Floors With Water Damage Are A Serious Problem
No homeowner wants to hear the two dreaded words: water damage. In fact, most people avoid buying solid wood floors for fear that they will have to deal with repairing or replacing a water damaged floor. The truth is water and moisture is really harmful for any kind of wood floors that aren't water resistant. Protecting your floor from water isn’t very hard. There are times when accidents happen that you didn’t plan for.
Maybe your house flooded or maybe a pipe breaks, and your wood is showing signs of cupping or buckling. We’ve created a guide on what to do when there is water damage to your wood floor, and restoration is needed. You can also shop for a waterproof floorthat is ready for any water that dares to approach with a damaging tone.
How to Spot Water Damage In Your Wood Floors
Water damage can come in a few different forms. When water touches wood the wood begins to absorb the water. If too much water is absorbed, then you’ll have problems like cupping, where the edges of the boards turn up, or mold growth that start to arise. In the event of a flood you should definitely check your floors for mold. Breathing in mold can be very dangerous for anyone living in your home, that’s why it’s very critical to check for mold in the event of a flooding. Other signs of water damage can be staining or discoloration as well as floorboards lifting up.
Examine the Damage
Once you see signs of water damage you should also examine the damage. Be sure to test for mold if there are any signs it may be there. Also, look for nails that are sticking out of your floor boards. If your floor is exposed to water you should estimate how long you think the water has been there. If your floor has been exposed to water for a long period of time, then there will most certainly be a lot of water damage, such as cupping. Looking at the damage will help you determine what steps you need to take to fix your wood floors. The first thing you should do is to place fans and dehumidifiers so the drying process can begin in your home. This will move the air around so that it can remove the moisture from your floors, then the moisture can be removed from the air and taken away from the house.
If you have carpet installed over padding you will need to lift the carpet and throw the padding away. If the carpet dries well, and no delamination between the front and back of the carpet appears, it can be reinstalled over a new pad.
Decide Whether to Repair or Replace Your Hardwood Flooring
In the event of water damage to your wood floor, now comes the time to decide whether to repair or replace. The best advice we can give is if it looks like your floor is damaged past the point of return, then it would really save you time and money if you just replaced the whole thing. If the damage isn’t bad, then you can just repair the floorboards that have been affected. The floor’s finish shouldn’t be a different color in certain areas unless there is water damage. However, you can easily replace the damaged floorboards and try to replace them with a stain that matches. Checking to see if the water has penetrated the subfloor is another good way to determine if you should repair or replace. If the subfloor is affected, then you’ll most certainly have to replace.
What Does It Mean If My Wood Floor Is Cupping?
This occurs when your boards expand because they have taken on more moisture than they are able to absorb.
Would Refinishing My Hardwood Floors Fix the Damage
Unfortunately, we don't know if a cupped floor will lay down until your home has cycled through a heating and a cooling season. If we sand a cupped floor as soon as it dries there is the possibility that is will contract later, leaving you with a floor that has edges that are turned down.
Can I Just Replace A Few Damaged Hardwood Boards?
If a floor has dried but you have a few damaged boards, you should definitely consider just replacing a few boards. My brother, Jason, posted a great video several years ago about how to replace a board. (youtube)
When you have water damage to your hardwood floor, these are all ways you can determine if you should repair or replace? Don’t get overwhelmed when you have water damage because either way you’ll be able to fix your flooring until it looks brand new. At ReallyCheapFloors.com we offer water resistant flooring options. Check out our laminate wood flooring if you want something more water resistant for your home.
