No homeowner wants to hear the two dreaded words.
Floating wood floor water damage.
Luckily if you can dry your wood floors they can often be saved.
Not only do they look good they re easy to care for resist wear and they re even eco friendly.
The truth is water is really harmful for any kind of wood flooring that isn t water resistant.
This is called cupping heavy sanding with a drum or orbital sander can actually take down some minor high areas.
Like solid hardwood floors damage to engineered hardwood floors can be the result of either a one time water event or an ongoing issue.
The proper way to replace planks in a wood floor takes time and the expertise of a craftsman.
Wood floors are susceptible to moisture and many may have been damaged prior to the single event that finally required action to be taken.
Replacing damaged flooring by weaving in new planks.
Fixing the water damaged floor by replacing damaged flooring you may sand refinish and re coat the wood floor to repair water damage but is not a permanent solution.
You can use a combination of surface drying and air circulation to help remove moisture from the wood.
The best way to avoid and fix water damage for wood floors is to get them repaired.
That doesn t mean you should tear it out and replace it at the first signs of damage instead there may be a few things you can do to save it first.
Hardwood is a beautiful and durable flooring option that s a good fit for most homes but it has one weakness.
After drying a wood floor you may have some concave or convex floorboards.
However heavily cupped wood cannot be sanded down flat.
Dry quickly water is hardwood floor s worst enemy which means it s important to get water up quickly whether it is a small spill from a cup toppling over or a large amount of water due to a leak or.
However hardwood flooring does have one draw back it can t stand up to prolonged exposure to water so if water is allowed to stay on a hardwood floor the wood will be damaged either stained or warped.
Sand water damaged wood flooring.
Even a small amount of water can damage your wood flooring.
Wood floors can add character and style to your home but water damage leave dark stains and can cause the wood to buckle.
Hardwood flooring retains water and if it is left to dry on its own then the moisture retained has more time to sit causing greater damage.
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.
Speed is the key.
For many water damaged wood floors the best way to repair the damage is to eliminate and replace the affected boards and then to refinish the entire floor.
Many times the damage is the result of a combination of both.