Replacing Water Damaged Hardwood Floors

Replacing damaged flooring by weaving in new planks.

Replacing water damaged hardwood floors.

Step 1 to remove a smoky white haze or a white spot buff the finish with a soft cotton cloth and a very mild abrasive such as whitening toothpaste auto polishing compound or tobacco ash mixed with mineral oil until the stain disappears see a. The proper way to replace planks in a wood floor takes time and the expertise of a craftsman. Step 1 remove stains if the water just managed to stain the hardwood then you can remove the stain without a lot of other work. It can be caused by a potted plant that leaks onto the floor from a.

This is called cupping heavy sanding with a drum or orbital sander can actually take down some minor high areas. In fact most people avoid buying solid hardwood flooring for fear that they will have to deal with repairing or replacing a water damaged floor. However heavily cupped wood cannot be sanded down flat. Here s how to repair the damage.

If your hardwood floor is in generally fine shape with only a damaged spot or two it is easy and economical to make small repairs by replacing a strip or plank of flooring. The easiest way is to bore a 1 in dia. For this you will have to take out the affected planks and replace them with new boards. 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.

It can damage the finish leave rings or discoloration or at its worst cause flooring boards to cup warp buckle or grow mold. Most floors use a tongue and groove design. 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. Because tongue and groove boards are locked in place removal involves cutting out the middle of each damaged board.

In general water is an enemy to wood floors. No homeowner wants to hear the two dreaded words. Hole through both ends of each damaged board. The best way to avoid and fix water damage for wood floors is to get them repaired.

You can also fix buckled areas of flooring and avoid having to completely refinish your floors. Repair hardwood floor water damage. Fixing the water damaged floor by replacing damaged flooring. Hardwood floors are a great choice for home flooring.

After drying a wood floor you may have some concave or convex floorboards. Not only do they look good they re easy to care for resist wear and they re even eco friendly. You may sand refinish and re coat the wood floor to repair water damage but is not a permanent solution. Water damage to hardwood floors can be from minor to major.

Here are a few steps that you can take to repair a hardwood floor that has suffered water damage.