Dealing With Water Damage to Your Hardwood Floor

If you have a hardwood floor in your home, unfortunately, sooner or later, you are going to have to deal with damage due to water. It doesn’t take a disaster, such as a flood to damage a wood floor, anything from plumbing leaks to an upstairs neighbors overflowing tub may pose problems for wood floors. Whatever the cause, water can cause warping and may trigger mold and mildew growth that can ruin your beautiful hardwood flooring and in most situations, refinishing is going to be necessary. But, before you can think about hardwood floor refinishing Phoenix homeowners should keep in mind that drying the wood is the first and most important step. Here are a few tips on how to spot, prevent and minimize the damage that water can cause to hardwood flooring.

Take Immediate Action

The best way to limit water damage and avoid excessive hardwood floor refinishing Phoenix homeowners must take quick action. The sooner you can attend to wet floors, the better. The cellulose fibers that wood is made of will rapidly soak up water, but it releases the water slowly, so water damage to hardwood flooring is progressive. The longer the floor is exposed to water, the greater the damage becomes. As the wood floorboards absorb moisture, they will expand vertically and horizontally, causing gaps and warping. It is essential that you dry the wood as soon as you become aware of the water. The best way to dry hardwood flooring is to first soak up as much water as possible with thick, dry towels and then use a fan directed to the wood to continue the drying process.

Restoration or Refinishing

If your hardwood floor is already showing signs of warping or gapping, call a professional hardwood floor refinishing company as soon as the damage is noticed. There are several steps required to restore the wood to its original beauty. When it’s time for hardwood floor refinishing Phoenix homeowners should be prepared for several days of work to be done by the refinishing company. Refinishers will first make sure the wood is thoroughly dried out before doing any of the refinishing steps. Once the wood is thoroughly dry, the refinishing company will make any necessary repairs to the wood, which may involve replacing some planks. The floor will then be sanded and re-finished with a durable sealer.  

The best way to prevent the risk of water damage to hardwood flooring is by cleaning up, even small spills, immediately after they happen. If you notice the wood is becoming dull, contacting a refinishing company to reseal the wood will help to reduce the risk of water damage occurring to the raw, exposed wood. Prevention and maintenance is the best ways to keep your hardwood flooring looking the same as it did on the day it was installed, so always use cleaning products that are specifically made for hardwood floors, clean up spills as soon as they occur and routinely have the floor inspected by a professional refinishing company to ensure there are any damages you may be unaware of.