But before you can do either thing, you’ll need to deal with the water. Once the flooring is removed, you will see the extent of the subfloor water damage. The Doc. While these floors can withstand occasional spills, constant contact with water can warp and bend the flooring. Repair Major Damage If you have a charming wood piece, but a major eyesore is detracting from its overall look, it's time to break out the Bondo all purpose filler! If moisture or water damage happens to the flooring, it must be taken care of immediately in order to minimize the long-term effects that humidity could have on the wood. Am I better off fixing half of the floor that is water damaged, is that an expensive process? We used the wood bleach to minimize the amount of stains on the wood floor. We all know water and wood hardly ever mix. Repair Hardwood Floor Water Damage. We had professional teppanyaki chefs prepare food on our hardwood floor and take a few whacks at it with machetes and axes just so … You need not have a flood for water damage to occur. Sometimes, all it takes is an imbalance between the moisture in the air and the moisture in the wood. If certain boards need removing, you’ll need to find and purchase matching wood. When a large amount of water is present or high humidity is persistent, moisture will get into wood and cause it to expand, producing warping, separating and cracking. Drying your floors quickly is essential to reduce the amount of permanent damage. Another technique is to cover the stain with a cotton cloth and iron it out. Flooring contractors discourage homeowners from putting solid wood flooring in wet or humid locations such as bathrooms, laundry area and the basement. Among the most common reason is due to water damage. Laminate flooring is typically resistant to water damage, but a large amount of moisture can still eventually destroy the floor. Often times the first sign there is a problem, and there is water damage, is when individual planks are cupping or several begin to crown causing a hump in the floor. That said, the wood in the laminate floors is prone to water damage if it’s not treated properly. It’s very important to dry out and treat cabinets and walls professionally to help ensure that mildew and mold do not develop in these areas. You need to consider that water can penetrate to your floor though many infiltration points, whether you have finished or unfished the wood floor. Here's how to repair the damage. If you’re here because you’ve been affected by one of the hurricanes this year, press here to read this article. Drying hardwood floors water damage takes a lot of work and resources. Depending on the extent of the damage you may need to call in a professional to mitigate any water damage … As a water damage restoration company, the most common question we get from homeowners is “does insurance cover water damage?”. Share on Facebook. By. When water is allowed to saturate a wood floor the result is a condition we refer to as cupping pictured here: This happens because more moisture is absorbed by the unfinished underside of the boards causing the bottom of each board to expand more than the top. You can also follow these steps for water damage on wood floors. It can damage the finish, leave rings or discoloration or—at its worst—cause flooring boards to cup, warp, buckle, or grow mold. When you have a hardwood floor, you should be aware that it won't handle water problems well, but you have a several different options when it comes to repairing water damage to your flooring. After the leak has stopped, you've uncovered the floor and it's had a chance to dry out, the repairs to a water-damaged subfloor can begin. It can become a serious health hazard for anyone living in the house or walking around in that environment, especially crawling children, pets and the elderly. Tweet on Twitter. Wood floor types, damage, diagnosis & repair damaged wood floors. http://aboutthehouse.com Houston home inspector Jim Davis shows the long term damage to the wood floor from a water leak. If your home has had a leak or seen floodwater creep in, we can help. It’s more obvious to know when you are ankle-deep in water, that there is damage to your flooring. White rings, usually easier to remove, are water stains that lie within the floor’s finish. Add another issue can be water damage to cabinets and walls. The effects of water damage happen over time, once you notice something different about your wood floors, water damage has already set in. When replacing planks, be sure to sand them to resemble the current flooring and find a matching stain color. Well, the first thing to do, is to dry out the floor surface and more importantly the subfloor, so that the boards don’t continue to warp. Fortunately, since this type of flooring is made up of several sections locked together, you can usually repair water damage on your own without having to peel the entire floor up. Use a disinfectant that is ok to use on wood so that you don’t do more damage to your floor! Clean the Water Damaged Wood Floor. Hot items such as pizza boxes, irons, or hot pans placed on the wood floors can cause white patches. How To Identify Hardwood Floor Water Damage. All severely warped wood (particularly flooring), rotting wood and wood that has developed mold/mildew problems will need to be replaced. Water spills and heat are usually the main causes of these white spots. Hardwood floors, while extremely durable, are also quite vulnerable to moisture. Doing this will prevent mold from developing on the surface of the flooring. Sealed and waxed floors may become stained if water sits on their surface for more than a few minutes. White spots or black stains damage the appearance of wood floors. Bondo is an alternative to normal wood fillers preferred by many furniture restorers on Hometalk. How to Repair a Water Damaged Wood Floor. Take a piece of chalk and mark the areas that need to be removed. How to Fix Water Damage to Sub-Flooring. Gradual degradation over time is a little bit more