Pin moisture meter verification. Injection drying systems to save plywood. Selective OSB replacement where delamination is structural. Vapor barrier inspection. Direct insurance billing — you pay your deductible only.
Most homes — usually salvageable within 48hrs
Faster failure than plywood; selective replacement
Vapor barrier and adhesive replacement
1920s-1940s pier-and-beam preservation
Specialized equipment for floor-saving
Below tile, vinyl, engineered wood
Plywood typically saved if dried fast
Before finished floor reinstallation
Your subfloor is what your finished flooring sits on. When water gets through finished floor to the subfloor, the structural problem is real: warped plywood, swollen OSB, delaminated layers, and failed adhesives. Drying the subfloor properly often saves it. Inadequate drying leads to ongoing floor failure — squeaks within weeks, visible warping within months, full failure within a year. Subfloor drying is not optional.
Dispatcher takes water source, affected area, flooring type. Schedules same-day inspection or emergency response.
Pin moisture meters take subfloor readings through finished flooring. Thermal imaging maps full envelope.
Carpet pulled, hardwood lifted, tile removed as needed for subfloor access. Documented for insurance.
Specialized injection systems for plywood salvage. Air movers + dehumidifiers for standard scenarios.
Pin meter readings logged. Drying continues until target moisture content reached.
Severely swollen or delaminated subfloor selectively replaced. Vapor barrier integrity verified. Finished flooring coordination.
Subfloor drying is the difference between saving your hardwood floor and replacing it. We use specialized equipment to maximize salvage when timing allows.
Subfloor scope is often disputed. Carriers may approve drying but balk at replacement costs. Documented moisture readings before and after drying support replacement when drying fails to restore the material. Selective replacement (just the swollen sections) is what we recommend when full replacement isn't warranted — carriers respect this approach.
Salvage vs. replacement decisions affect insurance pricing significantly. RCV (replacement) vs. ACV (depreciated) vs. partial replacement — we document the readings that defend the appropriate scope. Vapor barrier replacement is often missed scope; we include it.
We know each major Texas carrier's playbook for this loss type
Most projects bill direct to insurance. Out-of-pocket cost is typically your deductible only.
Free pin moisture meter readings + thermal imaging through finished floor. No obligation. Salvage assessment provided.
We bill carrier for drying, replacement (if warranted), vapor barrier, and finished floor reinstallation. Single integrated scope.
Out-of-pocket subfloor restoration ranges by affected area, replacement extent, and finished flooring type.
"Plywood subfloor in our master bedroom was warping after a slab leak. They ran injection drying for 6 days and saved most of it. Only had to replace a small section. Saved us $4,000 in unnecessary replacement."
"1930s pier-and-beam with original heart-pine subfloor. Other companies wanted to tear it out and replace with plywood. They saved the historic material with controlled drying. The character of the house is intact."
"OSB in our kitchen swelled and delaminated after a dishwasher leak. They replaced only the affected sections (not the whole kitchen) and saved us $7,500 in unnecessary replacement. Insurance approved the documented selective scope."
Usually yes if dried within 48 hours of water exposure. Pin moisture meter readings tell us the answer. Beyond 48 hours, structural compromise becomes likely — the layers begin to delaminate. Injection drying systems extend the salvage window in many cases.
For meaningful subfloor drying, usually yes. Trying to dry subfloor through finished flooring rarely works because the finished surface is a vapor barrier itself. Sometimes we can dry through carpet (very limited cases). Hardwood, tile, vinyl — needs to come up for proper subfloor access.
Yes when documented as covered loss damage. We document the moisture readings that justify replacement — carriers respect quantitative data. Selective replacement (just the swollen sections, not the whole subfloor) is usually the right scope and is what carriers approve readily.
Often yes, with affected rooms isolated. Single-room subfloor work: usually livable with the affected room sealed off. Multi-room or whole-floor subfloor work: temporary relocation may be needed. Depends on which rooms are affected and your tolerance for construction conditions.
OSB swells and delaminates faster than plywood. Once OSB has been wet 24+ hours, the chip-and-resin construction loses structural integrity — usually requires replacement. Plywood layered construction is more resilient. We assess each case before recommending replacement vs. drying.
Depends on exposure duration and wood type. Solid hardwood that's been wet less than 48 hours often recovers with proper drying. Engineered wood (veneer over plywood) usually doesn't — the veneer delaminates. Bamboo: varies by manufacturer. We test moisture content before recommending demo.
Plywood, OSB, concrete slab, or heart-pine subfloor — we save what can be saved, replace what must be replaced, and bill insurance direct.