Questions & answers about how to diagnose and fix problems with wood flooring:

This article provides answers to frequently-asked questions about wood floors or wood flooring such as cupping, curling, stains, buckling, noises, re-finishing, nailing, and subflooring requirements for wood floors.

This article series explains types of damage that occurs on various types of wood flooring in buildings. We illustrate buckling wood floors and comment on how they happen; we illustrate cupping of wood flooring and point out the diagnostic value of noticing which way the cup is shaped.

FAQs about Damaged or Marred Wood Floors

Recently questions & answers about damaged wood flooring posted originally at WOOD FLOOR DAMAGE REPAIR - topic home. Be sure to check out the wood flooring installation, troubleshooting and repair advice given there.

On 2021-04-16 by (mod) &diagnose cause of damaged (Oak?) flooring

@colleen maki, while I can't identify the wood species with confidence for your original photo, our subsequent flooring pictures look like oak flooring, not teak.

Please see your question and our discussion along with complete discussion and details now found

At INSECT DAMAGE to WOOD FLOORS

On 2021-04-16 by colleen maki - damaged 30 year old teak wood floor

30 year old wood flooring ( we were told teak ), the darker wood grain is wearing away. Any ideas what might cause this? It has never been refinished, is not mopped with water. Approximately once a year ( sometimes less often) I have applied Old English lemon oil to restore moisture & shine.

From everything I could read, it is supposed to be safe for wood floors. Here is a close up- [below]

Entry flooring - shown above. [Click to enlarge any image]

Thank you for your quick response. We were told the wood is teak, although it's been 31 years since we built the house & my memory is fuzzy. There has never been an standing water or leaks to this floor, it is my entry hallway and the front door is on a covered front porch.

I have termite inspection annually and there has never been any evidence of termites. I have never seen any other indication of insect infestation. The house is over a full basement, about 15 years ago I installed a dehumidifier down there. The wear is occuring in almost all of the darker grain of the wood, including the sides of the flooring where people don't walk.

I will post another comment with a second photo. Thank you for your assistance -

On 2020-01-04 by Anonymous - cracked planks in brand new tongue-and-groove wood floor

Corrin

I may be missing something but it's unclear to me why the replacement of some damaged boards would itself require replacement of the whole floor.

However cracked floor boards in a new T&G wood floor are an unusual occurrence in my experience. I can't say if the fault is in the installation, the acclimitization (or lack-of) of the wood to the building before installation, a moisture or water problem in the building, or defective product. But if it were my floor I'd want a clear, written warranty for at least a year to protect against discovery of other defects.

And we'd be a lot more confident if we had a diagnosis of the cause of teh cracking; try using the "Add Image" button to post a photo - one per comment.

On 2020-01-04 by Corrin

I have a brand new tongue and groove wood floor. The builder had to come in and replace 8 to 10 cracked planks. Should the whole floor be replaced? I am concerned about future wear on the floor as a whole.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) - tiny holes in various places in two wood floors they were refinished 8 yrs. ago. I found sawdust

That does sound like a wood destroying insect - termites, powder post beetles, or less likely, carpenter ants whose frass is more coarse.

Please see your question and our discussion along with important additional details now found

At INSECT DAMAGE to WOOD FLOORS

Also see COMPARE TERMITE DAMAGE to POWDER POST BEETLE

On 2019-05-21 by Barbara Allen

I have tiny holes in various places in two wood floors they were refinished 8 yrs. ago. I found a teepee if sawdust(?) once. I had it inspected and was told there were no termite activity. The holes do not go through the wood. But it leaves a non-stained hole, so I know it’s new.

