Do Hardwood Floors in a Kitchen Leak When Spills Occur?

Floor Construction

• Hardwood floors are typically 3/4-inch wood strips or planks installed on top of subflooring. In old houses, subflooring is usually 1-inch-thick boards, while newer houses usually have 4-by-8-foot sheets of 3/4-inch plywood. Old wood floors were installed perpendicularly or diagonally to the subfloor boards, creating many gaps that water can penetrate. Plywood subflooring has fewer.

Spill Damage

• Most kitchen spills are not enough to cause a leak in the space under the floor. Larger spills -- a stock pot full of liquid, for instance -- might penetrate the finished floor and reach the subfloor. Quick cleanup is key to damage control. If left on hardwood, spills can damage the finish or warp the floorboards.

Leaks

• Leaks from faulty plumbing and refrigerators are a concern for any kitchen floor. Worse, floods from clogged drains or water left running can ruin any floor. Undetected leaks and floods quickly penetrate finished flooring and work their way through the subfloor. Old subfloors will leak at each gap between the boards, while plywood subfloors will leak at their seams, which are fewer and farther apart.

Tips

• The faster a spill is cleaned up, the less damage will occur to the finish, the hardwood, the subfloor and the space underneath. After you remove surface water following major events, you may need to use fans or a dehumidifier to draw moisture from the wood. To reduce their liability, homeowner's insurance companies often immediately send in clean-up crews with drying equipment when policy holders report floods.