Protect Wood Floors: Prevent Water Damage from Appliances

5 min read

Whether hardwood or regular wood planks, wood flooring is vulnerable to moisture. Standing water can do so much damage, from minor discoloration to warping and buckling. Worse, mold can take root underneath the wood planks, spreading and contaminating the indoor environment undetected until it’s too late.

A water restoration company in San Fernando Valley can get your wooden floors back in perfect shape, but why go through the trouble if you can prevent the problem?

Here are excellent tips to follow to protect your wood flooring from water damage:

• Use A Water Resistant Wood Finish

You’ll find many varieties of wood finishes that offer protection against moisture. A varnish is a popular option. Many also use hard wax oil, especially for wood floors in areas that often get wet, like entryways, bathrooms, and kitchens.

If you hire a contractor to retouch your floors, they will likely recommend polyurethane products. They offer the best water resistance among all finishes for hardwood floors. Polyurethane (also known as lacquer) can be oil-based or water-based. Oil-based polyurethane was way better in the 1990s and 2000s, but developments in waterborne technology had greatly improved formulations for water-based polyurethane. In fact, some water-based lacquers today are now better than oil-based lacquers.

• Put Doormats, Rugs, and Carpets in Common Areas

Doormats are the easiest way to minimize the moisture in people’s shoes as they walk inside. It is common courtesy to take one’s wet shoes and muddy boots off before entering a house, and having a doormat in your entryway reminds people of that.

Rugs and carpets protect wooden floors in large rooms like living rooms, dining areas, and libraries. They are physical barriers that absorb moisture from shoes or spilled drinks. While no one likes to see wine stains on a carpet, it’s easier to wash them than deal with warped wooden planks or mold on your wooden floor.

• Clean Your Floors Regularly

Regular cleaning and maintenance help protect your hardwood floors from water damage. If you allow your floor to get so dirty and grimy, you may have little choice but to wash and scrub. It would be best to avoid reaching that point by cleaning your floors regularly.

Cleaning also prevents your floors from getting scratched or stained by mud, spilled food, drink, or other stuff with deep pigments like turmeric powder, strawberry slices, and makeup.

• Train Your Pet to Pee Outside or in Their Litter Box

Untrained puppies and kittens can pee just anywhere, and if they do it in corners or crawl spaces under large appliances or furniture, you might not know it at all. Their urine will soak your floor, leaving yellowish stains and a foul stench. If they do it to a specific spot too often, germs, bacteria, and mold can spread and further damage your floors.

• Put A Planter Saucer or Catch Basin Under Every Potted Indoor Plant

It may be hard to believe, but a simple item like a catch basin can save your wooden floors and save you a phone call to a water restoration company in San Fernando Valley.

Potted plants hold a lot of moisture, even if you don’t overwater them. Therefore, planter saucers or catch basins are a must. Moisture will seep through the drain holes thanks to gravity. Just in case you accidentally poured more water than you intended, the basin will catch the excess so your floors will stay dry.

• Have Your Indoor Plumbing Checked

Indoor plumbing systems weave through walls and floors. There are water pipes, gas pipes, and drain pipes that lead to the sewers. If any of them get damaged or clogged, they could leak and form massive puddles on your floor.

So if you have leaky pipes that get progressively worse, or if it’s been a while since a professional checked your indoor plumbing, book an appointment as soon as possible. Schedule an inspection, and do it regularly afterward.

Faulty and damaged plumbing is one of the leading causes of water damage. If things come to that, you can call a water restoration company in San Fernando Valley. However, preventing any damage to your home is always best.

• Preventing Leaky Appliances

Any appliance that uses water can damage wooden floors if it starts to leak. It’s a bigger problem if the leaks are from large appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, coolers, washing machines, and dryers. They are either semi-permanently installed in one spot in the kitchen or too heavy to move around. So once they leak, the water could pool underneath and remain undetected for quite some time.

Here are more tips to protect your wooden floors from appliances:

• Have your appliance checked by a certified technician if it malfunctions.
• Watch out for signs that an appliance has trouble connecting to the water mains or drain, like if the used water doesn’t drain properly or your water bill suddenly increases.
• Check the bottom of an appliance and check for moisture regularly.

Professional Water Restoration in Burbank

Water damage can be prevented by simple tasks done regularly and without fail. However, if certain events happen beyond your control – like a natural calamity or external factors you cannot stop – you have people to fall back on for help.

Restoration 1 of San Fernando Valley offers its experts in water restoration in Burbank. We address all minor and major property damage, including water-damaged wooden flooring. We also provide mold remediation and cleanup after floods and other calamities.

Follow our tips to protect your hardwood floors, and if you need our services, contact us online or call (818) 239-7408.