I have seen no bugs. No dust on the window sills. (I was asked that question). I want to sell my home. What do I do or disclose? Thank you.
Barbara Allen

On 2019-01-18 - by (mod) -

Erika

I agree that those look like burn marks but such marks can also be caused by

- water or other liquid that spilled, ran under the foot of a piece of furniture, and remained wet even after surrounding spill was cleaned-up

- burns from rotating equipment or tools

A couple of things to look at may help us diagnose these "burn marks" on your wood floor

1. What furniture was previously in place in this area?

2. How far are the marks from the wall? Are they in a traffic area or were they under furniture?

3. Take a very close look at the dark marks: is the floor finish lost or burned over those brown or black areas or is it still intact?

On 2019-01-18 by Erika J

Here is the other mark.
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s Comments Box code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-01-18 by Erika J

When our rental property was vacated by the tenants, there were 2 areas with what looks like fire damage on the hardwood floors. They say they don't know how it happened and I'm trying to figure out what could cause these types of burns. Any idea?
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s Comments Box code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2017-03-13 by (mod) - cause and cure of scratches on a wood floor

Debbie:

I'd need to see sharp closeup photos of the damage, but I agree in general with your flooring installers that scratches - if that's what the marks actually are - would not appear spontaneously.

A vacuum cleaner or other device can also leave marks on floors. Let's start by being sure that these are actual scratches into the floor finish and not simply marks or shoe scuffs.

Photo: solid wood flooring run at a 45 degree angle and with inlaid strips in an apartment in Buenos Aires.

On 2017-03-13 by Debbie

Hi! I had laminate wood flooring installed in three rooms about seven months ago. Over the last three months, many scratches, some long, some short, all thin, have been appearing, every couple weeks, across the grain in one room.

The installers will replace the planks for a minimal charge because they said it appeared that furniture was dragged across the floor, etc.

I assured them my husband not I were responsible, but I couldn't explain the scratches either.

We are retired. No pets. I sweep the floor and have used a damp mop several times. Can you help explain the scratches?
Thank you so much!
Deb

On 2016-10-31 by (mod) how can I repair damaged floors that are scratched or bleached

Tangel

Typically we re-sand the floor, then re-finish it. Sometimes I will fix a small scratch or gouge by wiping an appropriate stain in the gouge with a Q-tip, followed by some sealant such as polyurethane.

On 2016-10-29 by Anonymous

Hello my name is Tangel I would like to know can I repair my damaged wood floors I have scratches, some parts is bleach from

On 2016-09-17 by (mod) large bumps in our vinyl floor

Judy,

IF the lumps and bumps in your vinyl floor are being caused by moisture, such as a leak that wet chipboard or fiberboard subflooring, then swelling subfloor OR nail pops could be causing the bumps. If this is the case the "bumps" are probably individual raised round areas not long or parallel lines.

Of course leaks can also cause mold, but the mold itself would not be likely to explain bumps.

If the "bumps" are long raised parallel lines I suspect subfloor is curling or lifting under the vinyl flooring.

I'd remove the vinyl flooring to investigate.

On 2016-09-16 by Judy

Ment rv not tv
Our t.v. is only qp months old, we saw some large bumps on our vinyl floor that looked like large bolt heads coming thru, it turned out to be mold, this was under the stove, not near water. Does mold usually show up as bumps, there were dozens of bumps under the stove when they looked

On 2016-07-27 by (mod) - door jamb falling, flooring sinking

Gab

I don't know, from just your e-text. I would start by inspecting the area below the doorway - from beneath, presuming that there is a basement or crawl area. Look for insect damage, rot, or, if the door is over an exterior wall, look for foundation settlement, cracking, leaning, bulging bowing.

Let me know what you see.

On 2016-07-27 by Gab

my door jam on one side is falling and causing floorbords to go down as well what is wrong

On 2016-05-11 by (mod) - loose floor board repair

Brenda,

If the boards are loose you may be able to pull them down by screwing up words with wood screws through a supporting player from the underside of your porch.

If the boards are slightly cut or buckled you may be able to flatten the floor by sending.

Otherwise, I'm afraid you would have to replace the badly cut boards if you want the porch floor to be flat.

To replace the boards in the middle of a porch floor that use tongue-and-groove flooring it is still possible to cut out and replace the damaged boards by using a power saw set to the correct depth to cut just through the boards not into the joist below.

