Think back to the time when you got your hardwood flooring installed. Do you remember the smoothness of the newly waxed floors? Do you remember marveling at how beautifully the warm tones of wood contrasted with your interiors?
Looking at your new wood paneling is like the sweet joy of first love—hard to forget and hard to replace.
But time is a cruel law of nature and it can leave its mark on things that are dearest to you. It’s with time that your wood floors age and with changing seasons, display more signs of damage.
Much like crease lines appear on your face with age, some damages to wood floors are inevitable. The only way to revive the newness of your hardwood is to get it repaired.
Investing in floor restoration is a smart idea because the better maintained your floors will be, the longer they’ll last. Each repair is one step back in time, thus making your floors newer and more durable.
But in order to get the repairing process started, you need to know what counts as damages.
Splits or Cracks in Planks
It’s normal for hardwood floors to develop cracks when they’ve been there for a long time and suffered heavy traffic.
Minor damage is when you see minor cracks or splits in the planks. They can be easily repaired with angled nails to hold the pieces in place and prevent further splintering. This might leave blemishes on the surface but they can easily be covered with wood putty.
However, if there’s a gaping crack in any of the panels, a simple repair might not do. Leaving it unattended will put the rest of the floor at risk because the large crack can cause major damage.
Paying for repairs will only be a waste because it might not even solve the problem temporarily. You would most likely need a replacement to get rid of the cracks.
The first signs of cracks appear in the form of ridges. It’s best to keep an eye out for them.
Gaps in the Panels
Gaps in wood panels is one of the most common problems. While you can prevent cracks and splits from happening, it’s nearly impossible to foresee gaps. This is because they happen in varying temperatures due to the expansion and contraction of wood.
This is a seasonal transformation that inevitably affects all types of wood. Humidity and temperature are two main environmental factors that affect the development of gaps in wooden planks.
However, these gaps have a way of correcting themselves. Wood shrinks in order to create gaps. Once the season changes, it expands and goes back to its size.
But you need to observe the thickness of these gaps to ensure that you don’t need a professional evaluation. If they’re less than a dime’s width, you’re safe. But if not, you can call us in to tighten the panels.
Buckling
Before the installation of wooden panels is carried out, a subfloor is laid down to prepare the ground. Panels are then attached to it to ensure that they’re perfectly set in place and have a good hold. Buckling occurs when the floor boards warp and detach themselves from the subfloor.
It’s important to get buckling panels replaced ASAP; they are not only unappealing but might also be a safety risk.
In order to treat this problem, the installer needs to diagnose the root of the problem. Then, they can move onto securing the loose panels to the subfloor.
Cupped Floors
Also known as washboarding, this problem occurs when the edges of the panels rise and cause the center to sink down. This creates a concave in the shape of the floor boards and makes them unstable for walking.
Such a cupping of floors is caused by a moisture imbalance in the environment. A good antidote for this problem is to neutralize the humidity levels in the space and allow the wood panels to adjust back in shape.
However if the problem persists, you’ll have to call professional Seattle flooring contractors.
We offer Floor refinishing Bellevue and other cities within Washington. Contact us for a speedy response and lasting results.