How To Tell If Hardwood Floors Have Water Damage

There are several different ways to tell if your hardwood floors have been affected water damaged hardwood.

How to tell if hardwood floors have water damage.

What you need to know about signs of water damage in hardwood floors. The best way to avoid and fix water damage for wood floors is to get them repaired. Pour a small bead of water onto the hardwood floor. Cupping and moisture causing it to buckle.

If you are uncertain if your hardwood floors are sealed the quickest and easiest test you can perform is the water beading test. This is what happens when moisture causes the wood to expand pushing the boards together and deforming them in the center. Not all water damage in hardwood floors is noticeable water damage can affect your hardwood floors in several different ways depending upon the layout and type of wood. You may sand refinish and re coat the wood floor to repair water damage but is not a permanent solution.

When you find floor panels that have completely moved away from the floor underneath you can almost be certain that you have water damage on your hands or should we say underneath your feet. Make certain it is in the center of the board and not on a seam. Simply grab a small glass of water and find an out of the way area to test. For this you will have to take out the affected planks and replace them with new boards.

Minor water damage can be a result of small leaks or standing water from a spill. Instances of buckling are usually due to very long term water damage. Fixing the water damaged floor by replacing damaged flooring. If this has occurred it will also need to be replaced before installing new dry hardwood floor.

That s why you should always keep an eye out for the signs of water damage even if you don t think it s something you necessarily have to worry about. The effects of water damage happen over time once you notice something different about your wood floors water damage has already set in. If floors have cupped popped or cracked it may be an indication that the sub floor has experienced water damage as well. If water droplets continually form on the surface of a wood floor without an apparent source it could be an indication of excess moisture in the board.

As the photos below suggest once the wood absorbs water it expands and this expansion reveals itself in the edges of the board turning up or whole planks buckling. Sometimes all it takes is an imbalance between the moisture in the air and the moisture in the wood. Some signs that your wood flooring is water damaged include. One of the first signs that water has damaged your floor is cupping of individual planks or crowning of several planks creating a hump in the floor.

Minor water damage leaves you with hardwood floor boards that may be discolored and possibly swollen or cracked.