Learn how to prevent water from damaging your hardwood floors!
Hardwood flooring is absolutely beautiful, but also at an elevated risk for water damage. Unfortunately, it can be incredibly difficult to rehabilitate a hardwood floor with water damage, and many times the only solution is a replacement. As a result, preventing hardwood floor water damage is essential.
What is Water Damage?
On hardwood flooring, water damage can appear in a variety of ways, including:
- A white or cloudy-looking stain on the surface of the flooring
- Pools of standing water
- Boards that squish or move when you step on them
- Wet baseboard or drywall
- Mold growth or a musty smell
- Hardwood floorboards that are cupping, popping, or cracking
How Does Hardwood Flooring Water Damage Occur?
This damage occurs as a result of many different things, including:
- A broken or damaged pipe in the walls of the home. Major leaks are immediately noticeable, but small leaks can do slow damage over time before a homeowner notices.
- A broken pipe outside of the home that is leaking into the walls.
- An attic leak that is dripping down and causing hardwood flooring damage as a result.
- Surface damage, which can be caused by water from an appliance, sink, bathtub, or shower, leaking out and sitting on the hardwood flooring surface.
How Can I Prevent Water Damage on Hardwood Flooring?
As we mentioned above, prevention is key. To keep your hardwood flooring from getting water damage, you should always:
- Keep the flooring dry and place floor mats in any places where water could touch the flooring, like the entrance to your home, the area next to the shower, and your back entrance.
- Check your pipes and appliances on a yearly basis to make sure there are no leaks. If any leaks occur, have the pipes repaired right away.
- Repair any roof or attic damage.
- Never use an extremely wet mop to clean hardwood floors. Instead, try using a dry mop and following with spot cleaning.
- Don’t run a humidifier too frequently or at a high humidity level during the winter months.
Hire a Wonderful Craftsman for Your Hardwood Flooring
Mahogany Inc. is a general contractor that specializes in quality construction for residential and commercial projects. We have the expertise and experience to tackle whatever your custom woodwork job is (and acquire those hard to find woods you might want to use!). If you are looking for work that will set your living room, kitchen, or business apart, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 727-0334. To see examples of our wonderful work and see what our customers have to say, check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.