Water damage can be a real shocker, especially when it happens to our treasured hardwood floors. We like to see them gleaming and know they're stable, warm, and character-filled parts of our homes. But water can turn those beautiful floors into what feels like a disaster underfoot and might raise some questions and give a few of us a bit of a panic.
Unexpected flooding or a sly leak can happen to anyone, but more on that in a minute. The good news is that repairing hardwood floors after they've suffered any of those fates is not as tricky as it first might seem. You simply have to know what kind of damage has been done.
Let us delve into the specifics: buckling, cupping, and crowning—three mysteriously named yet frequently occurring forms of damage, each of which needs its own special brand of tender loving care.
When wood tries to break free from its bonds, it can do so in a way that is similar to a very unentertaining exit. And rather than leaving quietly, it might choose to do so with a lot of noise and some violence, as in a Lydia Tar, bowing-without-bowing, kind of way.
Cupping, on the other hand, causes the edges of the boards to curl up, giving your floor a gentle wave appearance.
Crowning turns this in the opposite direction, with the center of the board not just higher but also warping around in a concave arc.
Understanding the adversary aids in selecting the optimal direction of action, be it smoothing out the rough spots, swapping a couple of recalcitrant planks for new ones, or, in more extreme instances, contemplating a complete redo of a whole segment.
The fluctuating climate of Spokane, with its wet springs and snowy winters, calls for a bit of extra vigilance when it comes to our wooden floors. But we don't just keep the wooden floors in our homes vigilant; we keep them in the whole house. And the key you hold to that is proactive maintenance.
Keep an eye out for hidden leaks, and do those even exist? Yes, and more places than you'd think, like right under your upper kitchen cabinets, which can be a nightmare to deal with after the fact. If you suspect something's up, moisture barriers are a crafty trick you can use to protect not just your wooden floors but the whole area that's likely to be under duress.