How To Fix Wood Floor That Got Wet
For these types of liquid spills we recommend wiping up the area as quickly as possible and ensuring that the water doesn t travel any further than it needs to.
How to fix wood floor that got wet. Unless the toilet leaked for a long time the joists are probably not completely rotten and sistering a piece of 2 by 8 inch lumber by screwing it to a rotted joist is usually enough to repair it. Scrub the floor mix a mild detergent and a compatible disinfectant such as mr. Use a wet vacuum to pull up larger water sources from out the flooring. Do not install laminate around the toilet.
For flooring that you expect to get wet this perimeter must be filled with silicone caulk. This if handled efficiently is an easy fix. This will also help the subfloor to dry faster. The wood may continue to swell as it absorbs more moisture and the moisture may continue to soak through via the plywood sub floor.
Remove a few boards to let the others expand and dry the subfloor. Don t stop using the wet vacuum even when you can no longer see the water on the surface of the wood. Scrub the entire floor and all related woodwork baseboards stairs and newel posts etc with a stiff brush rinsing the brush frequently in the bucket. Removing water stains if your hardwood floor dries with a white hazy film on the surface you might get rid of it using a soft cotton cloth and a very mild abrasive such as tooth paste polishing compound or even tobacco ashes mixed with mineral oil.
If it gets to a point where the wood buckles or you can t walk across the floor remove a board or two. Clean with clean water in a bucket. Continue to run the wet vacuum over the floor until there is no water seen in the vacuum canister. This will relieve some stress and allow better ventilation for the sub floor.
Remove the toilet for bathroom installations. Instead remove the toilet first install the laminate and then re install the toilet. Sometimes if you let it dry out it will return to its original shape said steve white owner of elegant floor services in silver spring. Gently rub the stained area until the haze is gone.
If a liquid is spilled on top of the wood flooring do not panic. Homeowners should dry visible water immediately after.