Learn exactly how we dry water under hardwood, tile, or laminate flooring after an appliance leak in Grove City or Columbus, OH. Professional cleanup you can trust.

How do you dry out water under flooring?

January 12, 20262 min read

FAQ: How Do You Dry Out Water Under Flooring After an Appliance Leak?

When an appliance like a dishwasher or washing machine leaks, water doesn’t just sit on top of your floors—it soaks underneath. If you’re dealing with water trapped under hardwood, tile, or laminate, here’s how we handle it at Total Home Water Restoration.

Step-by-Step: How We Dry Water Beneath Floors

  1. Moisture Detection

    • We start with moisture meters to find where the water actually traveled.

    • It’s not always visible to the eye. Water can wick up walls or travel under baseboards and subfloors.

  2. Careful Removal of Flooring

    • If flooring like laminate or engineered wood is affected, we carefully remove just the sections that need drying.

    • For hardwood or tile, we use more specialized techniques depending on how the materials are installed and sealed.

  3. Drying the Subfloor

    • We set up air movers and commercial-grade dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of the structure.

    • We don’t just dry the surface. We keep going until the subfloor and structure below meet dry standard readings (as outlined in IICRC S500).

  4. Injectidry or Specialty Systems

    • If the water is trapped under cabinets or hardwood, we may use an injectidry system. This forces dry, warm air into tight cavities without needing to demo the whole area.

  5. Daily Monitoring

    • We come back every day to check progress with moisture meters.

    • No guesswork. We keep you updated until we’re confident everything underneath is dry and mold-resistant.

Why Drying Under the Floor Matters

If you skip drying what’s beneath the surface:

  • Mold can grow within 24–48 hours.

  • Subfloors can rot or buckle.

  • Flooring can warp or delaminate.

  • Your home’s structure could be compromised long-term.

That’s why our process follows the IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration—no shortcuts, just what’s right for your home.


Serving Homeowners in Grove City and the Columbus Area

We help homeowners across:

  • Grove City

  • Columbus

  • Hilliard

  • Galloway

  • Westerville

  • Dublin

  • Worthington

  • New Albany

  • Upper Arlington

  • Reynoldsburg

  • Pickerington


Have a Leak Under Your Floor Right Now?

Call Total Home Water Restoration at 380-246-1837. We’ll be on-site fast and walk you through every step. No pressure, no confusion—just real answers.

“From disaster to done right. We fix it like it’s our own home.” — Tyler Zimmerman


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