How to Fix Water Damaged Swollen Wood Floor?

Are you looking to fix water damaged swollen wood floor?

There is nothing better than having a luxurious hardwood floor at home that definitely adds value and makes it look worth appreciating.

However, sometimes your wood floors get damaged due to different reasons. For instance, if you reside in flood-prone areas or any place with historical background, your floors might get affected.

If you are also dealing with such a problem, you instantly need to take action. Getting your wooden floors into their original form might be complicated.

But with a bit of effort, you can save your floors from additional damage. This guide will help you get rid of swollen wood floors.

Tools to Repair Swollen Wood Floor

Before moving to the detailed explanation of the steps, let’s look at a few tools or equipment needed in this regard.

With these tools, you also need disinfectant, mild detergent, and a few other materials to deal with this problem.

How to Fix Swollen Wood Floor?

People who live in places where there is a lot of moisture can clearly understand this water damaged hardwood floor issue. An excessive amount of water build-up leads to this issue.

There is nothing worse than noticing your eye-catchy hardwood floor being damaged due to water reasons. This issue is known as hardwood floor buckling.

However, with every problem, there is a solution that I will explain in detail below that How to fix water damaged swollen wood floor.

As soon as you get rid of this issue, things will become uncomplicated for you. Let’s get started.

Step 1. Deal with the Moisture Source

The ideal way to deal with the issue is to find out from where the problem occurs.

Before moving to the process, ensure that from where the moisture is coming so that you can permanently get rid of this issue by sealing the leak.

Once the leak issue is fixed, get rid of the damage that has been made so far.

Step 2. Use Vacuum to Pull Out Water

The next step is to pull out as much water as possible from the floor by using a vacuum or a mop.

Apart from a vacuum, you can also get your hands on a squeegee that will help to suck water from the wood surface. It is one of the most manageable steps to be done.

Step 3. Clean the Floor

Once you are sure that maximum water has been pulled out, it’s time to use different detergents to clean the floor. Take a moderate quantity of disinfectant and detergent and mix them in water.

With the help of a stiffed brush, clean the floor as much as you can, but don’t forget to clean the brush with the water in a bucket.

There is a lot of dirt that appears on the wooden floor that you have to thoroughly clean.

However, don’t directly apply the water on the floor as your main goal is to remove the water that became a reason for swollen wood floor. Once you are done with the cleaning, proceed to the next step.

Step 4. Clean the Mold Areas

Mold areas are commonly defined as irregular spots that appear in different colors. If you found any mold spots on the wood floor, clean them with trisodium phosphate by mixing them in water.

Keep rubbing the mold idea until it has completely vanished. Once, the spots are gone, use clean water and later let it dry.

Molds usually occur due to moisture and moisture is the main cause for swollen wood floors. If you will not get rid of the mold, your wooden floor won’t appear in its previous form.

Ensure that the floor is dry before applying any further procedure. Open the window or switch on the fan to let the floor completely dry.

However, if you try to dry the wood floor instantly by using some heat, the cracks will appear. So, let the floors take time to dry completely.

Step 5. Remove Mold Under Painted Area

Moisture under hardwood floors is the most complicated part. You are not done unless you don’t get yourself rid of it.

To remove it, scratch the paint by using any tool and clean that area as described above. You have to follow the same process. Once the infected area is scrubbed, apply the clean water and let it dry.

Step 6. Use High-Quality Laminate

You might have heard that laminate helps floors not get damaged due to water. However, not every laminate has the audacity to soak the water and save your floors from being swollen.

If your current laminate flooring is not high-quality, it’s time to replace it with a good quality laminate flooring.

Ensure that the laminate you purchase must protect your floors from getting wet. you can ask for recommendations or search for the best quality laminate floors in this regard.

It will save you from getting into trouble again and it is how to fix the swollen wood floor.

Pros and Cons of Using Wood Floor

If you plan to have a wooden floor at home, you should be aware of all the pros and cons that one has to deal with.

Let’s talk about them below:

Pros

A Long-Term Investment

It might feel that wooden floors are too costly but the truth is, they are a long-term investment if properly maintained as compared to other floorings.

You don’t need to replace the wood floors after every 10 or 20 years. You may also find some budget-friendly wooden floors if you can’t go with the expensive ones.

Easy Maintenance

If you ensure to clean the floor with a mop or a vacuum every now and then, you don’t need any other cleaning process to be done.

It Adds Value

People usually prefer to have wooden floors to add value. They provide you with a classy feel and make the room attractive.

The value of a house suddenly increases only with wooden floors. They don’t look dull even after a certain time period and this is what makes them worth having.

Harmless for Babies

If you have babies at home who are at the crawling stage, wooden floors are mostly harmless for them. If cleaned the floor properly, they don’t get any germs.

Installation is Uncomplicated

The wood floors are the easiest to be installed. You can even do it at home but better to hire a professional to make the installation perfectly fine.

Cons

A Bit Costly

If money is your main concern, you have to deal with this Con. Wood floors are a bit more costly than other floorings.

They are installed over subfloors so it depends on the professional how much he will take for this work. Though, if you spend once you can don’t need to invest every now and then. The choice is yours.

Excessive Water Provides Harm

You have to be extra careful with the water use if you have a wood floor. If too much water is applied to the wood floors, your floor will get damaged.

Scratches and Dents

Another common issue of wood floors is dents and scratches but with proper care, you can avoid this issue as well. If you have pets at home, you need to be careful with them.

Conclusion

Swollen laminate flooring or hardwood floor is a major issue that people often deal with. Once you spend a lot of money on a particular thing, you should be concerned about its maintenance and cleaning.

I have mentioned a few easy steps about how to fix swollen wood floors that you can easily follow at home without any professional.

Whether you have a wood floor or a carpeted floor, cleaning is the main concern. You can avoid a lot of issues if you look after your floors regularly.

I hope now you know how to fix the water-damaged swollen wood floor.