The edges of a board becomes higher than its center. Thanks! Humidity isn’t the only enemy of wood floors, as cupping can also be caused by water spills on wood. Some of the characteristics of air that we deal with every day are: 1) Warming air lowers its RH 2) Cooling air raises the RH 3) Cooling air too much causes condensation 4) Outside air contains moisture. Keeping your home consistently between 35-55% relative humidity is the best way to protect your wood floors from shrinking, expanding, cupping, cracking, squeaking or gapping. Increase the relative humidity in the room with cupped floors to 20 percent to prevent cupping from the air being too dry. Most of the water was carried out into the garage, however 10 ft by 5 feet was completely soaked. Now, whether closing the vents was good, I have my doubts. The cupping still remained until the fall/winter and the floors went back the way they should be. What’s happening with your floor is called “Endlift/Ski.” It’s a condition where the ends of installed engineered wood flooring boards deviate from the flat plane and appear raised or curved upward. Thanks for the question and sorry for the issue. Since it is winter a regular dehumidifier won't do anything because the air is dry. Cupping can also occur in rooms with dry humidity. Hope this helps. My builder went under the house and didn’t notice anything. Thanks for the question. Thanks for reaching out. Dehumidifier – Floor Type Inverter Reheating & Cooling From full power to energy-saving modes, inverter technology enables Hitachi dehumidifiers to be energy-efficient across a wide range of load conditions. Your theory could be true, but it’s not necessarily exclusive. I’m so bummed since this is a brand new home. First, it wouldn’t usually be recommended to install wood over a wood floor, especially one that has known damage. How to Repair a Crowned Floor. Call us now! After the floor has been wet for more than 1.5 days, the floor has a 90% chance at flattening out the cupping, but a 10% chance there will still be some cupped boards. Dehumidifier – Floor Type Inverter Reheating From full power to energy-saving modes, inverter technology enables Hitachi dehumidifiers to be energy-efficient across a wide range of load conditions. In addition, there are small cracks between planks indicating water seeped into planks and was not simply sitting on surface of hardwood floor. Elevated Crawl Space Moisture Problems … With the passing of Spring break, and the upcoming Easter weekend, days become longer and temperatures rise. Just running a fan or dehumidifier for a week will not solve most problems. If that remedy doesn’t meet your expectations, I would look for a certified wood flooring inspector at http://www.nwfa.org and have them evaluate the situation. Many moisture issues can be fixed through household climate control, taking moisture readings throughout the house, or seeking out undetected leaks or spots where moisture could creep in from other areas. Jose: they said the floors were toast. Common Causes of Wood Floor Cupping. Hi Lynn, Usually problems with buckling or cupping in a wood floor are caused by excessive humidity inside or under your house. Moisture readings were collected throughout the living area and were 99% everywhere. If it’s okay with you, may we have permission to use your photos in marketing materials? To avoid these mistakes, there is a way to test for a change in your home’s ambient conditions over time. Downstairs half of the floor was hardwood and the other half carpeted so we converted It all to hardwood. When I moved into my house there was a ceramic tile floor over mortar and lath with roofing paper oner oak floors in the foyer. Thanks for the questions and sorry for the issues you are having. Weather patterns change to a more sub-tropical feel. It’s possible that a nonpermeable housewrap was used behind your new siding, which is increasing the humidity level in your home; or that the siding covered up existing foundation vents under your home. Warping happens when wood dries unevenly in the process of losing moisture. Wood Floor Cupping Prevention Measures Much warped wood floor due to water damage tends to be unrepairable. But once again, the moisture problem that caused the cupping has not been dealt with. Am I looking at weeks? Hickory floor cupping. • Inadequate or inoperable HVAC systems resulting in elevated humidity levels. They assured me they would send a copy of their findings. Please, what do you think ? I hope this helps. Thanks so much for any advice you can give us. Typically wood’s “happy place” is between 30-50% relative humidity, so when conditions change, so does the wood. After wiping it up we’ve been running a fan and dehumidifier in the room for about 24 hours. Of course I jumped up, turned off the water and opened up the drains and scrambled to get a mop towels bed covers anything to get the water. Could it be that the contractor didn’t have the wood acclimate to the space? 