On 2016-05-10 2 by brenda

I have some buckled boards on the porch that wont go back down what can i do?

On 2016-03-23 by (mod)

"We" in my comment really means you, with my encouragement

On 2016-03-23 by (mod)

Brian

Use the page bottom CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos for comment. We may be able to carefully bleach out the stains.

On 2016-03-23 by Brian

I have light spots here and there underneath the cabinets that stick out about 3 inches did I not sand them down enough

On 2016-03-05 by (mod) stains in wood flooring

Patricia

Please use the page bottom or top CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos of your floor stains or marks. It'd also help to know what flooring is installed: brand, wood, type (solid wood, laminate, etc). We can then research the issue and comment further.

On 2016-03-0 by Patricia

First, round ring appears then ring/circle gets dark brown then in the middle of the circle another inner circle appears which is neutral in color.

This is light hard wood floor. Floor stays smooth while this process is taking place . This is happening on its own all over the floor.hard floor was bought from lumber store. All wood was finished at time of purchase. Floor newly installed

On 2016-01-09 by (mod) repair a polyurethane coated wood floor

Terry, I can't say as I don't know what damage is present. Are you re-finishing the floor, correcting burned floor that has deep burns beyond usual re-finishing sanding depths, or is there a structural problem, or are there floor gaps?

If there are deep burns you'll find that normal large area floor sanding won't do the job as you'd remove too much thickness of the wood floor.

Options are to replace the badly burned flooring and stain to match when refinishing the whole floor, or hand sand to depth to remove the burns, hand stain to match, and refinish the damaged area, leaving what will amount to pits or dents in the floor without the black burns.

On 2016-01-09 by terry Hill

How do I repair a 4x4 polyurathane wood floor in front of a fire place.

On 2015-12-24 by Anonymous

Do you just need to clean up the sawdust?

On 2015-12-23 by Dorothy

The people that put the floor and put sawdust on the floor what can I use so the floor won't be so slippery now

On 2015-10-11 by Marsha Smith

I put a rug down on wood floor and the backing has left black and sticky marks. Anyway to fix?

On 2015-09-18 by Janice Cannoles

Renting a 1948 home where owner had original wood floors restored. Five months in, floors started cupping and looks like mold under varnish. Under home is dry and well ventilated

. Insulation under floor/home is dry. We keep the house around 70 degrees (a/c) and air humidity is 48-50. Can anyone tell me why this is occurring and how to proceed with repairs?

On 2015-03-21 by (mod) - to replace a single board in engineered wood or laminates that are clipped together

In my opinion it is very difficult (but not impossible) to replace a single board in engineered wood or laminates that are clipped together - one would have to either disassemble the floor to replace the damaged boards or cut and piece which might work if done by an expert at restoration.

I'd want first to know why the damage is occurring to be sure that cause is addressed as well.

On 2015-03-21 by linda kaldi

enginered wood flooring I have 2 boards becoming pitted badly what can be done

Question: stain and sealant were mixed together for a wood floor

(Jan 22, 2012) matt said:

staining my floor last night, and the person helping me mixed my stain and finish sealamt toghter and I did not realize untill after I finish. How to I fix the problem

Reply:

Matt:

What is the condition of your floor? If it's sticky and the finish doesn't dry properly it may have to be removed, the surface cleaned, and then you'll start over. But there are indeed some products such as some by MinWax that combine a stain with the finish coating - you could be fine.

Question: can I install a wood floor where a woodstove is to be used?

(June 5, 2012) doug wildman said:

can you install a hard wood floor with a wood burning stove?

Reply:

Doug, yes but you'll need adequate fire and heat protection between the stove and the floor as well as protection for all surrounding surfaces.

