February 26th, 2024
Hardwood floors can be life-long investments in your home or property. However, hardwood flooring needs care and upkeep to stay vibrant. When a homeowner experiences issues with their hardwood flooring, it can be challenging to determine what to do about getting their issue resolved.
Most of the issues that a hardwood floor owner will experience can be repaired without completely replacing the damaged areas of the floor. Here are the most common problems with hardwood flooring that can be fixed without replacing them.
Cracks
Cracks are one of the more straightforward repairs that can be made on a piece of hardwood floor. Repairing a crack consists of filling the crack with wood putty and refinishing the floor.
Gaps
Filling in gaps in your hardwood floors is also a relatively easy fix. All that is needed is to cut small hardwood strips and fit them into the floor’s cracks.
Scratches
Scratches are also an issue that can be remedied without having to install a brand-new piece of flooring. The solution can range anywhere from cooling in the scratches with a furniture bump and scratch filler to completely refinishing heavily scratched areas.
Stains
Stains on a hardwood floor are harder to remove, but it is still possible. Most of the stains a hardwood floor will get will require a complete refinishing to fix. There are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, stains will need to be sanded out, and the floors will need to be refinished.
Fading From UV Light / The Sun
Direct sunlight can become devastating to hardwood floors over time. There are many ways to prevent this, but once the damage is done, the floors will most likely need to be refinished.
High Traffic Wear & Tear
Most floors will need refinishing every seven to ten years. If a floor section experiences heavy foot traffic, this number can be bumped up sooner. General wear and tear is to be expected, and the benefit of having hardwood floors is that a thin layer can be sanded off, and the floors can be restored to look brand new!
Minor Buckling, Cupping, & Warping
When a hardwood floor is affected by moisture problems, time is essential to avoid replacing large sections of flooring entirely. When hardwood floors begin buckling, cupping, or warping due to prolonged exposure to moisture, the floors can be saved by first addressing the moisture issue and then refinishing or reinstalling the hardwood. However, once a section of the floor has been exposed to moisture for a prolonged period, completely replacing the floor is often what can be expected.
There are, however, some issues that a hardwood floor owner can experience that cannot be repaired. These are the most common issues that can occur that would require all affected areas to be removed and replaced.
Termites
There is a possibility that minor damage caused by termites can be repaired on wood floors. However, hardwood floors damaged by termites will need to be replaced in most cases.
Warping, Cupping, & Buckling
Hardwood floors do not do well with moisture. Too much water in the atmosphere of a room will cause severe damage to hardwood flooring. The same is true if there is no adequate moisture barrier between the subfloor and hardwood floors. In most cases, warping, cupping, and buckling in hardwood floors will need to be replaced once the moisture issue is dealt with.
Deep Water Stains
Lastly, deep water stains and damage to hardwood flooring will almost always need to be completely replaced. Once the wood floor has absorbed water or other moisture, there is no way to repair the damaged area without completely removing and replacing the individual wood planks.
When it comes to most issues with hardwood floors, a professional opinion is often the safest and most cost-effective way to fix the problem. Talk with reputable experts you can trust when asking for a consultation or advice.
If you are in Westchester Co, NY, or the Orlando area, we would love to help you with any of your hardwood flooring issues. Call us today!