challenging to spot, but by the time you do, the water has already weakened your flooring. The more water on the floor, the more damage that could be done. Water damage in hardwood floors. M ajor storms like Sandy can cause extensive water damage to hardwood floors, but panicked homeowners should not rush to replace what appears to be beyond repair. Resolve the Water Source Problem. We Break Down Each Claim. Wood flooring is a beautiful addition to any home. Hardwood: For small-scale wood floor water damage, you may be able to nail or screw warped boards back into place. Read on to see the five recommended steps on how to repair a laminate floor with water damage. Identifying common engineered hardwood flooring water damage. So, before rushing to one of the nearest flooring stores to replace your entire floor, we recommend trying these few steps. So, if you have a flood or water damage (or even just a spill) on your hardwood flooring, you’ll want to remove the water and dry your floors as quickly as possible. The rotting areas will be discolored, buckled, and eaten through in areas. Rugs and furniture that has been soaked with water will continue to shed the moisture into the wood. How Do I Clean Mold From Hardwood Floors? Since wood fibers in real wood run lengthwise, the weak direction is sideways. The answer to that … In general, water is an enemy to wood floors. Untreated or water that is left to soak into the wood planks can cause mold growth. Hardwood Floor Water Damage. Remove Water-Soaked Objects from the Floor. Many types of floors, not just laminate flooring, are subject to damage when hit with enough water. Other issues that can arise from water damaged wood floors is mildew and mold. Mix up your Bondo, apply to the uneven, damaged section, then sand smooth. Solid wood flooring will warp and swell when water-logged. To maintain wood floors, vacuum or dry-mop them about once a week. Fixing Water-Damage Areas . When water sits on top of hardwood floors, it can permanently ruin the hardwood as the wood will absorb the water through its pores causing warping and discoloration. Always keep an eye on your floors to prevent damage, but be prepared to replace warped tiles if the water damage is too severe. After, you can repaint the whole piece for an even look. Wood and water just don't mix. A hardwood floor can be damaged because of several factors. When natural wood bends in this direction, it crowns or cups. Contact us today to learn more about our water damage services. Thank you! Wood Floor Water Damage; Reconstruction; Pack Out & Content Cleaning Services; Water Extraction & Removal; Locations; Insurance; Contact Us; 214-731-4624. Here are steps that you can take if you have wet wood floors after a major plumbing accident or flooding has occurred in your home or commercial building. Many wood floors are coated with polyurethane to make them resistant to staining and damage. Water damage to hardwood floors can be from minor to major. It is versatile and has a long lifespan — if it is well maintained. A pipe with a one eighth of an inch crack can dump more than 200 gallons of water a day, which has the potential of causing significant damage to your hardwood floors. Water damage can be due to accumulation over time or because of a sudden event (i.e. Your flooring could also have stains or spots where water has gotten into the wood. Is it possible to put new wood over the entire living room? Draw around the damaged subfloor so you know where you should cut when you start to remove it. The result is a wavy appearance and each course of wood is raised at the seams. In this post, we will be covering a big one: laminate floor water damage. How to spot water damage on wood floor. Types of Damage To Laminate. Reply. You should also make a note of where the underlying floor joists lie. If you’re facing water damage to wood floors in your home, replacing bad boards and refinishing your floors can help fix the problem. This can occur from a spill, leaky roof, or appliance such as a water heater or dishwasher. Like solid hardwood floors, damage to engineered hardwood floors can be the result of either a one time water event or an ongoing issue. Pry apart damaged boards and thoroughly clean beneath them before replacing them. Removing the excess water is the first step, but you also need to clean the wooden floor. Hardwood floors can be damaged by any number things. Many times the damage is the result of a combination of both. "Sometimes if … Reversing Water Damage to Wood Floors. 214-731-4624; Will Insurance Cover Your Water Damage? Because if the water sits on the surface of a hardwood floor, it can offset the wood floor and possibly ruin the floor as the water causes discoloration and warping. Use a firm brush to scrub the floor. Wood floor stains tend to fall into two categories — white rings and dark stains. How to fix water damaged wood floor is a question that can eventually come up for anyone that lives in a house with hardwood flooring. You’ll want to use a detergent or a mild disinfectant. Some water damaged wood planks have about 1/4″-1/2″ difference in plank height due to cupping… All planks have about 1/2″ gap in between due to shrinkage over time. Our expert technicians can treat the wood floors to help reduce the possible occurrence of mildew and mold. So if you're always having water spilled on your wood floor and want to minimize the possible damages it may cause look no further. floods). To erase them, scrub the stain with steel wool, using a generous amount of lemon oil to keep the wood from being scratched. The amount of water on hardwood floors has a direct connection to the extent of the damage. Because wood needs to make changes if there is more moisture added, the wood will begin to move in an upward position to adjust. Water damage floor repairs will vary depending on the type of flooring. You cant remove the water from wood without positively identifying and resolving the water and moisture source. 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