I moved into this rental apt 6 years ago.
I have a small chest freezer and I kept the plastic shipping tray on the bottom thinking it would protect these beautiful hardwood floors (hardwood tile strips).

This weekend I moved the freezer for the first time in 6 years.
My GF had to help as I couldn't do it on my own.
The floor is soaking wet and there is mold.
I removed the plastic tray (full of moldy water) and mopped up the floor using a fan to dry it.

My problem is the floor's finish is ruined and the stain has been washed out of the wood.
The edges of the tiles are starting to curl up.

The place I have my freezer is in a direct path with the hallway.
Once I move my kitchen furniture and a pantry cabinet, you will obviously see this 2x3 foot 'blemish' in the floor.

This is a rental and even after 6 years there is no 'damage' beyond normal wear and tear (it needs painted).
I think I know what needs to be done (affected tiles lifted and replaced with LKQ and a good waxing) I suppose the underlay will need some work too, possibly a section replaced.

Being a rental and a Habitat for Humanity project, the craftsmanship in this unit is less than desirable. Since I did not cause the craftsmanship issues they are not my concern, but my freezer and my decision not to remove the plastic tray or pull the freezer out for 6 years, is my fault.

I have liability renters insurance. (just got it)
I am signing a new two year lease on May 1st.
My rent is going up 3% + an annual $40 maintenance fee has been added.
I'm not well enough to move.

The freezer covers the spot perfectly.
However, with the freezer moved or gone, the spot is very noticeable.
I do not have the money to pay to have it fixed by a restoration company.
I do not have the health or the tools to do it myself.

Is there a quick fix? (can I sand it, stain it and re-varnish it? Would it 'look' right?)
Is this something I can just let my deposit pay? ($575)
Is this something I can submit to my renter's insurance when I move out?

My fear is condensation from the bottom of the freezer may exacerbate the problem and if I just move the freezer it could cause yet another spot with water damage.

The first problem is that leaky freezer, if you move
it you just get a new bad spot and apparently the tray
of protection is not working.

The reason I say tis the first problem is because if you
go ahead and fix the ruined floor it could happen again
and again.

Walking away from a deposit if there is a LOT of damage is
not the worst idea..but I wouldn't want to live with mold.

"tray of protection" I love it!

By the folks who brought us the cone of silence?

And Tom I can tell you this you'd never get it to match...........

The freezer has never been defrosted.
I have however chipped away some frost which has built up from time to time at the lid (trying to keep the seal intact).

I don't think the freezer is leaking as in leaking from a leak.
I figure it is condensation and the fact I might not have gathered up all the ice chips from the frost chipping.

I live in a high humidity region.
I run my HVAC and sometimes the condensation from that drains loud enough to hear (a/c condenser has its own drain).
I'm figuring the condensation along with the shipping tray I did not remove has caused a long term buildup of water under the freezer.

I had the freezer in my last apt in PA with no problems, even with the tray intact. The humidity was not as high.

I've scrubbed the mold with bleach and its no longer there but the floor is stained from it. It looks like the feather-edging of old paint when prepping to repaint a car. The wood in the center is raw and white compared to the rest of the floor which is a light golden glossy stain. The dark brown areas are where the mold was (at the panel edges and ends).

I'm not concerned with recovering my deposit. All the walls need painted but that was the extent of the wear and tear on the apt. Aside from that and the freezer stain, this place is the same as when I moved in and I have pictures to prove it.
But, I try to be an honest person.
This freezer issue is my fault, not theirs.


Yeah, this is my thinking as well.
I was just hoping there might be someone here with flood damage restoration who could give me ideas on how to make it better.

Plus, I've never had a claim on any liability insurance so I don't know how that works either.

