When a home floods or water gradually seeps in underneath the floor, hardwood floors tend to get warped and discolored. This can create an annoying and unsightly patch of floor that makes noise and even presents a trip hazard. Plus, when a floor is warped, it makes it easier for bugs to get in, and it can negatively affect how well the room retains heat or cold air. In any case, it’s best to fix water-damaged hardwood as soon as possible.


Step 1: First, dry the area with towels and floor fans. You can even use a hairdryer to get at tough spots that stay wet. If you can get to the floor below, make sure there is no moisture seeping through the ceiling. If there is, dry from below as well.

Step 2: Next, if the floor has been stained (usually with a whitish discoloration), you’ll want to refinish the wood. Remove the existing finish by sanding it down with a rubber sanding block or an electric sander, and then add new stain to refinish the entire affected area. The goal is to get the wood to look as good as new in terms of color and consistency. It will still look warped for now.

Step 3: Give the stain on the wood plenty of time to dry—at least a full day—and then sweep away any dirt or debris.

Step 4: The process of fixing the warped floor may take a little time, but you’ll get it right eventually. First, assess how serious the warp is. If it’s mainly lifted in one small spot or area, then you might be able to fix it by placing a heavy object on top of it and leaving it for a few days. It sounds simple, but it really can work.

Step 5: For slightly larger warps, try the heavy object method, and also nail down the particularly bad spots with flooring nails, making sure that they go in flush with the surface of the wood.

Step 5: For even larger warps, you can try to straighten them out with larger objects, or you might simply rearrange the room so that the warp is permanently underneath the furniture. If this isn’t an option, then the news is bad: to fix the problem, you’re probably going to need a replacement floor, which can be a long and exhaustive job, usually requiring a contractor.