Sometimes accidents happen. Whether the damage is caused by leaky pipe, unprotected furniture feet or somethings else of that nature, the guys at Spartan Flooring will more than likely be able to fix it.
When it comes to damaged floors, we’ve seen it all! From welding burns, to dropped furniture items, paint marks and red wine spills. While certain damaged flooring is irreparable (e.g. excessive water damage), most surface and cosmetic damage can be reversed.
The course of action required to repair your hardwood or softwood flooring depends on the severity of the damage. In most cases a site inspection is recommended to assess the extent of the damaged areas, however photos may also be provided as an alternative.
Repair services
We offer repair services for any timber flooring products, including but not limited to:
- Scratches and gouges
- Split boards
- Water damage repairs
- Stain repairs
- Colour blending
- Board replacements
Repair methods
As previously mentioned, the course of action required for your repair job depends on the extent of the damage. We’ve provided a few common scenarios and possible solutions below.
Scratch and gouge repairs
Surface scratches and gouges can be caused in numerous ways. Nevertheless, the repair method chosen remedy this kind of damage is subject to size of the damaged area and the depth of the scratches and/or gouges.
If the damage is light surface damage, it may be possible to repair the individual board or panel by isolating it and carrying out remedial works locally. If the floor has been colour tinted, local repairs become more difficult.
If the damage covers a large area, a complete refurbishment may be a better option as this will allow us to completely strip back the area and reseal it.
Split board repairs
As you may be aware, timber flooring is subject to environmental conditions. Areas with highly fluctuating humidity levels can be a cause for boards splitting. This happens because the timber will take on moisture when humidity levels rise (causing the boards to expand) and lose moisture when humidity levels are low (causing the boards to shrink). This can sometimes be witnessed by a ‘banging’ sound coming from the floor.
During seasonal change this is normal behaviour and in most cases won’t cause any problems, however in extreme cases, the boards may split.
When this happens, you have two options:
- Replace the individual boards that have split
- Fill in the gaps with a soft putty that resembles the colour of the floor
Water damage and stain repairs
Signs of water damage should send the alarm bells ringing. Water damage in timber flooring is a serious issue that could cause structural damage to other parts of the building.
When kiln dried timber takes on moisture, it expands significantly. This expansion (depending on severity) can cause the floor to push on boundary walls. If this is the case, the floor should be removed before it causes any structural damage. In the worst case, the entire floor will need to be replaced.
Light water damage (caused by water sitting on the surface) may be remedied by local repairs, i.e. treating individual boards. Light water damage can be identified by dark ‘rings’ on the surface of the wood.
Colour blending
Replacing or refinishing existing pieces of timber may highlight colour differences between the existing and repaired areas. As time goes on, those differences will reduce due to the oxidisation process that wood products are subject to. However, if your floor has been treated with dyes or stains, colour blending may be required.
This process involves creating numerous samples using the existing product to find a close match.
Board replacements
When floor boards, panels or blocks are damaged beyond repair, it is usually possible to extract the individually damaged items, and replace them with a like-for-like product.
Would you like to hire Spartan Flooring for a timber floor repair job?