# wood flooring fix



## mendozer (Jun 10, 2014)

So I moved a new fridge into the kitchen and it leaked daily for a few days. I still don't know where the leak came from, but as long as the ice maker's off it's ok. Despite drying it with a towel and having a fan on it for a few days, the flooring has warped. I've read that over time it will flatten back out and be ok but I want to accelerate it. It's a rental so I need the floor to be right again!


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

men,and you definitely should price check me on this.....


The #1 insurance payout is ice machine failure...just sayin,welcome to the club(floor resto)...


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Just how bad is it warped? If it is buckled up very much you can't expect it to ever go down on it's own. If it's only slightly noticeable I would wait on it and see what happens.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

If it buckled up it won't go back. The buckling has pulled the nails up from the subfloor and created a gap between the edges or the middle of the slat. If the area is hidden and you don't move the fridge much maybe leave it alone. If you're renting let the owner know about the issue, if you own the house and want the ins.co involved they may cover the replacement boards and spot coat the area.

I'd definitely talk to the fridge supplier, get them out there to fix the leak, replace the unit or replace the fridge.


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## mendozer (Jun 10, 2014)

It was a craigslist pickup. Not brand new. Its buckled enough for me to feel it when I walk


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## mendozer (Jun 10, 2014)




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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

if that area is under the fridge, it is not bad. summer (high humidity) is coming and it will swell back some to close those gaps. the warping is not that noticeable in the pics.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

That doesn't look too bad. I would give it time and see if the wood shrinks back. If it does take a block of pine and a hammer and see if you can close up the gaps.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

OK, how long has the floor been in place? Looks like an interlocking floater system, the individual slats can be popped out and replaced pretty easy. Here's the thing, water may have exacerbated the issue, but I'd bet fridge weight has something to do with it too. Floaters move all over the place with temp, humidity and heavy travel. Every time the fridge started up it also vibrated the flooring, every time the fridge doors were opened and maybe closed a bit hard more vibration. Kids dogs traffic outside the house contribute to the movement, I bet you can find butt ends that aren't tight. Butt ends can be closed up by dropping your sneaker shod foot down and forward toward the next slat. Continue with each board till your back at the slat sliding under the baseboard.

Know that floors installed during the winter have a larger gap between wall and butt end than floors installed during summer, (drier clime) there's likely a 5/16 to 3/8 gap between the last slat and the wall, (for expansion)


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

it appears to be solid 3/4" maple, appx 4" wide, t & g to me. which I would suspect is nailed down on every course. just my opinion.


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## mendozer (Jun 10, 2014)

Ok ill wait and see. Its not under the fridge. There must be a slight slope bc water ran out the side of the fridge onto this area. But the water never extended past a foot or so from the fridge. Some of this warpage goes out 4 feet from the fridge


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

mendozer said:


> ... But the water never extended past a foot or so from the fridge. Some of this warpage goes out 4 feet from the fridge


there is likely a barrier under the wooden floor. the water gets down to that barrier and runs under the floor farther than you can see. it may still be there.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

Maybe its new, anyone else ever see prefinished strip flooring sealed between the joints? 

I've installed Bruce and Pergo prefab, the butt ends and interlocking sides move around and have no protective coating between to prevent liquid from seeping through. Maybe the pic is fooling me, it certainly looks like a floating syst.


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## mendozer (Jun 10, 2014)

its not new. House is from 2003


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