Flooding and water leaks can cause serious damage to your home, especially your floors. Whether it’s caused by heavy rainfall or bathroom leaks, acting quickly is key to minimising long-term damage and preventing issues such as mould, rot and structural deterioration. This guide walks you through how to assess, clean and repair water-damaged floors, with practical steps with Sika products to help restore your home. By carefully assessing the damage and using appropriate repair products, you can restore your floors and protect your home against further water-related issues.
Assess the Damage
Before starting any repairs, you need to determine the extent of the water damage. You should inspect the floor surface for:
- Discolouration or staining
- Warping, buckling or cupping
- Loose tiles or hollow sounds underfoot
Check surrounding areas such as skirting boards, walls and the subfloor, as moisture can spread to these areas.
Identify Damage by Flooring Type
Different floor types show water damage in different ways:
- Tiles: Discolouration or loose tiles that sound hollow
- Laminate: Swelling, warping, mould or colour changes
- Wood: Bulging, cupping, or planks separating
Address Underlying Moisture Issues
If moisture has penetrated walls or floors, it’s important to address this as soon as possible.
SikaMur® InjectoCream-100 is used to treat rising damp in all types of masonry walls. Once injected, it diffuses within the wall to form a damp proof course, allows the wall to dry and blocks future rising damp.
Sika MonoTop®-109 WaterProofing is a cementitious waterproofing mortar suitable for protecting concrete, brick and stone surfaces against ongoing water ingress.
Repair and Replace Floorboards
When fitting the replacement wood floorboards ensure the area is completely dry before fitting the new boards.
SikaBond® MS Wood Floor is designed for bonding all types of wood flooring securely to all common substrates.
For reattaching skirting board or other fixtures, a high bonding strength multi-purpose adhesive like Sika® Multi Stick can be used for bonding almost all materials, even on damp surfaces.
Joints should be sealed properly using Sikaflex® PRO-3 Purform® for durable and flexible sealing.
Repair Bathrooms and Tiled Areas
In bathrooms and tiled areas inspect for mould or mildew before starting repairs. Remove damaged tiles and allow the substrate to dry.
Replace and fix new tiles using SikaCeram®-204 Medium White tile adhesive or the fast-setting SikaCeram®-204 Rapid. Re-grout the tiles using SikaCeram®-690 Elite tile grout.
Use SikaSeal®-175 silicone sealant for connecting joints, offering excellent long-term resistance to mould growth.
Cleaning External Areas After Flooding
Floodwater often leaves behind dirt, algae and staining on outdoor surfaces.
Sika® MouldBuster is a powerful, fast-acting solution for removing algae, mould and green growth from external surfaces.
Sika® Brick & Patio Cleaner can be used to clean brickwork and paved areas, helping restore external spaces after flooding.
