Troubleshooting Wood Floor Problems
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Scratches
Dull areas due to traffic wear patterns
The most important thing about scratches is to find out what causes them. Then take some preventive measures to remedy the problem. Scuffing or high traffic wear areas mean gritty shoes, dirty floors, or furniture without protectors.
What can YOU do? If your floor has become lightly scratched and not worn down to the raw wood, sometimes light buffing with a white polishing pad can shine up a dull (scratched) area. Often the damage becomes less obvious. Several manufacturers make “Refresher” products (See Bona Refresher) which are diluted floor finishes made for the homeowner to apply themselves. Re-coating the floor will remove most scratches that have not gone through the finish.
One or two light scratches
Sometimes an accident occurs leaving a light scratch appears on the floor. This may be from grit under a chair leg or a box being dragged on the floor. It shows as a small light (sometimes white) mark. Wipe the scratch with vegetable oil on a paper towel to darken the light line. The oil will make the scratch less obvious until the floor is re-coated or refinished.
Deep Scratches or Gouges
Scratches that have penetrated the finish and exposed the raw wood can not be repaired easily. The only solution is to putty the damaged board and wait until the floor is refinished. Repairs often make the damage more obvious because the newly repaired wood does not match the existing, older floor color. Consult your flooring professional (list available at National Wood Floor Association) when the scratches are considered major.
Black Shoe Marks
Some shoes have black rubber soles which do leave black lines on the floors. A trick we learned from airport maintenance crews is to use a tennis ball like an eraser. IT WORKS!!! Also certain rubber soled shoes rubbed over the mark get the same result. A white polishing pad will also work.
Gaps
Seasonal Gaps
Some gaps may appear between boards during the heating season. During the heating process, the floor will dry out, boards will shrink in width, and gaps may form between boards. Later when the heat is turn down or off, the boards expand and the gaps close. You need to observe the floor through a one year cycle to determine what is gong on with the floor. This is a normal occurrence which can be minimized by installing a humidifier on the heating system which will keep the air a constant moisture content (30% to 50%).
Permanent Gaps
Gaps that do NOT close up are abnormal. These can be caused by: -Improperly stored wood prior to installation at the distributor. -Wet masonry, plaster, concrete, paint, tile work done while wood is delivered and being installed. -Installation of crooked boards which should have been discarded. -Heating unit not working properly at the time of delivery/installation. -The humidity may be too low during the heating season.
NOTE: The temperature and humidity should be kept at normal living conditions even when unoccupied before, during, and after installation of wood floor.
Prevention: The flooring professional/installer needs to make sure that the wood, sub floor, and air have reached a moisture equilibrium before it is laid. Using a moisture meter is the only way to determine when this level has been reached.
Solution: If one of these scenarios has taken place and permanent gaps appear, small gaps can be filled with putty. Large variety of putties are available for wood floors. Large gaps (larger than 1/16”) can not be filled. Board replacement may be necessary. Seek the advice of a flooring professional or NWFA certified wood flooring inspector (list available at National Wood Floor Association) when the scratches are considered major.
Cupping
Problem Cupping
Causes: Cupping is caused by one thing: Moisture. Excessive moisture on the underside cases expansion and this in turn cause the edges raise. Demonstration: Cut a narrow piece of paper and moisten one side. It will immediately curl up. This is what is happening to your floor.
Contributing Factors: No vapor barrier in crawl space, moisture in crawl space, foundation vents blocked, plumbing leaks ( i.e. ice maker, dishwasher, toilet), excessive use of water during cleaning process (no string or sponge mops). You must find the problem before attempting to fix the floor.
Solutions: The floor needs to be dried out either requiring at least 3 months of constant heating of the area or by hiring a water damage specialist who can dry the floors in a week or so. Most floors will dry after one full winter heating season. After the floor is dried to a normal percentage, the floor may be refinished.
Normal Cupping
Causes: Some cupping is considered normal especially in wider plain sawn planked floors over 4”. On any plain sawn boards, the growth rings of the tree travel in a slightly curved pattern from one side of the board to the other. With seasonal changes in climate and humidity, the wood responds by adding and loosing moisture causing the wood to cup. This can happen to a 21/4” board as well.
Solutions to normal cupping: A humidifier attached to the heating system will keep a home at constant humidity that is normal to the region. Cupping often looks worse than it really is if viewed across a large clear expansive of flooring with a bright light source. Furniture and rugs will break up the angle of view. The heater needs to be working and set normal heating temperature (60 - 80 degrees) even if the home is not occupied. The moisture content of the air needs to be 30% to 50%. Large changes in heating temperature affect the moisture/humidity conditions of the room. Colder air adds moisture while warmer air subtracts moisture.
