How to Dry a Concrete Floor After Water Damage: 3 Fast Steps

By: Diana Rodriguez-Zaba
Updated on: August 28, 2020

Wondering how to dry a concrete floor after water damage?

If so, you’re not alone.  

Each year, many homeowners across the country suffer water damage in their basements, crawl spaces, or garages, and figuring out how to dry the concrete is one of the most pressing repair questions.

While many people believe that cement is dry when the walls and personal belongings atop it have dried, this isn’t true. In fact, concrete is a dense material that takes a long time to dry completely. When cement doesn’t dry completely, it becomes vulnerable to further damage and long-term issues.

With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about how to remediate concrete water damage repair and keep the cement in your home in great shape.

concrete water damage

Concrete Water Damage 101: What Causes it?

Water damage to concrete has many causes.

The most common culprit is flooding, although this flooding can be the result of anything from a natural disaster or broken pipe. Here are a few other common causes of water damaged concrete in today’s households:

  • Snowmelt
  • Flooding
  • Natural disasters
  • Broken pipes
  • Plumbing system problems
  • Water buildup in moisture-prone areas, like crawl spaces and basements
  • Faulty household appliances
  • HVAC issues
  • Foul weather

How to Repair Wet Concrete: 3 Steps

While it’s common for concrete to get wet, allowing it to stay wet isn’t an option. If you do, you run the risk of concrete cracks and damage to any floor coverings or items installed over the concrete.

Instead, take these three professional steps to dry the wet concrete in your home:

1. Remove Standing Water

The first step is to remove standing water from the area. Depending on the severity of the water damage, there are a few approaches to this.

If it’s a small, seasonal leak, you can use towels and other absorbent materials to soak up the water. If it’s a larger issue, you’ll need to use a sump pump or similar tool to remove standing water from the area and keep the space dry.

2. Dehumidify

Installing a dehumidifier in the affected area will help pull moisture from the surfaces and air and dry the space faster and more thoroughly. This is especially important if you have dampness in concrete walls.

One of the biggest problems with wet concrete is that it won’t bond with water-based adhesives until it drys out. This makes it difficult to fix any water leaks in the walls and places you at risk of further water damage.

A dehumidifier is a great idea when the humidity of the room is above 50%. If you don’t own a dehumidifier, you can purchase one at a local home goods store or rent one from a contractor’s warehouse.

3. Hire a Professional Restoration Company

While you should take the above two steps regardless of how severe your concrete water damage seems, hiring a professional restoration company is essential.

The reason for this is simple: concrete components are the bones of your home. If they become weak, cracked, or swollen, it places the entire structural integrity of your house at risk.

With this in mind, contact a professional concrete drying company as soon as you notice water damage. The team will be able to evaluate the damage and help you come up with a plan to remediate it completely. What’s more, acting quickly has the potential to reduce your repair bill (right now, the national average for repair and cleanup of water damage is about $2,590).

This team will also be able to revisit your site and tell you when the concrete is dry enough to be built on again or provide the restoration services you need to keep your home safe and durable.

Dry Concrete is Happy Concrete

While water damage happens, you can’t let the concrete in your home remain wet. Wet concrete can freeze and crack, or give rise to mold and mildew problems that can damage your home in the long-term.

Luckily, drying the water and installing a dehumidifier can give you a leg-up on concrete remediation, and hiring a professional drying company will fill in the gaps. While moisture might be inevitable, widespread damage doesn’t have to be.

Do you have water damage in your basement or crawl spaces? Contact us for professional restoration services in Chicago and the suburbs.