If I die before I move the issue is moot.
If I move, I am going to have to tell them, show them and see what they want to do.
I'd rather show them an attempted fix than try to hide it from them (I could vacate, move the fridge over the spot and run away...not likely).
I probably won't tell them till I put in my notice but I also don't want it to get worse. If I get rid of the freezer, the unprotected floor will get wear and tear.
I have moved the freezer since and found some moisture but no pools of water.
I'm figuring condensation.
The freezer is easier to move now that the tray is gone.
I'm figuing I'll need to move the freezer out when I mop my floor from now on. Plus, any buildup of water will now be seen because there is no tray holding it. Plus, ventilation can now move under the freezer to help evaporate the condensation.

I considered applying some floor wax but there might still be moisture in the wood and underlay. Wax might prevent more condensation from soaking into the exposed wood but could trap moisture that still exists in the wood.

If I could afford a dehumidifier (have you priced those things!) that would extract the moisture so wax could be applied.
I might also apply some Thompson's Water Seal but there's that wicked water thing again.

I'm open to ideas.

Oh and if a hurricane hits this year - its not gunna matter much.

tom leave the freezer of that area for a day or so and the floor will dry enough that you can reseal it.
a fan blowing across it will help.
yeah it was the condensate off the evaporator plus the tray.plus 6years without a defrost or cleaning.

sand the it all smooth then just coat it. you are right you'll never get a match.
any clear varnish or polyurethane wood finish and wax after.

loose the tray and keep the works vacuumed and as dust free as you can to mitigate over heating and excessive condensate

Yeah, the tray is history.
Thanx fer the encouragement.
Makes sense.

I have no other place to put the freezer without a major rearranging.
Maybe when my GF comes back this weekend we can figure something out.

I notice I do have air flow under it now.

I guess we could move it into the shower and open the lid and drain and get it defrosted. Turn the a/c off for a day.
Want some meat, breads and ice creams?
There isn't much ice build up inside but it does frost at the lid seal (looks in good shape?)

A/C ice-over usually indicates a leak doesn't it?
Like leaving the windows open the evaporator ices up in a house or car?

Tom , the tray was to catch the condensation before it hit the floor, but no matter, yes try to dry and seal, if you can get the best sealer ( shows an attempt to make it right to land lord). Quart or less probably. But you are going to need a tray under there to catch the condensation or it will expand the problem. No probably no leaks cause if it did it would not keep food frozen, freezers as well as refrigerators condensate. Why they have trays under them. Need to empty ha ha just a wee bit more often. Check refer. Hope that helps. Little edit . Sealer will have vapors you don't want to breath in. Use caution. Stay safe!

Yeah, the plastic tray was part of the bottom of the shipping box.
I never lifted it off, kept it as a floor protector.
So much for that thinking eh?

I put my table against the island and shoved my chairs under it.
Moved the freezer as suggested and brought out the fan.
There wasn't any puddles under it but I could feel the moisture on my foot so I mopped it again and put a fan on it in rotate mode.

I could probably get away with about a pint of sealer but a quart is easier to find and I'll have leftovers just in case.
I think I still have some wet sanding paper sheets from my old days doing body & paint. The curling is minor but I can feel it with my bare foot.

This is the closest in type and color I can find (sorry image is so big)



Being a Habitat for Humanity built home I think its pretty common in my area.
If I can find it I might ask the store for fixes too.
The slats look to be about 24 inches long or so. That's if they are individual slats. (can't see H4H flooring the entire apt floor with individual slats, the high quality of alignment doesn't match the poor quality in the drywall, tiling or cabinet doors)
I have to assume they are individual slats tho.

Most are sold in boxes of ""X"" amount of sq foot. But looks like you could probably get by with just sanding the high parts after good and dry. then a little sealer. They are tung and groove. A pain to try and take out one or two as it usually damages the next one over. Making repair RUFF! Then you have to cut tung off one to get it back in there , then it may not stay down, Glue?? some are floating floors over a foam base, not glued. If not glued you could go take base board trim off and pull each one apart till you get to the ones that are damaged err, yea much easier just to try short repair and limit more damage. I would say just tap with rubber hammer see if will lay down , sand edges and seal. Tell land lord when moving and just try keep area dry from now on.

