How To Fix Water Damaged Hardwood Floors? Causes & Repair Steps

One of the major aspects that are disturbing enough to make us question our decision of settling for Hardwood Floors is the time when they develop some seemingly irreversible Water Damage. And that’s the point where things appear almost way too worse to be fixed, since no one can come up with a definitive idea about when exactly did the damage begin to take place.

However, we at Pro Flooring Guide believe in looking for a cure rather than cursing and with that being said, we’re right at your service to help you deal with this very real problem in a super smart way. 

Ahead is the very first ingredient of our discussion.

Signs Of Water Damage On Your Hardwood Floor

Taking into account both the visible and the obscure indications of damage is the initial step of fixing hardwood floors that have been subjected to water destruction.

The major signs include

Visible discoloration and staining of the hardwood floors

• Buckling and Cupping (bending of hardwood floor) caused by moisture
• Nails getting lifted
• Hardwood boards getting separated from the subfloor and lifting up to several inches
• Mold growth between Hardwood flooring and subfloor 

Dealing With Water Damage On Hardwood Floor 

Post identifying the issue comes remedying the situation in an effective manner, and of course the one that results in minimal damage, time and money loss.

Find The Root Cause of Water Damage

Take a look at these fairly surprising facts, before jumping to the generating factors of water damage on hardwood floors

• Hardwood Floors, as a matter of fact, come with up to 6 to 12% of moisture content within them, which is technically a normal or more of an acceptable extent.

• It takes about 40% of moisture content for the Hardwood Floor to develop severe damage, which happens mostly in the cases of flooding. 

• Hardwood flooring has a tendency to retain water and if left to dry itself, the retained moisture has a major chance of causing extreme damage, since it will be getting enough time to sit on the floor.

Common Causes Of Hardwood Floor Water Damage 

These originating factors have been segregated into 4 major categories, since basically it’s the moisture that’s causing all the trouble. 

1. Structural And Foundation Flaws

This type of damage usually takes place during and after a period of flooding. The water penetrating through any of the structural as well as foundation leaks can rapidly result in massive damage, particularly if the home isn’t subjected to immediate draining and drying after it has been flooded. 

2. Plumbing Problems

Any of the corroded, punctured or simply damaged plumbing fittings and pipes gives rise to the leakage of water. Besides, the most adverse side of this issue is that multiple spots featuring plumbing and you never know which one of them gets damaged and becomes a major threat to your hardwood flooring. 

Apart from household plumbing (valves and faucets are common examples), appliances such as dishwashers and laundry equipment like washing machines also become potential reasons for water damage on hardwood floors. Air conditioner, radiator and HVAC leaks are also the additional yet very common factors leading to Hardwood Floor water damage.

3. Weather Phenomenon: Heavy Rainfall, melting of snow, blizzards, hurricanes, storm surges and ultimately flooding are the natural reasons for hardwood floors being prone to water damage. 

4. Ground Water: Groundwater is likely to reach up to the hardwood boards through the subfloors and even concrete subfloors aren’t excluded from this phenomenon. In addition to that, moisture can also penetrate through the flooring due to damaged or perforated vapor barriers, eventually causing water damage.  

Determine If Your Hardwood Floor Requires Repair Or Replacement

Often there is a chance of getting confused about which exact remedy to settle for, since there is no definitive estimate about how much damage has occurred. 

• There is a major likelihood that your water damaged hardwood floors might only be requiring a repair and the situation doesn’t possibly ask for a replacement. 

• Other times, you might be underestimating the criticalness of the condition and simply going for any repair attempt in any such scenario can do more harm than any help. To have it the other way, your hardwood floors have been irreversibly damaged with water and the only fix is an entire replacement of the boards.

Let’s have a detailed perception of this concern by the prominent indications of both the remedies.

Notable Evidence On Whether Your Hardwood Floors Need A Repair Or Replacement 

How To Repair Water Damaged HardWood Floors

Stuff You’ll Need

• Mild commercial detergent
• Disinfectant
• Trisodium Phosphate (TSP)
• Shop Vacuum
• Scrubbing Brush (the one with stiff bristles)
• Squeegee 
• Bucket or Container
• Soft and Absorbent Fabric
• Gloves (optional, for safety)

Steps For Repairing Hardwood Floors

• Start by removing surface water as much as possible, with the help of a shop vacuum with the “wet mode” enabled. To make the job a lot easier, you can go with a wide flooring attachment on the hose of the vacuum that will gather water in a sucking motion as it uses a squeegee.

