Repair hollow or raised spots in the floor using an engineered wood repair kit. With older tongue-and-groove hardwood or even wide-plank floors, gaps inevitably develop between the boards, mostly because the wood shrinks over time as it dries out and loses moisture content. What did you get? Water damage to hardwood floors can be from minor to major. Insufficient adhesive application may cause substandard adhesion and/or final bond strength and in many cases development of hollow spots can occur throughout the installation. Injection repair kits are available and allow an installer to inject additional adhesive under the flooring specifically in the section where popping conditions or voids have developed. How to Spot Repair Hardwood Floors. Removing dark marks from hardwood floors can be a challenge. It’s important, and your installer should be quite familiar with manufacturer recommendations. A bit of money spent now saves a lot in the long run, . You can make your floor look as good as new. , the subflooring’s flatness may not have been in accordance with NWFA (National Wood Floor Association) standards. The nice thing here is that floating floors come up very easy, so it looks like you get a second chance to do the job right this time. Sometimes scratches can appear as white marks or spots. These issues can be very problematic for homeowners and can be very costly to fix. High spots on concrete slabs can usually be removed by grinding, whereas patching compounds often work well to even out depressions. More often than not the issue lies with improper installation. Allow 24 hours for the bleach to evaporate and the floor to dry. I didn’t specify to them what to use on my floors (totally my fault), and whatever product they used created the most horrible cloudy, hazy, white film that covered all of my hardwood floors. It has to come out, or that rot will spread to the rest of the floor. Hydrogen peroxide is suitable for removing dark stains and lingering smells on hardwood floors. If it drops below 35 percent, your floors will lose moisture and occasionally squeak. Dark spots on hardwood flooring are commonly the result of some type of liquid that has soaked into the polyurethane finish and top layers of wood. Grinding the substrate and/or leveling with a Portland cement underlayment may be required to achieve flatness. Unlike white water stains residing on the very surface of the hardwood floor, dark stains require more steps and products in order to restore the beauty of the wood. These spots are often discovered when owners hear the floor creak or make other unpleasant sounds under pressure. To maintain wood floors, vacuum or dry-mop them about once a week. Water-logged wood will first swell then shrink as it dries out. These kits “spot treat” hollow areas by injecting additional glue under the plank that will close the gap and silence the noise. 17 Jul 2017 All looked okay, but there is a hollow spot in floating floor (now it’s all fitted where it creaks when you step on it, you can see the wood dip when you apply weight). 1. More often, however, the issue can be treated by using a simple injection repair kit. Read more Chinese Floors, BIG Problems! They are something of a gremlin in that while they are ugly and tend to pop up often, getting rid of them is simple most of the time. I took a coin and tapped across the floor, and the spongy spots have a hollow sound. The majority of these scratches are caused by the movement of furniture during mopping, by pets, by the presence of small rock particles, or … Another exacerbating condition is water damage. In the previous article, we compared licensed and unlicensed contractors. Soak a piece of cloth in hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain overnight or at least 8 hours during the day. Thicker, wider planks of wood will have a more difficult time conforming to variances in the subfloor; thus, flatness becomes even more important when the installer is working with these. Pour some amount of mineral spirit in a spray bottle. 2. How to Spot Repair Hardwood Floors. The National Wood Flooring Association recommendation for flatness of the substrate for an engineered hardwood floor installation is no more than 3⁄16 inch deflection or variance in the slab within any 10-foot radius of the floor. Wearing eye protection, use the brush to apply a very thin coat of wood bleach to the stain. For quick repairs of soft spots in your laminate floor use an air inflation needle or a syringe (used to blow up sports balls) on a can of spray foam. Asian Hardwood Floors: What did you pay for? For wooden subfloors things get a little more complicated. Repeat for longer hours if the stain is resistant. See your flooring supplier about getting the right replacement board. Applying weight on these areas during curing is the easiest way to head such problems off at the pass. We offer 100% reliable and fully-certified hardwood flooring inspection services to both home & business owners. The manufacturer will also have standards for subfloor flatness. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If a board is laid into wet adhesive and raises up from the substrate before the adhesive cures, a hollow spot will occur. Using the proper flooring trowel when applying the recommended adhesive is very important. As you scrub, the odor and stains should be disappearing. DIY home repairs can fix and prevent future problems using the proper methods of installation. I didn’t specify to them what to use on my floors (totally my fault), and whatever product they used created the most horrible cloudy, hazy, white film that covered all of my hardwood floors. The problem is magnified when the boards were not tightly laid in the first place. I installed a new hardwood floor at my place recently. These hollow spots can even detract from the overall visual and essence of a hardwood floor. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most hollow spots or loose areas in a glue-down wood floor come from not following the flooring and adhesive manufacturers’ installation specifications and limitations.   In general, water is an enemy to wood floors. Ideally, you’d like the humidity in your house to stay between 35 and 55 percent . Leveling compounds can also be used on wood subfloors, though this will first require a metal reinforcing lap to be bound to the floor with a self-level primer. The nail punch set should be used to create a starter hole. Description - Our wood floor repair kit was developed to correct the hollow spots and popping conditions that occur with engineered wood floors. The problem is magnified when the boards were not tightly laid in the first place. Shown below is what normally constitutes as acceptable by both parties: For concrete slabs, the flatness tolerance is typically 1/8″in a 6 -foot radius and or 3/16″ in a 10 -foot radius. The worn spots are most common in the area with high traffic. Apply the stain and putty mix using a putty knife to fill damaged areas. I also used a sound+moisture barrier between the wood and the concrete. Prior to the task, it’s important that the installer have full knowledge of the jobsite conditions so that necessary adjustments for the flooring material can be made. Hollow spots are loose areas in a glued-down floor that can be caused by the concrete substrate not being flat enough for the floors or by the installer not following the specific instructions given by the manufacturer regarding installation. Use a circular saw to cut length-wise down the center of the plank. Peaking describes more dramatic grooves in the hardwood. Hazy or cloudy hardwood floors can occur from a couple of things—one of them … Hollow spots are normally considered a minor issue that can be fixed in a matter of minutes. Apply the stain and putty mix using a putty knife to fill damaged areas. Hardwood floors are no exception to the rule, and if you find yourself in the position to need to remove black stains, you might have to work hard and repeat some procedures more than once – depending on the size and severity of the stain you are trying to get rid of. The manufacturer will also have standards for subfloor flatness. Signs of Termite Damage to Hardwood Floors Termites have always been leading an extremely secret way of life thus representing a hidden danger for a man and his dwelling. The house I recently bought has hardwood floors, but I've noticed that some spots are spongy when I walk over them. How do you fix gouges in engineered hardwood floors? Wood floors need to breathe. This is also an opportunity to fix any other issues that may be happening and to start preventing sunlight damage in the future. The air pockets develop underneath laminate flooring. The air pockets develop underneath laminate flooring. These changes can also present a less-than-desirable change in the appearance of your wood flooring. Drill The Holes. Just in a few years, a considerably numerous colony of subterranean termites can entirely destroy a house and, as a result, it becomes unlivable and ramshackle. How to fix Hollow Spots in Hardwood Floors, Among the most frequent issues homeowners encounter with hardwood floor installation are, . Also, some pressure sensitive adhesives are developed to remain tacky for the lifetime of the floor, enabling owners to rectify hollow space problems at any time through application of pressure. Stains are the toughest fix when it comes to hardwood floors. How do you fix gouges in engineered hardwood floors? How to Refurbish Worn Spots on Finished Hardwood Floors By Chris Deziel ... Chris Deziel is a contractor, builder and general fix-it pro who has been active in the construction trades for 40 years. DIY home repairs can fix and prevent future problems using the proper methods of installation. I suggest marking out the hollow spots and taking a picture so you can reference it when you are doing the floor prep. Generally, hardwood floors are durable and easy to maintain (not to mention better for allergies), but they do get the occasional gouge, scratch, or area of wear. Black stains, on the other hand, are an indicator that there’s some wood damage, and you’ll have a much harder time trying to remove them. If the substrate reveals any variance greater than 3⁄16 inch in any 10-foot radius, proper subfloor preparation steps must be applied to rectify the situation. All looked okay, but there is a hollow spot in floating floor (now it’s all fitted where it creaks when you step on it, you can see the wood dip when you apply weight). I… Mix oxalic acid crystals (sold at home centers and paint and hardware stores) in water, following the package directions. Behind every successful floor covering retailer is a supplier (or core group of vendors) with a vested interest in the health and vitality of... By Steven Feldman Should the plank “pop up” while the glue is still wet, the result is a hollow spot. Domestic 1-yearDomestic 2-yearForeign 1-yearForeign 2-yearCanada 1-year. The most common cause for hollow or loose spots in a wood floor system is not getting the concrete substrate flat to industry requirements. One of the most frequent consumer complaints about hardwood flooring installations is the common creaky, hollow-sounding floor that can develop once the job is complete. 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