding are available here. Information on how to remove mould from wood can be found here. The PuroClean team stands ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.

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