Dull Areas (not due to wear patterns)
Sometimes floors may start to turn dull over time. This can be due to several things:
First, look at how you are cleaning the floor. Some grocery store cleaners leave films behind which over time turn the floors dull. USE ONLY CLEANING PRODUCTS MADE FOR HARDWOOD FLOORS.
Second, make sure that you are not leaving dirt behind. Rinse your mop often or you will be just spreading the dirt around.
Third, spills that have not been cleaned up may collect dirt and appear as dull areas.
Black Stains Due to Pet Urine
Black stains due to pet urine are usually found when someone removes carpet and wants to refinish their wood floors. A flooring professional can remove the stained boards and patch in the affected areas. It is not very expensive considering the value that the wood floor has added to your home. Some of these stains will sanded out but many especially in white oak floors will not. If you use a paint scaper, pull across the area a few times and if this exposes clean raw wood then it will be removed during the re-sanding process. If it does not scrape off, then board removal is necessary. Most white oak floors will need board replacement. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, USE REGULAR BLEACH OR WOOD BLEACH on these or any stains on wood floors. It will not remove stains. It will only damage the cells structure of the wood and make the stain more obvious. You will be damaging the floor.
Rug Marks
Causes: Many people are shocked when an area rug is moved and there is an outline of the rug on the floor. Luckily there is no need for panic. If you remove the rug completely, the color will blend eventually but it will take awhile. So be patient!! This happens because the sunlight hits one part of the “uncovered” floor and does not reach the floor under the rug.
Solution: This discoloration can be avoided by moving the rug often or by using a finish with a UV block when it is time to refinish.
Indoor Potted Plant Marks/Christmas Tree Damage
Causes: Water marks that appear as black rings on the floor are usually caused by flower pots left in direct contact with the floor. Fertilizers, soil, and plant sprays can also discolor finishes if they are accidentally spilled on the floor. Always repot and apply chemicals in another area without wood floors.
Solution: Never put potted plants even with waterproof saucers directly on the floor. Place all potted plants on a waterproof saucer or tray. The plant and saucer must then be placed on top of a trivet or stand to leave and air space between the wood floor and the pot and saucer. This will prevent condensation of moisture on the saucer from contacting the wood floor. It will also let you observe if the plant is over-watered or if water is spilled on the wood floor.
Wall Paint on Wood Floors
There are a couple of things to find out before tackling the clean up of the floor. First, what kind of paint was spilled…oil base or latex? Second, what kind of finish do you have on your floor…wax, oil base topcoat, water-base topcoat? Here are some suggestions:
Latex Paint
On water base floor = use a scrub pad made for wood floors and lightly scrub the area of paint with a wood floor cleaner.
On an oil base floor = Use a product called Goof-Off to clean it off.
On a waxed floor = Use a wax stripping product, then re-wax.
Oil Base Paint
On a water base floor = Use the scrub pad made for wood floors and wood floor cleaner.
On an oil base floor = Use lacquer thinner on a rag; On a waxed floor = Use a wax stripping product and re-wax area.
On a waxed floor = Use a wax stripping product, then re-wax.
Squeaks in floors
A noisy floor means there is movement between board in the tongue and groove or the squeak is coming from the joists or subfloor. This can be a framing problem in the joist area, a loose sub floor, flexing/ weak sub floor system, a milling problem in the tongue and groove of the wood flooring or the result of excess moisture and excessive drying. In the case of glued down flooring, insufficient adhesion or use of incorrect products may be the cause. Fixing the problem means identifying what is wrong. Shims, re-nailing and brackets can fix framing problems and top nailing or replacing boards can solve milling/adhesion problems.
How do I find out what kind of finish is on my floor?
There is a wax test which may help identify if your floor is waxed or not.
Simple Test for Wax:
If there is any possibility that there is wax on the floor, we recommend doing both of the following tests to determine its presence. Do all tests in an inconspicuous area.
Alcohol Test: Apply a small amount (about 3” diameter) of ethyl alcohol to the floor. Allow it to sit 2 minutes, then wipe up with a clean white rag. If the wiped area is dulled and there is a residue on the white rag, then your floor is probably waxed.
Scratch Test: Scratch the surface with a fingernail . If your fingernail scratches the surface and buffing with a cloth erases it, you have wax. Water DropTest: Place several drops of water on the floor. Leave them for at least one hour. If white spots develop where the water is, there is wax on the area tested.
If wax is found, floor care would involve re-waxing and buffing. To change the finish to one of the other finishes it would require a total sanding down of the floor to raw wood and applying a new finish on. This is very common and relatively easy.
Simple Test for Surface Coats:
Water Drop Test: If water beads up and can be easily wiped up leaving no marks behind, then you most likely have a surface coat.
Scratch Test: A surface coated floor often gets scratches that can not be buffed out with a soft cloth.
Alcohol or Mineral Spirit Test: Wipe a small area of floor with rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits. If the test area is not dulled and the sheen remains the same, the floor has a surface coat
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