What to Do When Moisture Seeps into Hardwood – Contractor Horror Stories
October 3, 2018 Home Care
Undertaking a major home renovation and remodel is easily one of the most exciting and stressful times in a homeowner’s life. You obviously have big plans for the newly remodeled space, and you have a clear vision in your head of how you want it to turn out. By hiring a professional contractor to do the work, you are unloading the labor and know-how onto to someone else, but unfortunately that doesn’t always get rid of the stress.
Just like you, contractors are normal everyday people, and what that means is that they can sometimes make mistakes, have accidents, or let things go by unnoticed. So, what should happen if during the remodel somehow moisture was spilled on your hardwood, and wasn’t noticed, allowing it to really seep into the boards and between them?
This is obviously one of those contractor disaster stories that no homeowner wants to deal with. At the end of the project, you want everything looking like new and exactly how you envisioned, not with a whole new project to tackle. So, before you get too upset, here are the steps you can take when dealing with water on your hardwood.
Quickly Clean Up Any Water that Still Remains
First off, you want to be sure that any water that is there is removed and dried up as fast as you possibly can. When water gets onto hardwood it will start to absorb into the pores of the wood. Once this happens, you’ll notice discoloration and then warping of the affected area.
As for how much time you have to clean up the water, experts say that the first 24 hours are the most important. If you can get large and small spills cleaned up and dried within that time, you most likely won’t have any permanent damage.
Rather than just wiping up water with towels, it’s also a good idea to provide ventilation to speed up the drying process. Open windows and use a large fan directed at the floor to help dry it up.
Use a Dehumidifier to Remove Excess Moisture in the Room
On top of drying the floor, it’s also wise to put a dehumidifier in the room. Let it run for a good 24 hours or more so it can really suck all the moisture out. Make sure it too is pointed near the affected area.
Try Removing the Stain with a Wood Floor Cleaner
Once the liquid is removed, if you see a stain left behind, you can try a wood floor cleaner. Use it with a spray mop or one of the microfiber cleaning pads meant for hardwood floors.
Ensure there is No Mold Growth
The big thing you want to be sure of is that there is no mold that has managed to grow. By cleaning up the water quickly, you’ll help minimize this risk.
Refinish or Replace the Hardwood
If you take all of these steps and still see stains, warping, or evidence of mold, then unfortunately the only course of action is to refinish or replace the damaged section all together. You may also want to contact the original contractor if the issue was due to poor workmanship.
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