Save your water-damaged wood floor with this step-by-step guide
For anyone living in a historic home located somewhere prone to hurricanes and heavy storms, the concern of water ruining the beautiful hardwood floor is always there. While we can’t guarantee that water will never invade, we can at least help reassure you that you can fix water-damaged wood floors by following a few simple steps. The project takes quite a while and requires some intermediate skills, but is doable with enough patience and some research.
When water damage is discovered, turn off the power and disconnect all electronic devices from any affected area.
Two of the most significant signs that your wood floor has suffered water damage are cupping and crowning. Cupping happens when floor panel edges rise above the floor surface, forming a cup shape. This is the first sign suggesting moisture may be trapped under your wood floor. Opposite to cupping, crowning happens when your wood floor bends downward, often from the wood floor absorbing moisture and water above it. Turn off all appliances and cut the power in the water-damaged area before you move forward.
Check to see if your home uses hardwood floor or laminated floor panels because the price can differ quite drastically. If you can’t tell the exact material used in your home, bring a piece of damaged floor with you and ask a hardware store to help you make the decision. Replacement wood floors can cost from $6 to $25 per square foot, depending on the material.
Because laminate floors are highly vulnerable to moisture, you almost always want to replace any portion affected by water. However, regular wood floors can usually be repaired without removing any panel unless there is a bigger leak underneath the flooring that needs to be fixed first.
The longer water sits, the more damage it causes to your wood floor. Therefore, use a shop vacuum to remove surface water as soon as you can. Using a wide attachment to the vacuum hose will effectively remove most surface water. For a more thorough cleaning, use a squeegee to push the remaining water together to get vacuumed.
Use a mild wood floor cleaning solution or mix detergent, water, and disinfectant to create your own cleaning solution. Next, carefully scrub all affected areas, including water-damaged baseboards, with a stiff brush. If your floor has been painted, you may notice paint peeling off at this stage. Be mindful and clean your stiff brush often. Also, don’t pour the cleaning solution directly onto the floor. Instead, dip your brush into the solution and let excessive liquid drip off before touching the floor.
Check the floors for signs of mold. If mold is present, use an abrasive cleaning and a mold treatment solution to clean the affected area. Once the discoloration or mold growth is removed, rinse the surface with clean water and wipe it dry using an absorbent material.
You need to let your wood floor dry completely and naturally before you can start the actual repair. Use fans and open up your windows to accelerate the process. However, you may want to wait at least a few hours or half a day to be safe. Be patient, as wood is sensitive to moisture level change and drying it too quickly may lead to cracks. Using heat to speed up the drying process can also further damage your wood floor.
Renting a buffer will make this step go a lot quicker. Sand the affected floor area until it is flat and even. This will fix most cupping or crowning issues, and also remove whatever surface paint was left on the floor. Make sure to vacuum again to remove all dust and paint debris. You always want a clean surface before moving forward.
Mold can easily grow under surface paint. Therefore, if your floor were painted, you should apply additional mold treatment now that the wood is exposed. Use an abrasive cleaner with disinfectant properties to clean the naked wood surface. You can also use mild bleach as your disinfectant. Once finished, wait for the floors to dry.
If any floor panels look severely damaged, use a prybar to remove them. Repeat cleaning and mold treatment for the area underneath the floor and wait until it is fully dry.
Most homes use standard-sized wood flooring, and replacement panels can be easily found at your local hardware store. Once you have your supplies, Apply wood glue to the back of your new panel and align it in place. Hold the panel down for a few minutes to let the glue settle.
Finally, repaint, restain, or refinish the floor. This provides additional protection for your repaired floors. Most stain-resistant wood floor sealers are oil-based and thus increase the floor’s water resistance. You can also use water-based urethane waterproofing sealers. Use two or three coats of sealers, and make sure the previous coat is fully dry before applying the next layer.
Repairing water-damaged wood floors is doable but often time-consuming, especially when factoring in the drying windows needed between steps. Also, simply repairing the floor may not be your ultimate fix, as there could be other types of water damage occurring around or under the floors.
If you have a large amount of water or a large affected area, it’s best to hire a water restoration company to handle the job. On average, it costs $8 to $100 per square foot to fix a water-damaged wood floor, depending on the material, furnishing, and severity. While this cost may seem high at first glance, water damage can lead to complex issues like mold growth, and having an insured professional carry out the repair is often the better option.
If your home use laminated floors, you usually need to remove everything in the water damaged area. Laminated floors are highly vulnerable to water and can easily turn into a pulp. Traditional hardwood floors are more resistant to water, and you should only remove the panels if you believe the water has damaged the structure beneath.
As long as you don’t see significant cupping or crowning, your hardwood floor should return to its original shape and size after it is completely dried. However, this process can take weeks up to months, so it is much more efficient to fix water damaged wood floor instead of waiting for them to recover from the damage.
Yes. Mold can easily grow under your hardwood floors, especially if your house is recently flooded, or if there is a leak from a pipe under the floor. Hardwood floor can trap moisture beneath it, creating the perfect environment for mold to grow. Similarly, mold can also grow under your wood floor’s surface paint.
Consider replacing your water-damaged floor if there’s extensive damage — crowning, cupping, warping, or buckling. Depending on the type of damage, water damage can affect the structural integrity of your home. If your home’s structural integrity is compromised and issues like dry rot are present, it’s likely better to replace than repair. For some water damaged floors, repairs can only go so far and wind up being a temporary fix that requires numerous attempts at repairing and refinishing. Talk to a water damage restoration professional about whether they recommend repairing or replacing your floors.
