When to Repair or Replace Your Hardwood Floors?

Your flooring can be damaged by anything from a little scratch to serious water damage. The same goes for low-quality or old-fashioned floors. The kind and level of damage must be evaluated when deciding whether to replace them or apply hardwood repairs. It also helps prevent future damage.

Misplaced Floors

Most damage happens within the first year due to improper installation. Therefore, bear in mind the following factors before, during, and after hardwood flooring installation:

• Adjust the floors.
• Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.
• Use the right tools for the job.
• If you're not confident in installing it yourself, hire an expert.
• Be aware of probable installation errors and avoid them!

Cupped flooring

Cupping occurs when the centre of the planks dips while the edges rise. Excessive moisture on the bottom causes expansion and cupping with elevated edges. Your floors may be cupping because the subfloor was not properly sealed or a moisture barrier was not applied. A repair may be effective when cupping is localised. The affected boards can be removed, a vapour barrier built, and new planks inserted. If the problem is widespread, a new floor may be required.

In crowning, the edges slope down while the centre rises. When flooring loses moisture, it shrinks and flattens, making the edges of strips lower than the centres. This can happen after sanding a cupped floor flat. A lasting remedy, as with a cupping floor, requires addressing excessive moisture.

Gaps between Planks

Gaps form between boards. This can be noticed in the flooring boards' lengths and/or widths. The interior humidity changes with the seasons. Some gaps are normal, but large gaps, especially those that are visible all year, may need to be fixed or replaced.

Nailing chips or cracks in flooring

Incorrect nailer, cleats, or pressure can produce floor surface chips and cracks. This commonly occurs during installation, allowing the installer to catch and fix the error.

When to repair or replace depends on the severity of the damage. Replace the board with a spare if you're not too far into your installation process: most installers advocate keeping extra merchandise on hand for situations like this!

Water-Damaged Flooring

Many hardwood floor problems are caused by water or dampness. Further actions are determined by the water source.

Did you spill a cup of water and not clean it up for hours? Hardwood floors can handle it. Yet, even with spill protection, it is critical to remove water as quickly as possible.

A washing machine malfunction that soaked your floors? A dehumidifier may assist, but stains or damage to the floors may require replacement.

Have you had a huge flood that let a lot of water inside? You should replace the flooring.

Floors with excessive wear and tear

This damage shows a hard-lived wood floor. Almost everything that touches your flooring might harm it: heavy furniture, sunshine, pets, etc.

Some scratches appear worse than they are. A basic buffing and sanding procedure may be used to refinish hardwood floors without expert aid. When gouges and dents enter the wood, the evaluation is more difficult.

Damaged or Dented Floors

Surface flaws are a common cause of hardwood deterioration. How do I determine the type of damage? Size matters. Scratches ruin the surface of wood flooring, while nicks and gouges travel deeper into the board.

Wood putty may occasionally conceal gouges, but it must match your flooring or it will stand out like a sore thumb. In some cases, a fresh coat of finish might help the putty blend in.

To sand out a scratch, sand down to the scratch's surface. Between sanding, clean the floor with a tack cloth. Restoring a scratched surface requires matching the finish. Take a spare board with you while choosing the finish. Keep the additional boards in case you need to repair major dents, stains, or water damage.

Pets Damaged Floors

Pets may harm wood floors with nail scratches and urine stains.

Urine stains, unlike water stains, must be treated for odour. Removing the problematic hardwood flooring planks, washing the subfloor or treating it with an enzymatic odour remover, and replacing them might be a quick or unpleasant repair.

We've all seen pets with favourite tinkle sites,and concealing the smell may be as crucial as cleaning up the initial mess to avoid recurrent visits.

When to Replace a Floor

Repair should be your first choice. Refinishing hardwood flooring may be the best option for big areas of damage without cupping, buckling, or gaps. Consult a flooring manufacturer before refinishing. Some flooring may only be refinished a few times, while others cannot be restored at all.

At Wooden Flooring Expert Ltd., we are trusted and well-reputed industry leaders who specialize in adding value to a property’s cosmetic and structural integrity. Contact us today!