I just spent 2 hard weekends putting oak hardwood down in our never ending laundry room project. We put the washer & dryer back in to get some laundry done and the washer leaked all over the floor. Apparently, if you have a front load washer, you have to keep the door open when not in use to keep it from getting stinky. If the water inlet valve stops sealing, the washer will fill with water when you are NOT using it, then it will run out of the open door. Nothing like multiple design flaws causing cascading failures.
Anyway, the floor looks like this:
Now what? Do I have to rip it out and put in new wood? There is tar paper under the wood, so the water has nowhere to go. It has already spread between the boards and gotten into the end grain, so I figure letting it dry will probably cause mold to grow.
What are my options? Should I get some fans on it, or go straight for the crowbar?
------------------ 1986 SE Aero coupe.
3.4 DOHC swap is complete and running, now just have to finish the rest of the car...
Looks like 2-2 1/2" wide boards. If they do not warp or cup when they dry out they should be OK. Let it dry out completely, maybe use a fan to accelerate the drying, you can kill mold with bleach-we used to use it in the remodeling contracting business. If that is not pre-finished flooring you will be varnishing/sealing the wood with multiple coats thereby solving the mold issue.....
It's unfinished red oak that I was planning on sanding this weekend . I have a waterborne sealer and a catalyzed waterborne polyurethane to finish it. No stain is planned. If I bleach it, will it make a light spot?
If you put a fan on it, don't use heat. Heat can promote mildew growth. I just had a leak inside a wall, or should I say I just discovered a leak. It's been long-term, enough that mold was growing on the leaking pressure regulator and inside the wall. The contractor advised a fan without heat for the stated reason, and when dry, use a trigger sprayer to spray bleach or Tilex to kill the existing mold I had.
Previously I had condensation damage from a piece of my wife's medical equipment and the flooring contractor said that he could back out the boards from where he finished the installation, until he got to the damaged boards. My floors are also laid on a barrier. If one of those corners is where they finished up, maybe those boards can be replaced by backing out.
Unfortunately, I started on the wall on the LH side of the pic. They are put in with 2" staples, so If I have to replace (which is likely due to time constraints), I'll have to cut one out at the far right of the damaged area and pry up the rest working to the left. The staples come out pretty easy with a long screwdriver and a hammer and lots of strength. It's the last board that is tricky. I'll have to cut the bottoms of the grooves off then glue it to the floor and surrounding wood, then face nail it.
This is gonna suck.
Oh, then I have to fix the washer. This is really gonna suck.
We had golf ball size hail on Monday, damaging the house, barns and truck- and now this. Life is what happens when you make plans.
Removing the moisture is ok but the wood is what it is now. It has not cupped or pushed around so it has not absorbed much. It is also possible after you dry it there will be gaps from "crush"
After you cold dry it with a fan and a dehumidifier(HD dehumidifier three days minimum at 70 degrees) you can try and sand off a layer and if you can live with that discoloration level then leave it.Oak is pretty dense and generally the tannins can be rubbed out after a water soaking but it is never the same.
If not then rip it out.
Whatever you do no bleach on the wood and make sure it is dry and seal up right away.
I would just rip it out and have all done asap. Actually I'd hire someone else to do it. I ain't never getting on these destroyed knees again.
Im will the posters who suggested a dehumidifier. The stain will lighten up some, but will remain noticeable. If it were me I would replace it with new planks, it would bug the hell out of me to do the same job twice because of the washer situation, but Id rather be irked for the duration that it takes me to replace it, rather than years of looking at it damaged.
*edit* If your knees are screamin', invest in a set of Pro-knees, expensive but worth it.
[This message has been edited by sleevePAPA (edited 04-15-2015).]
You might be able to lessen it but being who I am... I would just start over, man. It sucks, but you'll think of that spot literally every time you step over there from now on.
Because we must leave my wife's liquid oxygen tanks in the same location, we had a small rubber backed area rug underneath. The tanks sweat on the bottom as the liquid turns to gas. That's what harmed our almost new floor. Right through the thin rug.
