Water damage can be a major problem for hardwood floors, and the longer it is left to damage the wood, the more likely it is that you will have to completely replace the floor. White water stains can usually be repaired easily, even by DIYers, but if moisture has seeped through the inside of the boards, it is best to replace them. This is especially true if your home or office has experienced a flood due to ice reservoirs, faulty appliances, broken pipes, or another incident. The first step in dealing with water damage is to stop the source of the water. Secondly, and equally important, you should dry the floors with fans, blowers, and dehumidifiers.
The final step is to repair and refinish your floors. Even if your hardwood floor can be recovered from the damage, you may still want to consider replacing it. As unwelcome as water damage can be, it can also be an opportunity to invest in new hardwood floors, especially if the damage is severe. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may be able to repair rather than replace the floor. Minor damage can often be saved and a single damaged board may need to be replaced.
However, if the damage is extensive, it may be necessary to replace the entire floor and sometimes even the subfloor. The type of hardwood floor you have will determine and limit what type of repairs can be done. Hardwood floors offer a wider range of options for solving water damage problems. With hardwood floors, you can sand and scrape up to a quarter of an inch of wood to eliminate water damage on the surface. This type of flooring can also be replaced by individual planks. The best way to care for a water damaged area on your hardwood floor is to replace the affected boards and then refinish the entire floor for a unified look.
Water is the worst enemy of hardwood floors, so it's important to get rid of any excess water quickly, whether it's from a small spill or a large amount due to a leak or flood. Water damage occurs when water is allowed to saturate a wooden floor; this often results in what is known as cupping. Depending on when the water came into contact with the floor, you may be able to clean up the spill without damaging the floor. If minor damage has occurred, such as cleaning up a white water stain, you may be able to repair it yourself without having to replace hardwood floors. Hardwood floors can suffer water damage for many reasons such as broken pipes, water heater leaks, natural disasters like hurricanes or floods, and many other rare disruptions. When cleaning up small amounts of liquid or using a wet vacuum cleaner, this will help prevent excess water from being absorbed into the hardwood and will help it dry faster. Knowing how everyday actions can cause water damage can help you avoid causing it in the first place.
Running on hardwood floors with socks on doesn't work as well when there are raised floorboards due to water damage; this can make navigating a room that was previously easy much more difficult. This material is very vulnerable to water damage and swells when soaked, ruining its integrity. These signs of water damage come from a constant source of water that may come from some type of leak inside your home.
