The most common problems we come across when restoring wood floors

When our Art of Clean Cambridge goes quoting, we come across all sorts of problems with the wood floors they see, here are the top 5 for you to look out for when asking for a quote:

• Woodworm – We here at Art of Clean Cambridge come across quite a few wood floors with woodworm damage. Woodworm is the larval stage of a beetle. The female beetle lays her eggs in a moist, damp area because the larvae need a damp environment to survive. So, the ideal environment for woodworm is the outer layers of a freshly felled tree. And that is what we find in practice in buildings. Any woodworm damage is confined to the sapwood at the edges of floorboards and has not usually caused significant damage or weakening of the floor. The woodworm larvae spend three to five years burrowing around in the sapwood before pupating, hatching out as adult beetles, and munching their way to the surface, where they leave the characteristic “flight hole”. After that, the sapwood will have dried out and become less appetising, and the female beetles will prefer to lay their eggs in a more promising location, such as dead trees in the garden.When most older homes have central heating, which dries timbers down to below the 11% moisture content needed to support insect life.

• Moisture – Wood reacts to humidity levels and moisture that is in the air. It can cause your hardwood flooring to expand. When exposed to the air, wood will attract moisture until it is at the same level as the surrounding atmosphere. If there is moisture in the air, your hardwood flooring will attract this moisture, causing it to expand. This will cause problems when it comes to floor restoration.

• Dry Rot –Dry rot can happen when wood loses all or most of the moisture. When this does happen, the wood will become brittle and crumble. We at Art of Clean Cambridge also find that Dry rot can also be the result of termite damage, the termites eat away at the pulp of the wood, causing the wood to die. One key problem is dry rot in wood can spread over time. If this has happened, you will need to replace the floor.

• Cupping – Cupping happens when the underside of the floorboards gains more moisture than the topside of the floorboard. Cupped floorboards are often the result of moisture being gained from the subfloor. Because the underside has expanded due to the absorption of moisture whilst the topside has not, the plank tends to curve. Art of Clean Cambridge recommends that this plank will need replacing, be aware that the colour might not be an exact match to the rest of the floor.

• Cheap Replacement (DIY) – A lot of people think they can repair damaged floorboards themselves. This can cause all sorts of issues, including poor appearance and most commonly uneven repairs. This can be difficult for the technicians to restore for the best results. Art of Clean Cambridgeshire does not recommend a cheap DIY job and to use a professional. Art of Flooring Cambridgeshire will be able to help with any new flooring needs.

You might find the blog below helpful if you are having problems with moisture in your wood floor or if you are considering restoring your existing floor:

Moisture in Wood Floors

Wood Floor Sanding: how to sand and restore your own wood floor?

Art of Clean is a specialist flooring and soft furnishing cleaning firm in Cambridge working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire. For further advice or information on our carpet and soft furnishing care please don’t hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 863632 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, fine Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration.

We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge