hardwood floor cupping causes

Hardwood floor cupping is a common issue of a hardwood surface. Lets take a look at some causes and how they can best be dealt with.

How To Fix Hardwood Floor Problems Cupping Crowning Chatter City Floor Supply

When one side of the wood board is exposed to moisture or water that side will warp away and edges curl up.

. Moisture can come from leaking water or water vapor from the surrounding air. The back or bottom of the flooring expands and is wider than the top. As weve learned wood floor cupping is caused by the expansion of the floor planks due to moisture.

Wood floors contract and expand depending on the humidity in your home the temperature and the weather. Cupping in hardwood floors is caused by a change in moisture levels in the air. In other words water is introduced to the bottom of dry flooring boards.

Sanding a cupped floor flat before it is brought to a normal moisture content can eventually result in a crowned floor convex surface once the drying process is complete. A concave or dished appearance of individual engineered flooring planks with. The cupping of hardwood floors can be caused by seasonal change as well.

Due to water or humidity the edges of the wood planks get higher than the center of the board. More subtle cupping can be caused by lack of proper acclimation this is generally permanent cupping. High moisture content is the main culprit.

This is when the edges of a board are higher than its center due to moisture which causes the wood to expand. It gives a wavy or cupping appearance which is known to us as hardwood. Considering this during the installation process is crucial.

This causes a difference in moisture content between the face and the back of the board with related expansion of the back. Hardwood cupping can lead to more serious issues such as cracked boards and peeling finish and could eventually cause the flooring to buckle. The two readings should be within 3-4 for solid flooring less than 3 wide and within 1-2 for solid flooring wider than 3 wide.

The air conditioning of your house can also sometimes cause hardwood floor cupping. High Relative Humidity Even the most carefully installed flooring can be subject to hardwood cupping especially during the humid summer months. Humidity plays a huge role in the upkeep of your hardwood floors.

Beyond improper humidity levels in the crawlspace and basement there are more potential causes for hardwood floor buckling. Potential sources of excessive moisture include. Specifically peaking is an expansion problem.

However usually high RH is the culprit. The wood floor installers need to determine the moisture content correctly to avoid these problems. Causes of Crowning and Cupping.

Hardwood cupping is where the edges of a board become higher than the centre. Buckling hardwood floors occur when there is excessive moisture caused by flooding or a build-up in moisture from say your basements concrete slab subfloor. Here is how to ensure that doesnt happen again.

Common Causes of Wood Floor Cupping Humidity Levels. If the cupping is. However raised moisture levels are not the only cause of cupping they can also be caused my lowered moisture levels depending on the type of hardwood floor installed in your home.

Another common cause of cupped floors is failure to check the moisture contents of the subfloor and wood flooring before installation. Humidity buildup under a house is one of the main reason for a wood floors cupping and buckling. But the cupping of hardwood floors that happens due to seasonal change has a short-term effect.

Fix any leaks and drainage issues that are causing it. Another common culprit of floor cupping lies beneath the surface of your room. The opposite of the conditions can cause cupping in wood floors as well.

What causes wood floors to cup. Wooden floors are susceptible to cupping in hot humid summers and cool dry winters. A moisture differential within individual pieces of flooring usually excessive moisture on the underside of the flooring.

When one side of the floor is exposed to excessive moisture that side will expand causing the. This force pulls in from the top face and curls the board upwards. Causes of wood floor cupping.

Wood will try to match its internal. Wood is hygroscopic meaning that it absorbs and releases moisture. What Causes Hardwood Floors to Cup.

1 The most common cause of cupping is a direct result of job site moisture conditions. Adding a dehumidifier to your home will. Poor installation is the most common reason that wood flooring peaks.

This can occur after water spills onto the floor and is absorbed by the wood. Warping cupping lippage splitting buckling and bubbling are some of the mains problems that occur on the hardwood floor. Buckling is the opposite of cupping as it forms peaks and grooves and bends the other way.

The moisture content causes a change in the wood boards and as it absorbs the moisture parts of the wood swell. You can also read about the different causes of wood floor cupping. Buckling is like the opposite of cupping bowing upward into a peak instead of inward and sometimes even lifting off the flat underlayer surface.

Ensure that no water is standing in the basement or crawl space under your house. The significant change in temperature and humidity of air can cause the swelling of the planks. Anything from pipe leaks to a still-wet concrete slab to improper HVAC usage can cause cupping.

It can also be caused by a saturated board being dried from the top surface only causing this side to contract. Cupping is the result. This is usually because of the bottom surface expanding due to moisture intake.

In this article we look at some of the structural problems expected or experienced and their possible. This happens because moisture penetrates the wood and cracks between the boards. Solid wood floors cup as a result of elevated moisture saturation in the air.

The National Wood Flooring Association states the following on page 8 of the 2018 Technical Publication Problems Causes and Cures. What happens when that moisture releases from the floor and it returns to its original state.

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