BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Repair a Water-Damaged Hardwood Floor

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Wood and water just don't mix. Sealed and waxed floors may become stained if water sits on their surface for more than a few minutes. Here's how to repair the damage.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Oxalic Acid Crystals
Fine Steel Wool
Brush Or Sponge
Painter's Masking Tape
Soft Cotton Cloths
Very Mild Abrasive
Rubber Gloves
Goggles
Sandpaper
Rubber Sanding Block Or Random-orbit Sander

Removing white stains from a surface finish

Step1

To remove a smoky white haze or a white spot, buff the finish with a soft cotton cloth and a very mild abrasive, such as whitening toothpaste, auto-polishing compound, or tobacco ash mixed with mineral oil, until the stain disappears (see A).

Removing black or white water stains from wood

Step1

Mask off the surrounding boards with painter's masking tape.

Step2

First remove any wax or surface finish. Use fine steel wool to remove wax, and sandpaper to remove a surface finish. Depending on the size of the repair area, hand-sand with a rubber sanding block (see B) or machine-sand with a random-orbit sander. In both cases, start with 80- or even 60-grit abrasive and sand to 100-grit. Sand just up to the edges of unaffected boards.

Step3

Mix oxalic acid crystals (available at paint or hardware stores) in 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) or so of hot water and stir to dissolve them. Keep adding crystals until they won't dissolve anymore.

Step4

Pour, brush or sponge the solution on the stained area. When it is completely dry, brush off the crystals and repeat the process until the stain is gone.

Step5

Stain or seal, then refinish the affected area (see How to Replace a Wood Floorboard). Or, if the touch-up stands out too much, use the screen-and-overcoat method to restore the entire floor (see How to Restore a Dull, Worn Wood Floor).

Tips & Warnings

Choose the least aggressive approach that yields the desired results.
Using excessive or concentrated pressure when buffing out a stain with even a mild abrasive can mar the finish.
Carefully follow all safety advice on oxalic acid packaging, such as wearing rubber gloves and goggles.