• Make a cleaning solution by mixing a mild detergent and commercial disinfectant into a bucket of water. Take the stiff brush and use it to apply the cleaning mixture onto the floor, followed by a thorough scrubbing. Remember to focus on all the woodwork such as stairs, baseboards and support columns and NOT TO pour or spread water on the floor(s).

• Use TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) to clean the areas that have been showing visible signs of mold growth. Work your way while scrubbing through the affected areas till you manage to get rid of all the buildup and discoloration., followed by rinsing with clean water and drying the surface completely with an absorbent fabric. 

• Opt for a natural drying of the floor by creating an abundant air flow within the entire area. Ensuring maximum cross-ventilation and usage of fans is the best way to do so.

• Go for heavy sanding for cupped areas of the Hardwood Floors. Orbital sanders and drums work wonders in this regard. As for the heavily cupped wooden boards, you’ll need to face-nail them, in order to put them back down, since this is the factor that can’t be fixed with a flat sanding. 

Beneficial Tips For Preventing Water Damage To Wooden Floors

These essential tips and tricks will help you nail keeping any possible water damage at bay.

• Be extremely careful about spills and wipe them clear as soon as possible, so as to restrain any water penetration to the subfloor.

• Always make use of dedicated cleaning products meant for hardwood floors and at best the manufacturer’s recommendation. 

• Keep inspecting the entire plumbing of your house and of course, fixing any of the leaks or damages, timely. 

• Use mats and rugs at entrances present around Hardwood floors, next to sink or other water points and under the mats of food and water containers for your pets.

• Optimize the humidity extant within your place using dehumidifiers and this goes the same for both dry and moist air.

• Ensure a periodic reinforcement for your hardwood floor sealers such as annual refinishing for wax sealers and a refinishing of oil or water based Polyurethane sealers after a couple of years.

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Fix Water Stained Hardwood Floors?

Water stained hardwood floors can easily be treated just with the help of mineral spirits. All you need to do is apply a little of it to a soft cleaning cloth and rub the water stained spots. Let the mineral spirits do the job for a couple of minutes and you should be seeing the stains getting disappeared. Once you are done with the rubbing, ensure going over the treated area with a clean and dry cloth in gentle dabbing motion. Do make sure to wear gloves during this procedure.  

How To Remove Old Water Stains From Hardwood Floors?

The easiest way to do this is to rub the floors with a small brush (old toothbrush, for instance) containing a little amount of bleach and let it stay on the floor for the next several hours. After that time, go over the floor once again with another round of bleach application with a brush and let it rest till the next day and you should be able to get rid of the old water stains. As an alternative, you can try out the stripping, sanding and resealing of the area. 

How Do You Fix Black Water Stains On Wood?

The simplest and most effective way to get rid of dark water stains is to make use of a Baking soda paste. For the quantities, you can initially go for mixing about a tablespoon of Baking soda to a cup of water and apply the mixture on to the dark stained wood floor with the help of the sponge. Let the Baking soda mixture stay on the stained area for the next 10 minutes, followed by rinsing it off with clean water.

How To Remove Black Discoloration From Wood? 

Take a little amount of Hydrogen Peroxide in a discardable plastic container and with the help of a paintbrush, apply it thoroughly on the stained spot. Next you’ll need to cover this area with a rag that has been soaked in Hydrogen Peroxide too, and let it sit overnight. The next day, you can remove the rag and wait for the treated area to dry completely and you should see that the discoloration has gone. 

Why Do My Wood Floors Look Cloudy?

 Cloudy or hazy looking hardwood floors is a phenomenon that is mostly experienced post the cleaning and that’s exactly where lies the root cause(s) too. Floor cleaner buildup, wax buildup, usage of inadequate cleaners and trapped moisture are the major factors that result in leaving a white milky substance atop the wood floors, eventually making them appear hazy or as if they’re containing a cloudy film. 

Will Swollen Wood Shrink?

Wood swollen by moisture is the most likely to end up in shrinking, warping or cracking, in case it comes across any attempt of immediate drying. This is something that has to be taken care of in everyday life when we get to see swollen drawers and doors and try opening them by exerting force, which simply results in more damage. Instead go for removing the back side of the furniture and let it dry with air circulation.