A home with hardwood floors are among the most-sought after by buyer’s on the market, and moreover, they are always well-admired among those who have them. Their appearance offers a timeless, manorly style to any space, and are quite easy to clean. Hardwood floors can last long after they are initially installed through proper prevention techniques. However, if there ever comes a time where your home requires repair, replacement, or restoration, consider hiring FloodTech3. We are among the best rapid-response fire restoration, professional mold remediation, and effective water restoration companies in Great Falls, VA and the Northern Virginia area. Our technicians are fully-certified, offering 24/7 emergency clean-up, repair, or restoration services, as well as secure storage of clients’ belongings. Here are some ways for you to prevent damage to your home’s hardwood floors:
TAKE CARE OF THE FLOOR COAT
The first method of preventing damage to your hardwood is ensuring that the coating placed over it since its installation remains intact. All hardwood floors have a polyurethane coat that protects your wooden planking from dirt, dust, and most liquids. However, leaving spills and leaks going for too long can result in the coating’s deterioration, thus increasing the risk of water damage to your floors. Always make sure to regularly clean your hardwood with a wood-floor clean and a microfiber mop.
LOOK FOR ONSET SIGNS OF WATER DAMAGE
The presence of water damage within your wood flooring doesn’t appear instantly, but it can become more apparent over time. The signs can be hard to notice unless you know what to look for. One very significant sign is a shift in the appearance of the wooden planking, either by ‘cupping’ or ‘crowning’. The former is when individual or several planks seem to deflate inward at their center, similar to how you would cup your hand to hold water, hence the name. The latter is the opposite, with one or more planks raised at its center. These occur as a result of water seeping into and expanding the wood.
Another sign are dark stains that appear along the edges of one or across several planks of hardwood. This could be caused by the growth of mold beneath the wood, tannins within the wood reacting to prolonged moisture exposure, or even rust from the nails bolting in the planks to the subfloor. For this or any other sign to appear prominently enough to address, there needs to be a persistent water leak somewhere nearby.
FIND WHERE THE WATER IS COMING FROM
After you identify that there is water or mold damage in your hardwood flooring, you should also search for the source of the moisture that is causing it. Leakage can normally occur near doorways or windows. Additionally, water damage to wooden floors are more often caused by a leak inside the house. If your home or apartment uses radiators for heat, check those first, as there could be leaking hot water from a broken pipe or loose valve.
After that, move on to any water-reliant appliance in your home that is close to the damaged area. Among the first to check if close by would be your refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine, as they are directly connected to your house’s water system. Over time, their pipes and fixtures tend to break down and leak, which we have often identified as the cause in several cases of water damage to hardwood floors.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL WATER RESTORATION COMPANIES IN GREAT FALLS, VA
Staying consistent and alert is the best way to guarantee your hardwood floors stay in excellent condition. And as long as you keep them that way, they will last you for years without incident, as well as a home that sustains an elegant design style. While checking for signs of damage and potential risks are possible to do alone, replacement or restoration needs a great amount of effort and knowledge, as well as the tools required, in order to perform them properly. Hire a team from the best of all professional water restoration companies in the Great Falls, VA and Northern Virginia area: FloodTech3. For over a decade, we’ve helped clients restore their homes from fire hazards, mold infestations, and flood damage, as well as save and store their valuables from further environmental damage. Contact us at (703) 270-6428 and learn more about our home restoration services today.