What Causes Damage to Hardwood Floors

6/8/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage on hardwood floors can be caused by various factors, including the following:

• Roof leaks
• Plumbing leaks
• High humidity levels
• Unattended spills
• Tracking rain/snow
• Tracking pool water

Any water sources can cause damages to your hardwood flooring. If there has been any spills or leaks, be sure to immediately wipe them off. Do not let them sit and be absorbed by your hardwood flooring through open pores. This will then cause discoloration, warping, or buckling.

Prevention of Water Damage to Hardwood Floors

There are plenty of ways to protect your hardwood flooring depending on the source of water that it is exposed to. The most critical prevention method is still to wipe off any leaks and spills immediately to get rid of any pooling before absorption occurs.

Spills and Leaks

It takes just a small splash of water from sources like a kitchen sink or a pair of wet shoes from outdoors to allow hardwood floors to start absorbing This can be avoided by placing an absorbent mat or cloth were necessary to catch these little spills instead.

When you need to organize a party, always prepare sufficient paper towels to allow guests to immediately clean up spills. Alternatively, you can layer the hardwood floors with a rug that can absorb spills and prevent them from touching the hardwood flooring.

Spills are inevitable when you have children around the house. Ensure they only eat and drink away from the hardwood flooring but if they must, just place a rug underneath their seating area.

Leaks and Humidity

Once you have cleaned up any leaks, there is still bound to be moisture residue left behind. An industrial dehumidifier can help to remove excess moisture before the hardwood flooring can absorb any of it.

For the roof, always consult a specialist to prevent leaks spilling onto the hardwood floors. Early repairs can stop the roof leaks even before they can begin to spill.

Plumbing issues can be detected on walls as well as the floors. Any signs of damages need to be rectified immediately before spills occur and flow onto the hardwood floors.

For households that have been experiencing high humidity levels, implementing long-term solutions is the best bet instead of allowing severe damages to be inflicted onto the hardwood flooring.

Repairing Water Damage on Hardwood Floor

Water stains are typically white pigments on the hardwood floors. They can be removed by simply using a floor polish with a cotton cloth.

Blackwater stains are not that easy to remove which require sanding them off with sandpaper. A type of wood bleach will then be needed to lighten the shade of the stains. Slight discoloration may occur which has been deemed as unsightly for some or be regarded as nicer than the color of the blackwater stains.

Warping of Hardwood Boards

This situation can still be salvaged by first flattening the warped boards with something heavy. Leave it for several days to see if any changes can be seen. Boards that are not in line can be nailed down but popping of boards needs to be observed.

For everything else, simply seek the professional services of a water damage restoration company. It is highly advisable to spend on restorative procedures than to incur even heftier expenses, should your own repair attempts were to fail.