Do you want wood flooring but are concerned about future water damages? This article would help you on how to tell if wood floor is too water damaged, so you’re in the right place to get answers.
If you’re an eco-conscious and a farseeing person, it can’t help that you’ll be conflicted about choosing wood floorings due to the possible risks you might face in the future.
To help you decide, continue reading. This article will tackle the benefits of wood flooring and what immediate actions you can take to prevent further damages once wood flooring gets damped.
Wood Floor Water Damages
There are many benefits when you choose wood for your flooring. You might probably want to know more about the benefits:
- Environmental-friendly, it helps reduce your carbon footprint.
- Wood adds a natural charm to your home.
- You can choose from several designs.
- It is durable and can last for a more extended period with just a few touches up per year.
- It helps keep the heat during the cold season and helps cool down the house when it’s the hot time.
- Wood is a good sound regulator.
- Installation is made more accessible with the usage of professional fitters.
- Low maintenance is needed.
With so many benefits mentioned above, you can see that wood flooring would be a good investment for your home. As for future damages, accidents happen, and it is often hard to control them, so what’s possible to do is learn how to handle them once they do happen.
Here’s an article concerning the advantages of wood flooring for further understanding.
You would need first to know how to identify signs of water damage. Often, you’ll be able to notice it immediately, and some are harder to tell.
According to Askinglot, here are a few signs to look out for:
- Cupping – Some areas or edges of floor planks might seem elevated or submerged.
- Discolored spots and unnatural patterns – The finishing or paint has faded; the wood’s natural patterns have waned; fuzzy or slimy colored spots might appear, which can be a mold.
- Bulging – Floor planks might have some swelling or bubbling spots, which would be easy to notice.
Other than these, if the wood flooring got soaked in water, it might become softened and easy to break; musty odors might also become present. These two factors can help you immediately identify if your wood floor is water damaged.
Quick Actions Against Further Water Damages
Here’s what you can do after you have spotted soaked wood planks:
Step #1. Find the cause of the water damage
Identifying where the fluid is coming from and immediately fixing the problem would help stop the water flow. It helps prevent further damage.
The source might be a water pipe leaking, windows or doors gaps enabling water to enter during heavy rain, or pieces of equipment like a refrigerator, washing machine, or the dishwasher. Whichever it is, ensure that you solve the problem appropriately.
Step #2. Clear out the area
After solving the water problem, you’ll now need to clear out the area where the supposed damage is. Heavy equipment and furniture might add to the burden and cause more damage to the flooring.
Clearing out the area would also help make it convenient to clean.
Step #3. Drying the damp area
Here you would need a squeegee and wet vacuum. Use the squeegee to gather the moisture, making it easier for the wet vacuum to suck it up.
If you don’t have a wet vacuum, you can use a mop and towel to soak up the moisture.
Setting up a dehumidifier or opening up doors and windows for good airflow might help dry up the damped planks. Leave it for at least 24 hours, ensuring that it’ll dry up.
Step #4. Mold clearing
If there are visible molds, it’s best to treat them before spreading further. Other than existing products available in the market that target molds, you can use either of the following that might be available in your kitchen:
- Vinegar and baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Borax with water
- Tea tree oil with water
Placing the mixture in a spray bottle makes the application more convenient. Directly apply your chosen mixture and let it sit for a while.
If you need to change planks because it is heavily damaged by water, you can either choose to ask for a professionals assistance or adhere to the following steps:
Step #1. Assess the damage and find the cause of water damage.
Step #2. Identify and measure the planks you would need to replace. Be sure to choose wood planks that are similar to the others in order not to cause disharmony in design.
Step #3. Remove the planks, then observe if the flooring beneath it is wet. If it’s wet, you’ll first have to dry it out.
Step #4. Then you can proceed with replacing the wooden planks. If possible, leaving this act to the professional would be better.
Step #5. Finally, you can sand the entire floor to create a seamless look, then proceed with applying a sealant, followed by refinishing.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this content was able to help you know how to tell if wood floor is water damaged. For a more similar article, you can visit these two articles concerning how to scrape water damaged floors and how to fix water damaged floating floor.