2. It looks like the floor installer used 15 lb felt paper for the vapor barrier. I did an inspection last week inside the crawlspace on the south side of Charlotte, NC where I discovered that the homeowner had sealed off all of his vents, and installed a commercial dehumidifier inside the space in an attempt to mitigate crawl space moisture. Water covered floor, was flowing out balcony of living area and flooded lower level garage. Ran fan over the top of the area for days. Severe cupping should be addressed by a professional so that the edges can get sanded down, but often minor cupping will resolve itself as moisture in the air dissipates. The floor has lifted and everyday the lifting is a little larger. It’s very likely they will not return to normal. While cupping can remain after a severe event like flooding, persistent cupping is worth investigating. It is winter and when I leave in 3 days there’s will be no heat as it’s a seasonal cottage and we drain it and turn heat off. They sit on a subfloor with a crawl space underneath. or may be the concrete floor was not cured properly? The wood slats have some cupping … [Tweet “The most common signs of buckled hardwood flooring are cupping and crowning. It could be a ventilation issue under the house, fluctuating relative humidity in the crawlspace and/or home, improper acclimation of the floor prior to installation, etc.. We had a company come out and test the subfloor. The downstairs wood floors are beautiful and have no evidence of warping Im hoping you have a solutions that means we don’t have to replace the floors. It is not existing in the old hardwood that was already there downstairs. Please help us. You may notice small, raised ridges along the edges of some of the planks in the floor. You’ve had a beautiful hardwood floor installed in your home. Upon delivery of the flooring to the jobsite, recheck and record the temperature and relative humidity in the space receiving the wood floor. In a situation like this, there are too many variables to narrow down a time frame. In May, I cemented around the surround exterior of the addition. But by afternoon, the air warms, the RH drops and the dew has evaporated. For more information, please visit http://www.nwfa.org. You need to know if there is a leak somewhere. The oak was cupped, so I left it exposed for a couple of years. The MC differential from the top of the wood flooring board to the bottom needs to be within 1% and (in this area) between 6% and 9% overall. Hi I have solid pine 22 yr old floor. As it was a … Wood floor cupping can be avoided or fixed by following a few simple steps. But this is not what I learned from reading several websites including yours. We have a crawl space under the house. Two months later, the cupping was getting worse. After builder installed the flooring, I noticed that the edge was higher than the center, but I was not aware of that's cupping til yesterday. Hi Lynn, Usually problems with buckling or cupping in a wood floor are caused by excessive humidity inside or under your house. But anyway, what happened is that the plywood sheets the installer (40 of them) used by the installer stayed outside at least during 2 weeks prior the installation, and the day they were installed (very cold and icy day), they were pretty wet and frozen. Before we installed the humidifier, the humidity level in the house was usually around 20%. Lucy: We had carpet and linoleum throughout until 2 years ago. To fix floorboard cupping, you can simply sand the floor … Your email address will not be published. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. This information can help you determine what actions to take with your flooring. Crawl Space construction is the … Required fields are marked *. I stripped it back to the oak. You would be surprised what an expert can do to a floor that normal people, like you and me, might think is unrepairable. A. National Wood Flooring Association (www.NWFA.org) is the standard for which ALL installations of hardwood flooring must follow. We live where we have ledges all around us. This past weekend we installed a whole house steam humidifier and set the humidity control to 40%. We built our home over 30 years ago. I would reach out to http://www.nwfa.org and find a certified inspection professional in your area to take a look at the entire floor. We are running 6 fans in the area that was soaked as well as a dehumidifier brought in by Serv Pro. Home » Moisture Meters » Wood Division Knowledge Base » Can Wood Floor Cupping Be Fixed? We run a dehumidifier in the basement or central air conditioning in the summer when the (weather outside) humidity is high to protect our hardwood floors. We live in Florida in the winter. ... dehumidifier, etc.). The living room of this house has 140 year old original 4″ wide 3/4″ thick wood floors underneath the wall to wall carpet, half of the wood planks are super water damaged, the other half are in good condition. Set up a dehumidifier to try move air and dry out crawlspace. I live on Lake Sinclair in middle Ga where we are having tons of rain. Wagner Meters’ Orion® moisture meter line, https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ag-aQU8wF_D_gzF8Ivj26frARZsr?e=crx01Y, https://www.woodfloors.org/find-a-professional.aspx, https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/th-200-thermo-hygrometer/, https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/smart-logger/, Hardwood Floor Problems: Heed the Warning Signs, Wood Floor Cupping & Other Common Problems: Spotting the Trouble. It’s hard to tell what is happening with your laminate floor without gathering more information. We run a dehumidifier in the basement or central air conditioning in the summer when the (weather outside) humidity is high to protect our hardwood floors. We fixed leak. Thanks. Confused as to why the flooring would expand so much during winter ????!!!! Did our new humidifier cause our laminate floor to cup? Cupping is one of the unfortunately common issues that can plague hardwood