She found something called WaterHog at UltimateMats.com They are heavy mats that have a rubber bottom surface and a carpet upper surface. There's a raised rubber shoulder all the way around to keep moisture from spilling over. They are claimed to hold one and a half gallon of water for a 4 x 3 mat. http://www.ultimatemats.com...s_overview_s/187.htm Get one of appropriate size and place it underneath. The textured design will help to evaporate light accumulations of moisture. It will also help to quieten the vibrations transmitted through the floor.
Why did you not treat or finish the wood before you moved the stuff in ? It looks nice, but Id never put a hardwood floor in a place you know is going to get wet or damp...like a bathroom or laundry room. It should be laminate, tile, linoleum for a reason. If you want a wood look, why not do it in a simulated wood laminate or plastic ? Im going to do the floor in my motorhome (carpeted now) in interlocking laminate planks (dark oak) so I can hose it out after going to races.
Otherwise, talk to a company that refinishes floors.
As for the washer, newer front loaders do not have the same issues as older models. I have one, no leaks, no smells, etc. There are products to reduce the smell/mildew in the older models. Be sure to use the proper laundry soap also.
I went with the hardwood because I have a crapload of it (bought enough to do the entire first floor 8 years ago) and have all of the tools to install it, so it was basically free. I am going to use a sealer before the finish because it's in a laundry room.
The floor is NEW and a work in progress. I just finished installing it last weekend, and the plan was to rent the sanders and go nuts on it this weekend, but the insurance adjusters (see golf ball size hail above) are coming out on Saturday and Sunday, which delays finishing the floor a week. Because of this, we had to move the machines back in to get caught up on laundry. I, of course, hadn't anticipated this. I am new to front loaders and their inherent problems.
The large stain has mostly cleared up already, but the part closest to the wall looks bad. I am already planning to rip it out, but was hoping for an easier solution. I'll get the knee pads back out and put the ibuprofen on standby. It's only time, right? My labor's pretty cheap...
As much as I love wood floors, wood and wet areas do not live well together. Bathrooms and laundry rooms I use tile. Even a cheap ceramic tile will out live wood in that area 100fold.
before you pull it out, try to lighten it with bleach or other wood brightener. Cost is very little.
No! Please do not give misinformation. I know you will scour the web, and post reasons as to why bleach is ok, but it is not. Please let those of us with real world experience handle this.
No! Please do not give misinformation. I know you will scour the web, and post reasons as to why bleach is ok, but it is not. Please let those of us with real world experience handle this.
Let me see... your post... oh wait... a dehumidifier... yeah, that will take a stain out.
If that is your "real world experience" then I would NEVER hire you to do anything (actually, with your attitude, I would never hire you, anyway). The guy is going to rip up the floor, if you can provide better information, then please do, otherwise, quit trolling.
Wood bleach like oxalic acid may work. But talk to a floor refinisher (which is what I said to begin with... for those trolling).
[This message has been edited by jaskispyder (edited 04-16-2015).]
As much as I love wood floors, wood and wet areas do not live well together. Bathrooms and laundry rooms I use tile. Even a cheap ceramic tile will out live wood in that area 100fold.
Yup. Same for wood-backed laminate. I have seen people put it in their kitchen and then put the dog's water bowl right on top and wonder why the seam starts swelling....
My one older ranch house has wood floors. A few summers ago the sump pump quit without my knowledge in the full basement. There was a few inches of water in the whole basement covered with outdoor carpet. Just the water in the basement taking so long to dry out kept the air damp enough to buckle some areas of the floor above. It air dried after a few weeks, but still not perfect. The end damage is minor and not worth messing with since its under carpeting.
I do feel bad about the flooring. A life long story about that dang washing machine will help ya get over the extra work.
