Yesterday, I accidentally left the window open while it was raining heavily. Some rain poured in for a while (maybe a half-hour or so) before I noticed. After I had wiped off the floor, some dark areas remained in the vicinity of the seams between the planks. Since then, most of these dark areas have dried up and returned to their original color, but some still remain, close to the wall (see pictures below)
These dark areas seem to dry up extremely slowly (I guess they are a sign of trapped water, and not permanent discolouration). I guess they will dry up in due time, even if it might take a very long time, but I've read that mold growth can initiate in as little as 72 hours, which makes me a bit worried.
What should I do, just leave it and wait for it to dry up? Call a professional? (I'd rather not, of course). Take measures on my own?
Best Answer
The most common approach to dealing with flooded surfaces is to blow air across them. The constantly changing air absorbs moisture. Commercial companies use very high volume fans, but any fan should help. If you can exhaust the air from the room, the moisture level in the air should drop and more water will be absorbed from the floor.
Use of a dehumidifier would also speed up the drying.
While it is temping to use heat, there is a risk that the heat or the steamy water it generates may compromise the finish on the floor.