Moisture, Water, and Your Floors

We’ve said it many times; water is the single biggest enemy to your wood flooring. Whether you have real hardwood floors or engineered wood floors, water can cause significant wood floor water damage.

Warping and Buckling Floors

If your floors buckle or warp and you can’t seem to explain why, you may have hidden water damage. Although most water damage occurs when a significant amount of water is on hardwood flooring for an extended period of time, sometimes the explanation isn’t that simple.

One of the most common causes of “unknown” water damage is from the ground up. Most homes in Tampa were built on slabs. If the ground below the home wasn’t properly treated prior to the slab being poured water can seep up through the concrete into the home. This can cause a variety of problems including water and mildew damage to your flooring. If you’re in an older home built on a crawl space and there is standing water in the crawl space, the same issue can occur.

Another common cause is our pets. A dog who sleeps in the same place every day may drool and the floor may become damp and stay damp until the dog chooses a new place to sleep. Some pets vomit and clean up their mess before you find it but leave the moisture behind. Of course the occasional accident happens and if it isn’t found in a timely manner warping happens.

Water Follows the Path of Least Resistance

We learned this lesson from the roofing companies we know. Water damage that you see on your floors may not be due to a careless child but from a leak in your roof, windows, or siding. When water enters the parts of your home that are meant to protect it from the elements, it takes the easiest path out. Sometimes that is from your attic, down your walls and out below your baseboards onto your floors. If it is a small leak, you may not notice the water and the damage may occur over time.

What Can be Done?

Call your professional flooring company in Tampa as soon as you notice damage. Seer Flooring is one company that has the experience and knowledge to repair your hardwood flooring. Call us today to schedule an appointment for a professional estimate to repair your wood floor water damage. 727-785-1930