If the surface of the floor is left exposed to water or left in humid conditions for an extended period of time, the moisture can saturate the wood flooring and cause crowning.Īnother cause is that the floor was previously cupping, but was sanded before the MC returned back to its normal state. A common cause is moisture exposure or imbalance. The opposite of cupping, crowning occurs when a board’s center is higher than its edges. Can wood floor cupping be fixed? Learn if cupping can be fixed or not. The wood is wetter on the bottom of the board than on the top surface, which dries quicker than the bottom.Ĭupping most often appears after the floor has been installed and in some cases, the floor will cup even if it was installed correctly. As the wood expands, compression can result as the boards are crushed together, deforming the boards at the edges.Ĭupping is caused by a moisture imbalance through the thickness of the wood. This can occur after water spills onto the floor and is absorbed by the wood. As an example, homeowners can add moisture to the air during dry winter months by installing a humidifier in the furnace.Ĭupping is when the edges of a board are higher than its center due to moisture, which causes the wood to expand. Monitoring the room’s temperature and RH level, then taking corrective action, can also minimize seasonal shifts in the wood floor. Some of these variations are seasonal problems and will close up on their own when the weather (and related RH) changes and the MC of the air increases. When homes are heated in the winter, RH levels can plummet, boards can shrink, and spaces appear between the boards as the wood loses MC. These changes can also present a less-than-desirable change in the appearance of your wood flooring. This “wood movement” occurs naturally according to seasonal shifts or when ambient RH levels change in the home. Primarily, wood flooring problems can occur when the wood expands and contracts. Some moisture-related problems are visible to the discerning eye. Common Hardwood Floor Problems and Visible Signs If it’s wood over a crawl space, there might not be vapor barriers installed in the crawl space or on top of the subfloor. If the subfloor is concrete, it might not have a vapor barrier installed underneath. The subfloor might have been too wet when the floor was installed over it. Other installation mistakes can allow the floor to absorb too much moisture. For large expanses of floor, there might not be adequate expansion joints.
For example, the planks might have been installed with the wrong size fasteners or not enough fasteners.įor instance, there might not be adequate expansion gaps around the perimeter of the floor. Some mistakes will not allow the floor to move as it absorbs moisture. There are several ways a poor installation can cause flooring problems. If the floor isn’t properly acclimated before it’s installed, it will expand or contract after installation and cause problems. Once it stabilizes, it won’t expand or contract as long as the surrounding conditions remain constant. This means it must be stored in an area with similar conditions and allowed to either absorb or lose moisture to the surrounding air until it stabilizes. Improper or No Acclimationīefore a wood floor is installed, the wood must be “acclimated” to the average temperature and humidity of the space where it will be installed. This will cause the wood to expand and can cause problems. If you live in an area with humid weather, the floor can absorb moisture from the air during humid months. Recent flooding or even spills that aren’t quickly and completely cleaned up could also be a problem. It might be the terrain of the site with rain and runoff not moving away from the foundation that can cause moisture-related problems with the wood flooring over time. Leaking appliances, groundwater intrusion through a perforated vapor barrier, condensation, and even moisture from a concrete subfloor that had not completely dried can introduce moisture to your flooring.
THE DOWNSIDE LIFE LEAKS CREAKS HOW TO
How to Choose a Moisture Measurement System for Your Sawmill Buying GuideĪny moisture that comes from below a subfloor or gets between the subfloor and the flooring can cause problems over time.
Flooring, Millwork, Furniture & Cabinet Manufacturers.Why You Should Use Relative Humidity (RH) Testing.
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