Am I gonna fall through the floor!? Help!!?

[Chris Hood]

So I have these 2 bathrooms which are adjacent to each other on one side, and a hallway spans both of them. So the entrance of each bath is at opposite ends of the hall. at one end of the hall, there is a 2 foot discoloration of woodflooring which has assumed a dark brown color. It is not soaking wet, just a different color.

I used to have a flapper, toilet/refill/leak problem. About 3 weeks ago I fixed that with a new flapper. Now I’m noticing the wood is starting to appear drier, and craking and splitting. At first I thought the plank was just a funny color (i bought the place a year ago), now I am near certain that this is a moisture/leak problem.

So, does the fact that the wood is seemingly drier than it was 3 weeks ago indicate that the new flapper fixed the problem? What should I do to resolve this problem completely if not. I am very nervous about floors caving in!! I know its crazy, but its a phobia at this point. Please include any tips for restoring the floor as well. Thanks in advance

[nicktheplumberParticipant]

Yours is really not a plumbing question. It is something that a general contractor or good carpenter could address. As far as the plumbing is involved, you may assume that there was a leak that soaked the floorboards and caused them to discolor. Now that they are apparently dry, you may assume that you have fixed the leak. Your question then becomes “Has the wooden floor been significantly weakened by their exposure to the water leak?”

Wood can sustain a certain amount of wetting without loss of structural integrity. What causes wood to lose integrity is “rot” which is an infestation with wood-eating fungus. Such fungus requires a certain combination of temperature (warm) and moisture (high) and time (long) to do its damage. Staining is the first indication that fungus has (at some time) taken hold in wood.

A competent home inspector has the tools to check the condition of your floor. I advise you to call one in to look at it. The cost should be less than $300.

NtP

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