If you’ve ever had water damage in your home, you know how time-consuming repairs can be. Parquet flooring in particular is quickly affected by moisture. If you don’t react quickly enough and remove the water, the fine wooden floor will swell. The trick of ironing swollen parquet is circulating on the Internet. But does it really work? Here you can find out when the iron 🛒 can actually help – and when you should keep your hands off it.
Ironing swollen parquet: Myth or ingenious trick?
The idea behind the tip is as simple as it is tempting: heat and pressure are supposed to dry the wood and bring it back into shape. If the iron can make dents disappear from clothes, why not from parquet? Sounds logical, doesn’t it? Unfortunately not.
Ironing swollen parquet may sound promising, but in most cases it’s a bad idea. Why? Because the problem lies deeper – literally.
Moisture problem beneath the surface
Swelling of parquet is often caused by penetrating moisture. This penetrates deep into the wood fibers and changes their structure. However, you can only reach the top layer with an iron. The damage on the inside remains – or gets worse.
Heat can ruin the wood
An iron produces a heat of over 200 degrees. If your parquet is varnished or sealed, there is a risk of fire from this punctual heat. The surface can be damaged: discoloration, burns and cracks are not uncommon.
The problem remains unsolved
Even if ironing seems to help in the short term, the moisture still remains in the wood. Without fixing the actual cause, such as a water leak or excessive humidity 🛒, the problem will soon return – often worse than before.
What you should do instead
Ironing swollen parquet is therefore not a good idea. Try the following methods instead:
- Eliminate the cause: Check your home for possible water leaks, poor seals and excessive humidity. Ideally, this should be between 40 and 60 percent.
- Targeted repair of parquet damage: Light sanding and resealing can help to smooth the surface. In the case of severe damage, it is usually necessary to completely replace individual planks.
- Call in a specialist: If you are unsure, you should contact a parquet company or a floor layer. Professionals know exactly how to repair parquet damage correctly.
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When the iron can still be useful
The trick with the iron is of course no coincidence. There are indeed situations in which the hot iron can be useful – but not for swollen parquet.
Dents in the wood
If a heavy vase has left unsightly dents on your parquet floor, an iron can work wonders. Place a damp cotton cloth on the dent and carefully run the iron over it. The moisture and heat will restore the compressed wood fibers to their original shape.
Slight scratches
If superficial, small scratches are visible on the wood, the iron can also help here, provided you proceed carefully. Again, use a damp cloth, which you place over the scratches, and carefully iron over them. The moisture and heat will allow the wood fibers to straighten up a little.
The idea of ironing swollen parquet is tempting, but not recommended. The damage is often deeper and requires a thorough repair and root cause analysis. For dents or small scratches, however, the iron can actually do your fine wooden floor some good.
Source: t-online.de
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