So how does water reach and damage bare wood through the polyurethane finish.
Water on hardwood floors.
How to clean wood floors remember.
Before the floors totally dry take a non abrasive but stiff brush plenty of water and a non sudsing detergent and thoroughly clean your floors.
While untreated solid hardwood floors can withstand a few drops of water when doused with larger quantities they start to resemble a sponge.
Identify which planks need to be replaced.
If your house has flooded there will likely be mud and silt trapped in the crevices and corners of your floor.
Cleaning hardwood floors with water or using water excessively is a leading cause of blackened water stained warped and ruined wood flooring.
Water is wood s worst enemy even on sealed floors so use a damp mop rather than a soaking wet one.
You don t want to let any water sit as you re cleaning.
If your hardwood floors have a black water stain it is an indication that the moisture has penetrated the protective clear coat and reached the wood.
When water sits on top of hardwood floors it can permanently ruin the hardwood as the wood will absorb the water through its pores causing warping and discoloration.
First off it s important to identify the source of the water damage and fix it completely.
Due to the porous nature of wood moisture can be easily absorbed into the material.
But no hardwood floor is waterproof no matter how many layers of coating are used.
It can also lead to mold.
If you re too busy to wipe up spills pet accidents or tracked in snow immediately or if you have an undetected moisture problem such as an air conditioner leak beware.
It would be pointless to repair the wood if you don t seal the leak or fix the pipes from where the water is coming.
Identify the source of the water.
So if you have a flood or water damage or even just a spill on your hardwood flooring you ll want to remove the water and dry your floors as quickly as possible.
Scrub woodwork with a brush and detergent before floors are dry.
So your flooring may show signs of staining from small spills the wet floor may also begin to buckle and cup when large amounts of water are absorbed as the planks swell.
Whether it s a small amount or a lot water on hardwood floors is a bad mix.
The surface will look as good as new.
Use a shop vacuum on wet mode no bag to remove as much water as possible from the surface of.
But don t worry it can be repaired.
Clean with clean water in a bucket.
How to remove black water stains from hardwood floors.
How to remove water from wood floors remove surface water.
Mix a mild detergent and a compatible disinfectant such as mr.
This is certain that you ll have to replace the planks that.
Follow this treatment with the best homemade cleaner for engineered hardwood floors or regular hardwood.