How To Repair Water Damaged Wood Floor

Clean with clean water in a bucket.

How to repair water damaged wood floor.

Depending on the size of the repair area hand sand with a rubber sanding block see b or machine sand with a random orbit sander. If your hardwood floor dries with a white hazy film on the surface you might get rid of it using a soft cotton cloth and a very mild abrasive such as tooth paste polishing compound or even tobacco ashes mixed with mineral oil. If the humidity in the air is higher than the moisture on the floor that extra water could be causing the hardwood boards to warp and split. You can also use a towel or sponge.

You will also need to check the relative humidity rh in the air and compare the two. If you have access to the floor from below applying heat from underneath will also help dry both the sub floor and the hardwood. When you have a water damaged wood floor the most important thing to do first is to get rid of the water. Use fine steel wool to remove wax and sandpaper to remove a surface finish.

As previously suggested the natural color of wood changes with age sunlight and sourcing. The whole repairing process depends on the amount of water absorbed by the wooden planks. First remove any wax or surface finish. Depending on how much water is laying on the floor the easiest way is often to use a shop vac with no bag.

Do not pour the water onto the floor there s no reason to add more water to the problem. Generally speaking if drywall has swelled or sagged 3 8 of an inch or more from the baseline then you need to replace the entire sheet. Wood floor repair diagram how to repair water damaged floor using a very sharp chisel and a pry bar pull the remaining strips of the plank from the joints around the damaged area. And remember to check the insulation behind the drywall for damage as well.

Scrub thoroughly to remove all dirt mud silt and organic material all of which can promote mold growth. In both cases start with 80 or even 60 grit abrasive and sand to 100 grit. A short film which shows you how to repair a damaged plank s within a real wood floor. Sanding staining and refinishing the entire floor minimizes these variables.

Otherwise you can cut out and water damage repair the water stained portion. Video is brought to you by www rgnflooring co uk and www ukflooringsu. Sand just up to the edges of unaffected boards. If the water has already damaged the planks and the sub floor then you may need to change both the floors.

Once the physical repair is made to the floor the most uniform results are obtained by sanding and refinishing the entire room where the water damage occurred. Gently rub the stained area until the haze is gone. You will need to procure a moisture meter which is a type of device used to read the amount of water in the wood. Using the shop vac may also pull water from the cracks in the flooring.

If the joints do not come loose on their own as you pry them away you will need to use the chisel to cut all the way through the plank at the joint.