Thanx, good info.

for dry and repair just off to on side for the relocate was what i meant.
as for ac ice over...that usually mean a blockage but by nature an a/c unit also acts as a dehumidifier. by condensing the moisture in the air around it.
the evaporator is cold due to the high to low pressure drop and moist air in contact with it causes the condensation. that is usually trap and routed away for evaporation elsewhere. remember the drip tube out side the firewall?

the picture you show ed leads me to believe it is a pergo type laminate. prolly floating. as stated if you can get to an edge you can unlock it and replace the damaged pieces. the problem comes from the manufacturers, all use a different form of lock and change them continuously. so you would need to find leftovers from the same brand and age of the original build. ran into this trying to get more for my folks after a flooring friend donated his old stock for their last renovation. we needed a couple more boxes than we had and wound up doing one room with store bought new

Sadly, after having a fan on it all night I stepped on a few slats and felt moisture on my toe near a seam.
If I attempt to expose the edge, I'll ruin the paint on the moldings.

Being on the coast in Mississippi at Katrina landfall black mold is my main concern. I need to try to find a small bottle of tree oil but then there is the problem of whether the water sealer will stick to the tree oil residue.
Plus, if the underlay has mold, I'll never get it clean.

This duplex apt complex was Habitat For Humanity low budget handicap housing until the contract ran out and they sold it to a real estate agent.
Last year (when they sold it) rent went from $575 to $695 @mo. This year he is raising the rent standard 3% + tacking on an additional $40 @mo maintenance fee. If I sign a new two year lease May 1 they will waive the 3% increase and my rent only goes up $40 @mo.
Basically. I paid $575 for 5 years, $695 for 1 year and will pay $735 for two years and absolutely no improvements were done.
Sadly, my disability only went up $32 @mo but everything else, including my meds went up too.
My rent is at just under market value for a two bedroom in my area. Most are $775 or higher and feature less.

The homeowner in me wants to fix it right but the renter in me understands this is low budget housing no matter what they say. Its only the fact I was the first tenant after new construction that I am concerned as I am.
All damage is on me.

There's wear and tear on the floors, the bathroom ceramic tile has a crack on a plywood seam and the floor in the hallway creaks and cracks when walked on (worse in winter) which indicates improper construction. Hell, paint on the walls in one bedroom and one wall in the bathroom has sagging and runs.

When I move out, they will bring in a sprayer and paint all the walls (normal turnover for a long duration renter) they may come in and wax the floors (also normal turnover for wear and tear).
I reported the crack in the bathroom floor to H4H but they dismissed it.
The ceiling fan in the bedroom failed - they replaced it with a lower quality one but they fixed it right away.
The drain in one of the kitchen sink basins started leaking. I reported it and they fixed it right away.
A screw in the metal roof leaked when it rained and was soaking the wall in the bathroom. I reported it and they fixed it right away but all they did to the wall damage was dry it and paint it with Kilz.
They had Terminex inspect, treat and replace damaged wood under the bldg before they sold it. As a result there have been absolutely no bugs and I did fight fire ants before that.
The sink basins both started leaking and I reported it to the new owner and they fixed it right away.
That is all in 6 years.

With all my furniture out, the spot will be noticeable. Its small but in a walking path. I doubt they will fix it.
My issue is that its my fault.
If I tell them they might not renew my lease or tack on an extra charge.
They get a $300 pet deposit and add $65 per month to the rent.
I have no pets because I can't afford that plus pay for normal pet costs.
They could treat it like pet damage.

USAA renter's insurance is about $2 per month but I have never had a claim let alone a liability claim. I'm thinking (since they have my renter's insurance on file) they will just make a claim when I move out.
I'm not sure how that works?

Mold will produce spores with cell walls highly resistant to cleaning chemicals. The mold will continue to grow, produce more spores, and produce microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). Most wood has some mold in it, but when it gets moldy, the amount of mold spores is an exponential explosion in number.

