Drips of water on hardwood floor?


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Old 06-14-08, 05:25 PM
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Drips of water on hardwood floor?

I recently moved into a new house and there are hardwood floors in the kitchen. This looks really nice, but we are worried about possible water damage from day-to-day use. Obviously I need to worry about it if I dump a bucket of water, but what about stuff like drips of water the might fall on the floor as we're washing dishes, etc...?

Thanks.
 
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Old 06-14-08, 05:35 PM
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As long as finish is intact, a few drips of water will not harm the floor. It's the spills and plumbing leaks that pose a problem because the water can get beneath the boards. Spills should be wiped up immediately. A rug can be placed in front of the sink to catch the occasional drip.
 
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Old 06-15-08, 07:20 AM
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You don't mention if these floors have a finish such as polyurethane on them.If they do then spills etc are not an issue.Otherwise you'll need to be fairly diligent about maintaining a decent coat of good quality wax on the floor to protect from drips etc as well as being reasonably careful to wipe them up as they occur.If it was me I'd have any wood flooring in an environment subject to wetness etc finished.That said if you are going for the more authentic look wax is better.
 
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Old 06-15-08, 08:17 AM
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Water drips can be a problem on wax finish. The water will turn the wax white. If poly finish, do not wax or oil or clean with products containing waxes or oils, as these can contaminate flooring and create adhesion problems when it comes time to refinish.

All spills should be wiped up immediately no matter what type of finish. Water can enter between boards and can cause cupping and crowning or other problems.
 
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Old 06-15-08, 12:08 PM
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Is it dimensional hardwood?
Is it engineered wood?
Is it a laminate that looks like wood?

All three products react to spills differently.

Waxing refinishable hardwood floors is never a good idea, especially in a kitchen.
 
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Old 06-15-08, 03:31 PM
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The floor is brand new, and it is real hardwood. I assume it has a poly finish just because a wax finish seems like something an old floor would have.

Spills are one thing, like if I drop a cup on the floor, but I'm talking about drips, like the size of a nickel. We do clean them up pretty quickly, but they seem to be the sort of "daily life" type of thing and, I'm wondering if they are something to freak out about. So far the consensus here seems to be, "clean them up but it's not an emergency"
 
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Old 06-15-08, 03:54 PM
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Such is life. All of that has been considered in the manufacturing of the finishes.

To allow a large spill to remain would be a mistake but daily-life spills go with the territory.
 
 

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