How to Deal With Water Seepage in Hardwood Flooring?

Hardwood floors can get damaged if there is constant water seepage. When installing your flooring, you have to make sure that there is no threat to your floors, due to water. But sometimes, however careful you are, there may be water damage to your floors during rains or because of burst or leaky pipes. If these kind of accidents occur, you have to act fast to control the damage and ensure that very little of the flooring is affected.

Keeping an eye out for water damage

Hardwood is a great choice to cover your floors with, but they are high maintenance. You have to be constantly on the alert to make sure that the planks don’t get water damaged. Here are a few tips on how to watch out for signs of water damage.

Stains

If any kind of liquid spills on the floor, it is imperative that it is wiped away immediately. Otherwise, the liquid will sink into the grains of the flooring. If it is plain water that was spilt, just wiping it with absorbent material will do. If it is some kind of acidic substance, you may need to use a cleanser to ensure that there are no lasting stains. In case, the spillage is overlooked and prompt action not taken, wait till the area is dry completely. Then sand the stained areas and varnish it to match the rest of the floor.

Warping

If the water seepage is through the walls and affects the wood near the walls or seeps into the sub layer, you may not immediately notice the damage. The wood will soon start to warp due to continued contact with water. If you find your planks warping, you can be sure that there is some kind of water seepage that is affecting your flooring. In this case, the root cause of the problem should be identified. This is important as that problem has to be taken care of first. If it is a burst or leaky pipe, it will have to be fixed. If the water is seeping through the walls, the ceiling and the walls may have to be treated to prevent water seepage. Then the damaged planks will have to be replaced. If taken care of swiftly, you could avoid having to replace your entire floor.

Separation of planks

If your flooring is old and the water damage has gone unnoticed, or has been left untreated for a long time, the planks may come loose. This is quite dangerous as this means that the wood may be rotting. There are chances of the wood giving way. The planks that have been affected will have to be replaced. Most often, if your floor has reached this level of damage, it is safer to redo the entire floor.

Mold

If you find fungus or mold growing on your floor, it is a definite indication of water seepage. Mold grows in wet, humid areas. There is usually space between the top and sub layer of a floor. This is a breeding ground for mold as it needs a humid environment to flourish. Water seeping into this area makes it wet and causes mold growth. This will spread and start affecting the top layer of the floor, which is when you may discover it. You have to decide how much of flooring you want to replace. Even if a bit of mold is left behind, it would start to grow again. So not only the damaged planks, but the planks surrounding them should also be replaced.

Hardwood floors need careful maintenance. If you keep a watch for water damage and control the situation before it gets out of hand, you can make sure that your hardwood floors last long!

Reference: http://www.ehow.com/info_8050046_happens-hardwood-floors-water.html#ixzz2a7hdJaPZ

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