Spores can be infectious and mVOCs can be toxic. Both can be allergenic and can reduce the quality of long term health if repeatedly breathed.

All interior surfaces have the potential to release mold spores into the air. Professional advice is usually to remove and replace these surfaces. Another option is to remove, heat the boards to 200 F for however many hours it takes to reach the middle of the wood and have sufficient disinfection time, and then nail them back down.

It should be noted that mVOCs can still penetrate the walls from any source in the annular space. One thing I always wanted to try for this problem was taking pieces of PVC pipe and two PVC elbow joints to route air from the outside into the intake of a window unit AC to maintain positive pressure in the interior space with cool, nonhumid air, which is also nonconducive to condensation and mold growth. I have never tried this, I don’t know if it is a reliable solution.

For cosmetic purposes, one could pirate boards from another apartment with anticipated floor renovations and put them down in replacement. Or call the contractor to find the supplier of the same kind of board (Eric’s idea). One could hire the contractor to finish them so they match a sample from your apartment complex, then put them down yourself. Don’t tell them which unit you live in. Tell them you don’t want to waste money on buying a new can of finish and you want them to finish them with a can of finish they already have. Have a friend replace the boards, and if the landlord asks what happened to the floor there, say you had some friend over and you don’t know what exactly he did to them.

Nah, I think I know what I will do.

On the mold issue, this whole region has a mold problem.
The whole area was flooded in Katrina.
H4H used to come pressure wash the buildings and porches each year but the new owner hasn't.

There are no empty units. Plus each unit has different flooring from the small number I have visited.

H4H office is no longer open. Without asking the current owner, there is no way I can find out who supplied the materials for this unit or whether surplus materials for the floor are even available.

Light sanding and an application of a indoor quality sealer is likely how I will go. Since the freezer is not leaking water, I'll move it back when the sealer completely dries and just pull it out and mop under it when I do normal housecleaning.

If the owner has a problem when I move, they have my insurance info.
The floor is not destroyed it is blemished.

Now that I think about it, to me that sounds like a much better idea. Thanks for the topic; it is a good analytical exercise.

In the big picture, it is a disposable apartment made by man for man.

You could spread out a thin layer of sand over the moldy spot, and sprinkle charcoal on top of that, light The coals, and read the book by it for a few hours with fire extinguisher Handy in case there is any mishap, though that is unlikely. That would kill the mold spores in the wood and prevent it from spreading. Immediate problem solved.

Now, I have a question for you. I lived in a moldy apartment for a few months and now even after about a year since then my nose closes up at night, disrupting sleep, so I sleep with a snorkel mouthpiece to keep my mouth propped open so my sleep is not disrupted. The problem with that is my mouth gets dry then badly infected with yeast. Any solution?

My mouth gets dry when I have a cold/stuffy nose too.
I just get up and get a drink of water.
In the morning use a good quality mouthwash when you brush your teeth.
If you brush your teeth before bed and use mouthwash, rinse with water afterward.

Ever heard the saying "Old man chews his cud"?
This is reference to people without teeth keeping their mouths wet.
Chewing action makes saliva.
At night, if you don't want to get up for water just do the motions of chewing gum and your saliva will start to flow.

For the floor, I am considering another method for wicking some moisture.
Having been a mechanic all my life I know how to soak up oil.
Problem is, Floor Dry comes in 40 lbs bags and I don't need 40 pounds.
Might go to a local shop with an empty cereal box and ask if I can have some of their floor dry. If I was working there I'd give it.

FLOOR- DRY brand diatomaceous earth (DE) absorbent is highly purified an calcined (kiln-fired) for superior absorbent qualities.

Fan still on it, I stepped on it with my barefoot this morning and it has a moistness but feels wet at the seams. Moved the now full freezer (barely) and no puddles under it. There was a slight coldness but no water. I'm figuring the floor of the freezer is not as well insulated because there are no appearance panels under there. The motor vent is clear.

natural type kitty litter = speedidri

available in much smaller packaging