How to Restore Water-Damaged Hardwood Floors. What Pros Say

Finding water standing on your hardwood floor can be heartbreaking and even scary. You may not know what to do or where to turn to get the help you need with your repairs. If you notice that your wooden floors are water-damaged, it’s a good idea to call a professional for help.

How to Restore Water-Damaged Hardwood Floors

The best way to restore water-damaged hardwood floors is to ensure they are completely dry, including the subfloor. Assess the damage, and depending on the severity, repair the damaged section. There are various methods to replace floors that are damaged by water. I recommend always refinishing the entire floor after the repair.

In this blog post, I will explain in more detail the steps you need to follow to restore your water-damaged hardwood floors. I will also answer some questions I often get, like how long it takes before you can see the damage. And how long it takes for a hardwood floor to dry.

Damaged Hardwood Floors Treatment

If you see water on your hardwood floor, there are some things to do immediately that can help reduce the chance of more severe damage. Acting quickly can help save your floor and save you time and money.

● Find The Leak

If a leak is the cause of your flood or water damage, find it as soon as possible and repair it. As long as water continues to leak onto your floor, you won’t be able to make repairs. This is something I notice a lot of homeowners forget to do. They immediately jump into repairs instead of fixing the cause of the leak or flood. Don’t waste your time making repairs on a floor that will be damaged again in no time. Fix the problems before you start to work on the damage.

● Remove The Water

As soon as you notice the standing water on your hardwood floors, work to remove it. You can do this with a mop, towel, paper towels, a wet vacuum, or in some cases, a sump pump. The faster you remove the water, the less it will be able to soak into the floor and walls, and the less damage you will have.

● Dry The Floors

You won’t be able to tell how bad the damage is until you see the floors dry. It would be best if you let your floors dry for a few days or until you no longer see or hear water on the floor. Open windows in the room or your entire home to ventilate the room and improve airflow. If you have fans, use them to help dry the floors quickly too. If your floor was completely flooded and there was a lot of standing water, you might need to buy commercial fans that can dry up the floors faster and more effectively.

I also recommend using a dehumidifier to remove water as quickly as possible. You can rent them in many places. Depending on the amount of water, it can take days before all the water is gone. Particularly if it is under the floor and on the subfloor.

● Assess The Damage

Once your floors are completely dry, you can start to check for damage. Of course, you will check with your eye first. Remember that not all signs of water damage can be seen. You may be able to smell water damage before you see it. If you notice a musty, damp smell in the room, it could mean there is still water on or under the floor, or the floor has absorbed a lot of water. You can also step on the floor gently and carefully to see if it feels soft or sounds squishy.

If the floor is dry, they may no longer feel mushy, but they could still feel soft and weak. Also, look for signs of cupping, buckling, and mold growth. These are all signs that your floor is damaged and needs to be repaired.

● Check For Mold

Mold can grow quickly in a home that has been flooded, has a lot of humidity, or has standing water. Mold can grow under the floors and behind walls, so you may not notice it immediately. The longer you ignore the mold, or if it goes unnoticed, the more it can grow and the worse it can become. Mold growth can cause serious illness, so it’s essential to find the mold and have it remediated by a professional as soon as possible.

● Plan The Hardwood Floor Repairs

Once you see what the damage is like and how bad it is, you can start to make your repairs. Some damage you can fix yourself if you know what you are doing. If the damage is only on the top layer, you can refinish the floor. You can remove those planks if the water has caused irreparable buckling and warping locally. Replace them with some undamaged ones. If only part of the plank is damaged, you could use the undamaged part and only replace a smaller part.

To remove the damaged parts, you can use a circular saw. Set the depth exactly to the plank thickness. Be careful with any nails, if used. Use a screwdriver or a chisel to remove the part that you cut.

In case of more severe damage, I recommend asking a professional. I have worked on water-damaged floor repairs for many years, and I know first-hand how difficult some repairs can be. Homeowners who want to save time and money doing it themselves could cause more harm to their floors and the structure of their homes.

You can save yourself a lot of stress by hiring a contractor to handle these repairs. In most cases, the damaged sections of the floor can be removed and replaced. The parts of the floor that are not damaged may be able to be salvaged. You should know what needs to be done and how much to expect to pay for it.

● Refinish The Entire Water Damaged Hardwood Floor

I recommend always refinishing the entire wood floor after fixing the hardwood floor, even if it was only a small portion. The floor should be a solid color, and everything should match. Adding new boards to old boards can create a mismatched look. Refinishing the entire floor ensures it’s uniform and looks nice and complete. It might be a little extra work, but it will be worth it to know your floor looks new and will have plenty of durability to help it last for many years.

How Long Does It Take For Hardwood Floors To Show Water Damage?

Hardwood floors can start to show water damage as soon as 24 hours from the time it gets wet. If there was a lot of water on the floor, it might cause noticeable damage much faster. The more water, the easier it is to notice the damage. Keep in mind that you may not always see the water damage before it becomes severe. Some warping damage may only be visible when the floor and subfloor is completely dry. This can take some time.

When you are looking for water damage, be sure to use your other senses as well. Smell the room and check for bad odors that could mean water is sitting or leaking somewhere. Listen for sounds of weak boards or squishy, mushy subfloor.

How Long Does It Take Hardwood Floors To Dry After Water Damage?

It usually takes 48 to 72 hours for less severe water-damaged floors to dry completely. The exact time can vary based on the severity of the flood or leak and how long the water has been soaking into the floor. The more water on the floor and the longer it’s been there, the longer it will take to dry. Opening windows to improve ventilation, using fans, and even commercial drying equipment can help speed up the drying time and even reduce the severity of the damage.

Remember, just because the floors appear to be dry on the surface doesn’t mean they aren’t wet underneath. Wood and subflooring can absorb a lot of water and swell up. The surface can be dry, but all the water may have soaked into the flooring and is hard to notice. You will need to gently step on the floor to see if it feels weak or if you hear any squishing sound. You can also watch around the creases of the board to see if you notice any water coming up through them as you step down. If the floor still feels mushy or you see water leaking upward, the floors need to dry longer before you can begin repairs.

Can Water Ruin A Hardwood Floor?

Water can easily ruin a hardwood floor. Hardwood floors are very durable, but if there is water on the floor or under it, it can cause damage to the boards and the subfloor. The hardwood flooring can prevent some water from leaking down into the subfloor, but usually, it will find its way under the boards and to the subfloor if there is a lot of water.

Subflooring is typically made from pressed wood, and it can be very weak. If water gets to it, it can absorb it quickly and swell. The swelling causes the boards on top to spread apart, push together, and even bow. They may become broken, weak, or soft. The sooner the water damage is found and repaired, the better your chances of saving your hardwood floors.

Do Water Damaged Hardwood Floors Need To Be Replaced?

Wat damaged floors do not need to be replaced in all cases. If you are able to remove the water and dry the floor quickly, and before the water has a chance to soak into the wood floor or subfloor underneath, you may not need to replace the floor. If the damage is limited, you may be able to replace small sections of your hardwood floors. Anytime there is standing water on your hardwood floor, you will want to refinish the whole thing.

If the whole floor is flooded, and the water has been there for some time, there is a high chance you need to replace the whole floor. In those cases, I always recommend checking with a professional. He can help decide if replacing the entire floor is needed in your situation.