Edit: I carry State certifications for fire and water damage, mold and asbestos abatement, and have records, pictures, and references to this. I hold all of my work to the highest standards. My tools, attire, and "attitude" are always professional. My answering of any question pertaining to subjects that I am skilled in has never been disproven. I take great pride in what my hands can do.
[This message has been edited by Tony Kania (edited 04-16-2015).]
Hmmm, rip out the floor or lighten the stain? Floor refinishers don't rip out the wood flooring because of stains, like these. If they don't sand out, they use chemicals.
quote
Originally posted by aceman:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Yeah, that'll fix it right up. That, is a bigger disaster waiting to happen.
<---------35 years of building and refinishing furniture and cabinetry.
Once it dries, you might be able to sand it out. Depends on how much water soaked in.
Edit: I carry State certifications for fire and water damage, mold and asbestos abatement, and have records, pictures, and references to this. I hold all of my work to the highest standards. My tools, attire, and "attitude" are always professional. My answering of any question pertaining to subjects that I am skilled in has never been disproven. I take great pride in what my hands can do.
quote
Originally posted by Tony Kania: Rent a DeHumidifier for a day or so. Stain will stay, but should lighten. Move washer back, and place planned area rug in front of washer.
So, is this your professional opinion (above)? Meaning nothing can be done and the area should be hidden under a rug/washer? I wouldn't hire someone if they told me to "live with it", when there are steps that can be taken to solve the problem (worse case, to pull up the boards).
The OP asked for flooring contractors and is this the only recourse for the problem?
[This message has been edited by jaskispyder (edited 04-16-2015).]
I guess that I missed the point of what the OP wanted/needed. If the OP wishes, I am more than willing to give the OP a "professional" quote for the job stated. Until that time, all preceding replies that I may have or have not given are not/were not meant in a professional manner. Any assumption of knowledge of the OP's current first world issue are based upon my complete ignorance. Furthermore, any and all donations funding my "Surveyor Schooling" should be directed immediately and wholly to the OP. *B-Dub let out a secret that they will show the boobies anyway! :yeahhandsintheairsmiley:* Fromhereoutwardsandonto any and all questions asked on this internet forum may or may not require a donation to that "Surveyors School" fund, um, the OP.
Thank you,
Director and CEO of the newly formed Falalala For a Day Agency.
Edit: Falalalala Biatches!
[This message has been edited by Tony Kania (edited 04-16-2015).]
I would let it dry and just stain the rest of it. Use a dark walnut stain then seal it. We use to make everything out of oak and then stain it with a dark walnut.
There is a good bit of color variation in the boards as it is. You could maybe bleach the heavily stained boards and cut the bleach off at the end and side joints.
Well, you could always flood the rest of the room and make the rest of the boards match those already stained.
Once you've met Noah, dry the floor and then use that dehumidifier. Hey, it's just an idea.
At least it'll all match in that room,
------------------ Ron
Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun?
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative and voted straight Republican until the day he died in Chicago. Since then he has voted Democrat. Shrug
Right now it doesn't look all that bad, dry it out as best you can and see just how bad it looks, remember it is getting covered up by the washer in the end. Also remember no 2 peace's of wood flooring are exactly the same color, there are variation in the undamaged wood that I see in the picture. You don't think they are all going to look exactly alike do you even if they are changed and finished.
If you do have to cut it out take one of the shorter section and sacrifice it and cut it in the middle with a circular saw avoiding damaging the lips of ether edge cut the long way with the grain, make several cuts they will allow you enough room to hopefully pull the staples out without damaging the lips on the adjoining boards so you can salvage as much as possible that wasn't damaged by the water. Just remember to set you circular saw to the depth of the board only so as not to damage what's under the board, set the front of the shoe of the saw on the floor first, start the saw and lower the back end of the saw slowly to make the first plug and then move on. Check a YouTube video on how to do a plunge cut into a board and you with see what I was talking about.
If you can understand that you are doing better than me because I am not sure I do and I wrote it.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 04-16-2015).]
Very unhappy camper here.
