Hi!
I have lovely real red oak floors all over my first floor. For between 24 and 48 hours we had a very slow leak under the refrigerator - turns out the water filter was leaking. The leak was so slow that the boards did not feel wet next to or under the fridge. I discovered where the leak was by putting a towel on the floor in front of the fridge. Seems that the fridge pan was slowly overflowing. Fridge is now fixed - no more leaking. However, the floor has warped (bowed?? not sure of proper terminology) a bit. The kitchen is on top of the garage - checked boards in garage which are under insulation - no wet spots at all. I turned the heat up high all night - to 70 - usually stays at 63 during the night. Thought about opening the gas oven for awhile, getting out the hair dryer. What would you suggest? Will this correct by itself in time or I am I in major trouble?

Thanks so much!

You say the floor boards are slightly bowed. We would say cupped - edges up, relative to center. I would recommend you focus on making sure the source of the leak is repaired and possibly set a small fan blowing air under the refrigerator. I've seen many of these return completely to normal once the boards dried out. If the boards didn't get too wet, they will probably dry without gaps between them. If once the floor is dry there are gaps, you can have the damaged boards removed and replaced, and the floor refinished and it can look like new all over again! Your insurance company may even cover the cost of the repairs.

Sherrie VandePutte
Ortonville, MI