Question: cupping damage to a wood floor

(July 10, 2012) Marvin Wick said:

The damage to the wood floor is cupping and there has been damage to the wall in the vicinity of the source water valve where the defective plastic part was installed. I failed to mention the Viking Refrigerator was installed when the home was new, 2002,

what about the defective installation, possibly resulting from the defective plastic adapter used to connect the Refrig Icemaker, it clearly near fractured in half and the leak was occurring over a long period of time and damaged the wall at the faucet and adjacent cab as well as obviously seep under the wood floor.

Question: dropped oven cleaner on my floor - can I hire you to fix it?

(Sept 4, 2012) Eric said:

I have dropped the oven cleaning chemical on timber floor.
That is why it was damaged. If you are able to repair it for me, please
Call on 0430 619 099

Reply:

Eric,

Policy on Purchase Orders - Reply from InspectAPedia about your request for product or service purchase

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We do not sell anything.

InspectAPedia provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

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InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Website content contributors, even if it's just a small correction, are cited, quoted, and linked-to from the appropriate additional web pages and articles - which benefits us both. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

Question: buckling floating floor

(Oct 2, 2012) Chasity said:

I live in a trailer that has "floating floors" which actually seem to be nailed together .. After we moved in I noticed a huge bucking spot in my son's room .

Keep in mind my son was not staying with me at the time I noticed this , the buckling goes in a straight horizontal line through out the trailer. My landlord is trying to say it is due to my 13 yr old and 8 yr old( which together may weight 175 lbs) from them moving around are playing .

For one this trailer nothing is straight he did all the add on's himself and the trailer sits off the ground on center blocks no slab I believe .

Can this be possible ? I think the land lord did not install the flooring correctly which resulted in the buckling from the humidity and the stress of them moving out and us moving in ..

Keep in mind when I noticed the floor buckling the only thing in his room was a twin mattress and maybe a dresser and the room is rather large PLEASE HELP Thanks

Reply:

Chastity,

Usually when we see a buckled "engineered wood" or clip-together laminate floor in a building the root causes are two

1. moisture, perhaps from below is causing the floor to expand

2. the installer failed to leave enough room around the floor perimeter to accomodate normal thermal expansion of the floor system

If the floor is salvageable one might fix the problem by removing baseboard trim around the floor perimeter removing and cutting down the perimeter boards, and reinstalling them.

If the floor is badly buckled such that the clip-together grooves and tongues on the individual boards are damaged, it's probably not repairable.

Question: how to fix a squeaky wood floor

(Mar 24, 2014) Nick Ellicott City said:

Thanks Dan. I will examine the underneath and see if there is subflooring. They are very squeaky in some places.

Can I nail down the squeaky areas? I saw the sawdust on a Youtube video. This is my first DIY project, do you suggest hand sanding? I also saw cleaning the floors with vinegar.

The finished stain color is ideal. I don't want to do too much and ruin them. Your thoughts.

Reply:

Usually screws work better than nails to secure loose flooring. The screw can pull down a board while nailing it may have less satisfactory results.

Sometimes we can inject some glue into a sub-floor space before screwing down. If you use an expanding polyurethane glue like Gorilla Glue, the combination of that expansion + screwing will quiet down most troublesome boards.

Question: cloudy milky white spots throughout the floor

(Apr 5, 2014) janethompson@dorseyalston.com said:

I have walnut flooring in my home of 6-7 years. Now I am noticing milky or cloudy spots throughout the floor.
what has caused this and can I cure it without refinishing the floor?

Reply:

Jane we need some diagnosis here.
Try scraping or scrubbing the white area gently with a green 3M scrubby sponge - if it is easy to remoe you can probably clean off what is a surface deposit.

If, as I suspect, floor finish was placed over humid boards, the moisture bloom is underneath the coating and the fix would involve sanding and re-finishing as well as checking that there's no ongoing moisture problem.

Check the boards for cupping that will also be a moisture-exposure clue.

 

Question: kitchen sink backup, flooding, treated with fans, now how to repair the floor

(May 29, 2014) Anonymous said:
My apartment had a kitchen sink that backed up for a period of four days.

