A wooden floor is torn apart after being damaged by water. The longer water sits, the more it can seep into the floor, including the slab or wood substructure under the flooring. (Credit: Leonard/Adobe Stock)

Before approving a claim, it is important to have stone, tile, terrazzo or other hard flooring thoroughly evaluated and properly cleaned. The proper treatment of these surfaces after a flood can save the floor and the high cost of replacement.

Flooding that accompanies hurricanes and other storms can potentially ruin stone, tile, wood and other types of flooring. The most pressing concern claims adjusters have after a flood is whether the floor can be saved. Answering this question can be tricky, because it depends on a variety of factors, including the source of the water, how long the water remained on the surface and the environment. Let's look at each of these factors, as well as actions to take immediately following a flood.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.