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Steam mop damage to wood floors

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

We just bought our first home with wood floor. Our previous homes have had laminate flooring. I made the mistake of letting our steam mop warm up on the flooring and its damaged the flooring. Its created these weird popped bubbles in the sealant. The wood itself doesnt seem to be damaged.

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Comments (9)

Aglitter
4 years ago
If you have any data sheets left behind on what kind of sealant was used, you can sand doown and re-apply. Patching sealant to match can be tricky, especially if it has yellowed over time. If you have no idea the type of coating used, you might need to call in a flooring professional to fix it.
SJ McCarthy
4 years ago
OK...here we go. Steam, as you have discovered, 'cooks' the finish on most forms of hardwood (it will melt the others...so don't use steam). It will do a few things. You can get hazing (a slight whitish foggy look). It can crackle the finish (cracks like a splintered/broken windshield). And bubbles...as in your case.

When the bubbles form, they rise up. If they expand too much (ie. too much heat sitting for too long) they can burst. The OTHER thing with steam is it can heat up the moisture in the wood. That moisture moves up (heat rises) and the water sits UNDERNEATH the finish. If the water continues to heat, it will cause the bubbled finish to 'pop' as well.

If you have pictures, that would be helpful. The fix you are looking at could be easy or it could be difficult depending on the TYPE of floor you have (site finished is easier than factory finished).
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I know of several people that use and swear by steam mops on hardwood. One friend has a 100 yr old house and said her floors have never been as clean as they are now since she started using the steam mop. I do not have hard wood and was told by the manufacturer not to use steam on laminate because it can cause some of them to start to delaminate on the edges. I have a shark steam mop and can tell you from experience the floor does NOT get wet it is dry pretty much instantly. It would get more water exposure by using a wet mop which is much wetter than a steam mop. But it is up to each individual as to whether they want to try it. My friend tried it first in a closet that had the same hard wood as the rest of the house and she was thrilled with the cleaning. When I was trying to decide if I wanted a steam mop and what kind I found my answer right here on GW at the cleaning forum and if you don't think there have been tons of discussions on the topic then just check out this link from that one forum. steam mops IT is a very heavily discussed topic here at GW. LOL If I had hardwood I would likely do the same test, I would try it on a location that is not right out in the open. Or specifically ask the manufacturer of the hard wood if that is a possibility. When I steam mop my tile it is completely dry in seconds after the mop goes over it, I can't risk the slipping factor, which is why it is really good for me. And I can do it sitting in my chair because the mop is so easy to use. I would certainly never presume to tell someone what to do I think we are all intelligent enough to make those informed decisions.
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Eugene Tunitsky
3 years ago
did you ever figure out how to fix this?
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
3 years ago
If it’s laminate, I don’t think it can be fixed, and certainly not sanded.

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to apply steam to wood? Craziest thing I ever heard.
HU-684103602
3 years ago
We had this same issue. Our maid left a steam mop on our wood floors. They are white oak floors that we’re site finished. Is this a hard fix or an easy fix?

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HU-684103602
3 years ago
Sorry - the picture didn’t come through before
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
@ HU....3602 This is an 'easy' fix for a professional. The finish is damaged. It looks like the top layer (out of a 2 or 3 layer system) has bubbled and peeled. The layers below are in tact - which is a good thing.

It is possible a professional can come in, tape off the damaged area, lightly sand/screen the loose finish off and then apply a 'patch' of polyurethane (assuming they can match or compliment the product on the floor).

This will offer the protection the floor needs as well as tidying up the look of the floors. It will cost a few hours of a professional's time. Usually they charge a 'job minimum' for this...which is often a 1/2 day's wage. If you guestimate $50/hour x 4 hours you are probably in the right ball park.

Will the gloss level be the same as the rest of the floor? Probably not but it will be close. Will there be a colour variation? Possibly. But maybe not.

Can you live with a gloss difference and/or a colour difference? Only you can answer that question.
HU-684103602
3 years ago
Thank you for the very thorough reply
Eugene Tunitsky
3 years ago
I actually spoke to hardwood kc exactly about this issue and he was incredibly helpful. He has a video about how to fix this and SJ mcarrthy pretty much said the same thing.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UfuKOkR-TJ0

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