They removed all cabinets and laminate wood floors and put huge fans on floor. It has been a month and there is still an odor

. It does not smell like must or mold. It is like a chemical smell. Could it be the old glue that is still on the floor? If so, how do they get that off before they replace the floor?
Thank you

Oh yes, I think the glue is right on the concrete floor

Reply:

Rita,

Four days of water on the floor means I'd be worried about where water went, whether there was water in the lower portion of building walls, under cabinets, in the floor cavity - all areas of possible mold contamination if that was the case.

A chemical smell? We can only speculate. But some tile mastics were indeed water soluble and might smell a bit if re-wet. IF the mastic was water soluble it is then pretty reasonable to scrape it up, clean the surface and start anew.

WATCH OUT: I WOULD NOT put down new flooring before I was darn sure of no hidden water damage, lest we have to later rip up the new floor.

 

(June 24, 2014) Gina said:

Hi Dan, thank you for answering. We've had 2 floor contractors inspect the floors.

The verdict seems to be either the sander or the sealant, or both.

The repair part of the job only involved glueing back down the loose tiles and replacing the water damaged tiles. Most of the space around the floor perimeter remains untouched for the past 20-30 years. We'd really like to figure out the root of the problem.

What kind of expert should I be consulting? Can you recommend a source to find someone in Queens, NY?

We're beyond frustrated that the floor contractors are neglecting our calls. We'd like to figure out the best way to proceed before ripping out the floors. Unfortunately, I can't seem to post any photos to show the extent of buckling. Any advice is welcome. Thanks again.

Reply:

With due to your floor contractors (who may have a conflict of interest), sanding or finishing a floor would not itself be expected to cause floor buckling.

Buckling wood floors usually are the result of either or both of the reasons I listed below.

Understanding how your home is constructed, where moisture may be coming from, and exactly what clearance spaces were given when the floor was installed would be helpful.

Try a more experienced flooring contractor or see our Expert Directories link at the top of any InspectApedia page and talk with some home inspectors in you area about their familiarity with floor defect.

Question: so is is bark up, bark down or just random barking for deck board installation

(July 16, 2014) Ted Meredith said:
Regarding the installing of deck boards bark side down or bark side up, your article seems to recommend both ways.

The deck boards should be installed bark side down.

You drawing illustrates what will happen with flat sawn lumber when installed the wrong way, bark side up and a cup is formed that collects water.

Reply:

Ted

I appreciate the comment. This has been a long siege. We found and cite expert research that documents which way boards tend to cup - which would argue for bark side down as you suggest.

But having built quite a few decks and other outdoor structures using deck boards and treads, I was compelled to add that it makes perfect sense to *look* at the board you're about to use.

If the board is already cupped, put the concave side down and the convex side up for better drainage. A pre-cupped board is not likely to reverse its cup direction after installation.

Thanks again, in short, you're right but ...

See details at

• BARK SIDE UP on DECKS & STEPS

Question: swollen mound under my linoleum floor in a mobile home

(Sept 24, 2014) Glenda Hargrove said:
I noticed a swollen mound under my linoleum flooring in my bathroom. didn't know whether to call a plumber or just who to call.

You can definitely feel the hump as you walk over it. I own my mobile and I am a widow and did not want someone telling me some off the wall solution. please help.

Reply:

Glenda

It sounds as if someone needs to take a look under the home to see if there is a leak, structural movement, damage, etc - let me know what you're told.

Question: fixing up dog scratches on wooden stairs

(Oct 20, 2014) Anonymous said:
bought a home with exterior stained fir stairs.. the previous owner obviously had a dog with long nails.. the nails scratched deeply into the fir and the fir is deeply stained or bleeding..any suggestions aside from sanding

Reply:

Anon:

deep scratches can be removed pretty much only by sanding; filling is likely to look worse; the alternative would be to install a stair covering material.

Watch out:  adding stain to try to cover up the scratches in a wood floor or on wooden stairs may give surprising and unhappy results.

Sometimes the more raw or bare wood at the scratches absorbs more stain pigment, leaving dark marks where the scratches are. Test the stain-cover-up approach on a small area before going wild (like the dog).

Question: Arbutus wood natural oil finish - brown spots

(Oct 24, 2014) merna abel said:
our kitchen flooring is 4 years old it is arbutus wood with a natural oil finish. I am starting to see very tiny brown spots in a cluster in several areas what could be the cause. One area is fairly close to the stove the other is not near a area I do much prep.

Reply:

I can't guess at this without some sharp detailed photos or more data. It might help though to consider when the stains first appeared. If it was long after the original finish treatment then I'd agree that these spots are probably due to something that's happened since.

Question: Radiant heat in a Leavitt Home built in 1957.

(Oct 26, 2014) schrammbo1965 said:
We live in a Levitt house built in 1957. It has radiant heat over a thick concrete slab. When we stand in front of the sink in the hall bathroom in the winter, our feet hurt from the heat.

That places the heat at the surface of the concrete between 130 - 140 degrees F. We've asked professionals who have stated that engineered hardwood was our only choice under those circumstances.

If that is true, what could you recommend? Our budget is not the best so we want to avoid any costly mistakes at the onset. Do any products come to mind?

 

Question: Oak floor stripped, scraped, steel wool scrubbed - dark circular stains in wood

(Nov 8, 2014) Sharon said:
Thank you for your web site. I need help. Stripped foyer (oak floor) with zip strip. Scraped and then used steel wool dipped in mineral spirits.

Looked awful. Looks like the steel wool (rust) made circular dark stains in wood. Redid some of floor with Citrus strip...still not working....sanded twice

the dark rust circular stains still there. Do I need to bleach?? What kind? Thank you sooooo very much for helping me. Sharon

Reply:

Sharon

Use the email found at the CONTACT link at page top or bottom to send us some photos for comment.

I suspect there are gouging from sanding with a circular sander that didn't show up until stain was applied. If so the remedy may be re-sanding and re-finishing.

Question: drywall dust embedded in floors

(Dec 3, 2014) Bryan said:
I have nail down oak hardwood floors that I had installed after we built our home with a national builder.

Subsequently, a month after moving in, the walls had major drywall issues and the builder moved us out of our home and into a hotel so they could gut our house and replace/fix the drywall.

That was in July, it is now December and they still haven't got it right and yes, we are still in a hotel.

They have managed to get drywall dust imbedded in our floors and they are balking at our repair bill (screen and recoat) from our original vendor for the floors.

My question is, once the floors are finished, can dust damage the integrity of the finish and truly imbed into the wood.

This issue seems to be a trigger for our kids allergies. We are hoping to move back into our house next week. Thank you!

Reply:

Bryan

How aggravating. Typically a smart renovation contractor puts down a protective layer over a good floor surface before beginning other demolition and repair - or expects to have to re-finish the floors afterwards.

But not to worry, provided the flooring was finished and the coatings fully dry, it's easy to clean up drywall dust.

IF the flooring were not finished then some careful washing and scrubbing AND DRYING will be needed before the floors can be finished.

If you're extra sensitive to dust, finish with HEPA vacuuming all surfaces and don't bring in any carpets, drapes, or similar soft goods.

...

Continue reading at WOOD FLOOR DAMAGE REPAIR or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see WOOD FLOOR DAMAGE REPAIR FAQs-2 - more-recent questions and answers about repairing damaged wood floors

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• FLOOR DAMAGE DIAGNOSIS
• WOOD FLOOR DAMAGE REPAIR
  • BOARD CUPPING CAUSES
  • FLOOR DAMAGE DIAGNOSIS
  • FLOOR, WOOD MOISTURE
  • INSECT DAMAGE to WOOD FLOORS
  • LOOSE NOISY FLOOR REPAIR
  • PET STAINS & MARKS in BUILDING
  • WOOD FLOOR REFINISHING SAFETY

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