3 Tips to Protect Your Oak Flooring in an Emergency

1. 3 Tips to Protect Your Oak Flooring in an Emergency When they think about oak flooring, Melbourne based homeowners and property managers may imagine a hard flooring that is impervious to damage. However, although oak flooring is tough, it can be damaged by scratches and dents that can accumulate over time. These types of damage can be dealt with by periodic sanding and refinishing to bring back the full beauty of the original timber finish. But, there is another type of damage that can be far more detrimental if it’s not dealt with quickly. Water is terrible for hardwood surfaces, so if there is any water damage, it needs to be treated seriously. In this article, we will look at three tips to protect your oak flooring from water damage. 1. Get Rid of the Water Quickly It really doesn’t matter how much water is involved; it needs to be removed as quickly as possible. This could be as simple as mopping up a spilled drink through to something far more serious such as a burst pipe. In either case, only the scale of the spill makes a difference because all of the spilled water has to be removed immediately. If water is allowed to sit for too long on any type of timber floor, it can become damaged. When the timber floor was installed, a protective coat was added last to seal in the top layer of the floor against this type of water damage. As time goes on this seal will become compromised, and the water will be able to penetrate further into the wood. This will cause obvious water damage that may be very difficult to remove so quick action is recommended. Take a mop or paper towels or cloth and mop up any water that is on the surface of the floor. Keep wiping and drying until the floor is bone dry and your timber floor should be safe. 2. Ventilate the Affected Area Ventilate the room where the water spill took place by opening all the windows and doors. This will dramatically increase the airflow into and through the area and across the surface of the affected timber flooring. Although you’ve already followed the instructions to dry the timber floor area, there could still be moisture or vapour on the surface. Ventilating the area will help to evaporate this moisture and ensure that the area is dry. If there is little to no breeze around you could always turn on some fans to get the air moving around, and this will perform the same function. 3. Get in Touch with an Expert in Timber Flooring The water has been removed, and the moisture evaporated, but there is no way to know if any real damage has been done. It’s a good idea to protect your timber flooring investments and contact an expert. They will be able to assess any damage to ensure that you don’t have warping, mould and mildew problems in the future. If you’re looking for European oak flooring that will look fantastic in your home get in touch with Kustom Timber for more information.