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jgross
Sep 25, 2010, 4:02 PM
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Registered: Dec 4, 2005
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We had a sprinkler fail at our gym last night, dumping tons of water on the floor. We're in the middle of cleaning & drying everything, and hope to have things put back together within a few days.
If anyone out there has any experience with water damage to gym floors I would appreciate hearing any advice or information you may have to share: john.gross@truenorthclimbing.com
Our flooring is:
- Asana modular pads (nylon covers filled with a mix of open & closed cell foam layers) - in the advanced bouldering area
- carpet-bonded foam atop open cell foam elsewhere
We have lifted all the foam and are currently drying everything out.
Thanks for any info that may be out there,
John Gross
Owner, True North Climbing
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jmeizis
Sep 25, 2010, 6:47 PM
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If everything dries well and there's no persistent moisture then you shouldn't have any problem with mold which is your biggest concern. It shouldn't affect anything as long as it dries out. Sometimes the velcro tape between pieces might not stick as well but as far as I know those are really the only big problems I've experienced.
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kletter1mann
Sep 26, 2010, 2:32 PM
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The open-cell foam needs to dry COMPLETELY. Keep flipping pads and foam until it does. Figure dryng time as a week, minimum. A couple weeks would be far better.
If the open-cell foam isn't 100% bone dry the carpet bonded layer effectively seals any remaining moisture in the foam. This will cause the open cell foam to eventually degrade into a mildewy, stinking paste-like mess (though this will take months).
I have direct experience with this problem. I wish someone had given me this advice. 
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jgross
Sep 26, 2010, 2:54 PM
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Thanks for the tips. We have a restoration company with pretty impressive drying equipment. The foam is in a 5,000 sq foot vacant unit across the hall from the gym, and a truck has been parked outside with heavy duty dehumidification equipment that is circulating warm dry air into the space and sucking out the damp air. So I'm hoping they can dry the foam quickly. They will probe each piece to test to make sure it's completely dry.
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ax
Sep 27, 2010, 12:33 PM
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Registered: Aug 24, 2001
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We've had our gym pads soaked a couple of times. :-(
We'd stood 'em up and blasted 'em with industrial fans for a couple of days... they dried up fine!
It wasn't dirty water thank goodness, and there have been no odors as a result.  Right back into business.
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thenose
Sep 30, 2010, 2:21 PM
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jgross wrote: We had a sprinkler fail at our gym last night, dumping tons of water on the floor. We're in the middle of cleaning & drying everything, and hope to have things put back together within a few days. If anyone out there has any experience with water damage to gym floors I would appreciate hearing any advice or information you may have to share: john.gross@truenorthclimbing.com Our flooring is: - Asana modular pads (nylon covers filled with a mix of open & closed cell foam layers) - in the advanced bouldering area - carpet-bonded foam atop open cell foam elsewhere We have lifted all the foam and are currently drying everything out. Thanks for any info that may be out there, John Gross Owner, True North Climbing
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kovacs69
Sep 30, 2010, 5:54 PM
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Registered: Jun 16, 2005
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I worked for 2 companies (Spieth Anderson and Dolumar ) that made foam pads and carpet bonded foam for a while. The carpet bonded foam is easy to deal with. Here is what you do... Roll the foam up the same way it was when you got it. Then stand it on end and loosen it up so the roll expands out until it is about 3 or 4 time the size the roll was originally. This should make it so none of the layers are touching thus preventing a space where the roll can mold. Flip the roll to the other end 1 a day until it dries out. Remember the Carpet bonded foam needs to be rolled with the carpet layer facing out so the carpet doesn't fold or pinch and ruin the carpet.
For the open cell foam..as ax said the best thing you can do is open them up, take the foam out, lean them against a wall or something to minimize the surface area touching the ground and blow air across them until they are dry. The covers should be turned inside out and back every day to assure drying. This usually takes longer than closed cell foam because the water can soak all the way through the foam.
Something to remember. Just because the closed cell foam looks and feels dry Does not mean it is. You will need to pick it back up occasionally over the next few months to make sure it is not molding under the foam.
Hope this helps...wish I had seen this post earlier.
JB
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jgross
Sep 30, 2010, 6:08 PM
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Registered: Dec 4, 2005
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Thanks for the tips.
We got a restoration company in right away, and they did an excellent job of getting the foam dried out very quickly. They had dozens of fans and large dehumidifiers in the gym, and in the vacant unit next door they hooked up a van that was basically a giant dehumidifier, blowing in great quantities of warm dry air and pulling out the damp air. They also had moisture sensors to make sure the foam is completely dry inside & out. So I'm confident the foam has been thoroughly dried properly, and more quickly than most people would have expected.
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