Repairing Water Damage to Hardwood Floors

Most people think they immediately have to replace their wooden floors if they experience a flood or leak. No matter they need such services at home or even in shops, one can access professional shopfitters or home renovators to get awesome services. Although some people must go through this extensive repair job, others can get away with simple treatments. Use this article to help you do your own work on repairing water damage to hardwood floors. Professionals can do the work, but homeowners can complete the job for much less money.

Assess the Damage

Before undergoing any major effort of repairing water damage to hardwood floors, check the extent of the damage. If you see a water stain, but notice no warping of the wood, chances are you can get by with sanding down the stained boards. Once sanded, apply oxalic crystals to remove the watermark and then re-stain the wood to match the existing wood. Matching polyurethane seals the fixed floor and helps it blend in with the rest.

Remove Damaged Wood

Warped hardwood requires replacing. Either use a pry bar to free the floorboards, or saw into the affected floor and then pry them up. Most people should remove the flooring all the way to the wall because changing and interlacing boards in the middle of a floor takes skill.

You should choose the exact same species of wood and stain as your existing, undamaged floor. If possible, order from the same company and get a sample before making your entire order. You must also let the floorboards sit in the space for a couple of days to get used to the environment.

Installing the Floor

Simply use the tongue and groove design of wood floors to your advantage and fit them together until you get to the wall. Then, staple diagonal staples through the tongue of each board to secure.

After replacing the damaged wood, sand the entire floor down to bare wood. Then, stain the entire floor so that everything matches perfectly. Once dry, treat with polyurethane. Again, let this dry before applying another layer of polyurethane. Wait until the whole thing dries completely before using the floors.

Repairing water damage to hardwood floors takes some time and patience, but learning how to do the project on your own saves a lot of money. Don’t assume you have to get rid of wood if it sits too long in water. Check the integrity and levelness of the wood before completing any repair project.