Hardwood Damage Repair:
Here are some common hardwood damage repair problems that Highland Hardwood Flooring can fix.
WATER DAMAGE
The Highland Hardwood Flooring team are experts in water damage repair and restoration. If water damage has caused excessive expansion in the floor, it will have to be removed. Our team of experts will tear out the wood floor, allow the subfloor to dry (or replace it if it is damaged as well) and then replace the floor entirely. Sometimes, we can replace just the damaged area and weave the new planks into the existing floorboards and then sand and refinish the whole floor so that it matches.
SPLIT OR CRACKED WOOD
Many hardwood floors develop small splits or cracks in the surface of the wood after so many years. These can be spot repaired with some angled nails to secure the two pieces together, along with some wood putty to hide the blemishes. If there are large cracks refinishing the floor completely might be the better option. Click here to learn more about refinishing your floors.
GAPS IN THE PLANKS
The most common causes of gaps between the boards are Mother Nature. Wood shrinks as it dries out, and it expands when it gets wet and humid. That regular expansion and contraction over time is the most common cause of gaps and is the main reason why most gaps are seasonal in nature. As the weather and the humidity change, these gaps will close again. If the gap is less than the thickness of a penny there is really nothing to be concerned about. If they tend to be large in size and persistent it is best to contact us to help solve the problem.
BUCKLING
A buckled floor is caused when boards warp and then lift up from the subfloor that they are attached to. Buckling requires a professional to come in and identify the root of the problem. They will be able to fix it correctly by making sure that your hardwood planks are firmly and correctly attached to the subfloor.
CUPPED FLOORS
Cupped floors, often referring to as washboarding develop over time across the width of the wood planks where the edges of the hardwood planks raise up and the center of the plan sinks down giving it a cupping effect. The cause of cupped floors is a moisture imbalance where there is more water on the bottom side of the wood plank than on the top. In this situation, it is always best to balance the humidity levels in your home and over time the hardwood floors should return back to normal. After they return to normal, we can come in and sand it flat and refinish it so it shines again.
WARPED HARDWOOD FLOORS
Warped hardwood floors referred to as sagging, is a serious problem and most often is the direct result of moisture problems somewhere in the house. If your hardwood floors are sagging they should be looked at by a professional as soon as possible.
HARDWOOD SCRATCHES OR LOOSE PLANKS
Scratches and loose planks are less serious problems. Scratches can be repaired with touch up kits, or something as simple as a like colored crayon but if you have serious scratching you will need a professional to come in and completely refinish the flooring. If you have loose planks they will need to be tied down by nailing them to the subfloor to prevent further movement. This should be handled by a professional to be sure the repair is done correctly.