floors. I assume this was allowing more humidity up into the kitchen floor. Thank you! The planks have some shrinkage and a few of them are still cupped. Hardwood floors are original to the property and are installed in living area which is over the lower level insulated and heated garage. This is when the real wood floor problems start like hardwood floor raising up often accompanied by cupping or swelling starts. You also don’t want to assume your floor has already failed. My husband and I just bought a cute 100 yr old house a couple of months ago (during the summer it is now winter) and the two upstairs rooms both have cupped floors. Record, date, photograph, and document all results. Using a wood stove can decrease the humidity in the air and can dry the top of the wood out causing dry cupping ALSO, the plywood could have been excessively wet and this would exacerbate this issue. If your hardwood or laminate floor buckling or severely raising up, you will need to replace the flooring. Q: When I moved into my house 1 1/2 years ago I had carpet and ceramic floors removed and new hickory prefinished hardwood put in my entire downstairs. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. So if the air is humid, the wood will absorb more moisture from the air and it will swell. Probably the best way to find this out is with a thermo-hygrometer of some type. The floors are cupped and failing. You can either get one and take static readings in these space’s during the seasonal changes with something like this https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/th-200-thermo-hygrometer/ or you can place something like this https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/smart-logger/ in each space and it will log data, over time, so you can download and compare the information between seasons. Knowing the answers to the above question may help lead to the reason. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. If the air is dry, wood fibers will release some of its moisture back into the air and it can shrink back down. Are you using air conditioning? Does the flooring need to be out of the packaging? I have Brazillian teak 3/8 thick solid wood floor, glued to slab foundation. Almost immediately my floors started cupping, some areas are raised and some have vertical cracks in the wood. I would make sure the wood has reached its Equilibrium Moisture Content before sanding. Hardwood Floor Cupping Problems? ... Use a Dehumidifier. Dehumidifier Bundle-2 Items: 24oz Mini dehumidifier & 17oz Portable Dehumidifier for Home,White and Green Afloia $69.99 $ 69 . Is there a better way? Some water damaged wood planks have about 1/4″-1/2″ difference in plank height due to cupping… All planks have about 1/2″ gap in between due to shrinkage over time. This includes everything wood in your home. It’s very important to make sure no repairs are done until the EMC (Equilibrium Moisture Content) has stabilized. If its “green” wood subfloor and there is no cause for the moisture at your residence, the subfloor should dry out as long as you have proper ventilation under the home. Even before you call a professional, if you have a reliable wood moisture meter you can use to take multiple readings throughout your home, you’ll have a much better idea of what kind of situation you have on your hands. Almost immediately my floors started cupping, some areas are raised and some have vertical cracks in the wood. Thanks for the question. The average of the wood subfloor readings should coincide with the manufacturer required temperature and humidity levels in the facility receiving wood flooring. Use a dehumidifier. I have a newly installed engineered oak wood floor throughout the first floor of our new construction home. If you continue using our site you consent to our cookies. 24/7 Hardwood Floor Drying. It all depends on the time of year and how badly the floor was damaged. Crowning wood floors show symptoms that are the exact opposite of cupping ones–the wood is bent up in the middle and down on the edges.. Cheers, Anne. If the floor boards cups up (in a “U” shape on top), the humidity in the crawlspace or basement is much higher than that inside your house. A dehumidifier works by removing moisture from the air. It is the start of the condensation season inside North Carolina crawl spaces. I hope this helps. To prevent hardwood cupping in a basement situation run a quality dehumidifier that’s large enough to handle the area. There should have been moisture testing done on the concrete prior to installation to guide installation and there should have been moisture testing done on the wood prior to installation to ensure it was properly acclimated. If spilled water sets on the wood flooring too long, the hardwood cups quickly. However, if the plank still shows damage or swelling, consider using the intensive method to fix the warping. During the summer months, especially when the humidity levels are high, hardwood floor is vulnerable cupping. I spent over $17K on my flooring and now I have cupping to all new hardwood. This kind of flooring problem … It also looks like the installer did not follow the nailing guidelines. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Thank you for your imput. Cupping happens when wood absorbs excess moisture causing it to swell and crush the boards together as they deform at the edges and forms a cup- like shape.. By the time I got rid of all the running water everywhere, I removed the area rugs (I have two as I live in a studio apartment). Thoughts? I just noticed a small area where about three floor boards are also crowning. Most of the time if the crawlspace humidity is an issue and there is enough ventilation, closing off some vents and utilizing some type of power vents to increase circulation and pull humid air out of the space is desired. Who do I call?? Indeed I think sanding a cupped floor can cause more damage down the road. You might even find that this action step removes the cupping. Thank you for your response. We are stumped! Understanding Cupping, Warping and Buckling. But, we don’t know if this is a correct assumption because we don’t know what the conditions were/are, relative humidity and temperature, in the crawl space. It doesn’t sound like its that bad indicating to me it should be flat within 6 months. For example, if the cupping happened due to humidity from an especially wet summer and you sanded down the cupped areas, when the air dries out the wood can warp the other way, causing crowning. This week I noticed cupping in only a retangular area about 5ft by 15 ft. I would contact the National Wood Flooring Association at http://www.nwfa.org and find a certified wood flooring inspector in your area to evaluate the specific situation. The peaks are 1/8″ or under in certain areas. Cupping is a result of the changes in moisture in the room. At the seller’s request, an NWFA inspector recently came to our house to do several tests and came to the conclusion that the humidity level was high in our house. I am using a dehumidifier which has lessened its affect. Dew point levels increase. No moisture. (Refer to the MC chart in Part I of this chapter.) When we saw it, there was a puddle over an area about a foot square. The paper will curl up away from the water. Less or more than these ranges can affect your hardwood floors negatively showing signs like gapping, buckling, cracking, splits & checks, cupping and crowning.. The bottom of the subfloor(1 1/8″) is insulated with closed-cell foam. In general, more readings will result in a more accurate average. The other day as stupid as it’s gonna sound I fell asleep for only a few minutes less than 5 as I was running a bath but when I woke the tub over ran and my area rug was soaked. I understand that it will definitely take weeks if not months for the moisture to dry out. Everything we have done has not worked. My floors are stained with Jacobean stain. So im not so worried about a major water leak (there is also no plumbing upstairs of any kind.). Help! We plan to replace these floors. I live in Los Angeles where we don’t get adverse humidity. These cookies do not store any personal information. All drywall in garage was soaking wet and was removed almost immediately. The floor inspector came today and read about 10% on the veneer (3mm) part of the floor and 18&20% on the 2 subfloor tests. Or months? Where those measurements appropriate for the living conditions within the addition? We have some doubts about the inspector’s honesty because his report makes no mention of our comments on the installation. You might be able to figure out how to remedy the situation yourself if you find it’s due to humidity in the air or a leak or spill. Things looked dry except for a small puddle of water near the hot water heater. It is not hard to see the effect in wood flooring, either. what should we do? Not when wearing shoes. HNY! Thought comments appreciated greatly. Jason has 20+ years’ experience in sales and sales management in a spectrum of industries and has successfully launched a variety of products to the market, including the original Rapid RH® concrete moisture tests. One danger to avoid in hardwood floors is cupping. You have many things that may be contributing to this issue: Look on http://www.nwfa.org for a certified inspector. The moisture content of the subfloor is very high based on your information. The cupping is due to some type of moisture imbalance in the wood flooring itself. If the edges along the entire length of the plank curl up and the middle sinks down, that's cupping. Materials like wood will balance (equilibrate) its MC with its surroundings, similar to the principle of osmosis. Before you begin, use a dehumidifier and fans to dry out your flooring. Because these are solid wood teak our insurance company feel they can be salvaged. I hope this information is helpful, best of luck! Knowing how to dry out the damp floors quickly is the key to removing the moisture from underneath the wood floor. FREE ground shipping on orders over $100. In June, I began to notice cupping throughout. Cupping can happen even to a flawlessly-installed wood floor, depending on the conditions of the building and the environment. This makes curve to a bow, crook, cup, or twist. Sue. Any unusually high or low subfloor moisture readings should be isolated and addressed prior to wood floor installation. In many cases, if cupping isn’t severe, the issue can be fixed once the moisture issue is fixed. I live in South Carolina and we’ve had a very humid, wet summer. What do you think? If it doesn’t return to an acceptable level, depending on the type of product you may be able to resand and finish the section. We will be closing next week and I brought this to the site supervisor. We installed a new ac 3 1/2 ton 2 phase variable speed unit with heat pump and has a dehumidifier. Thanks for the question. This causes cupping in solid wood floors. The subfloor and the wood must be dry before you begin to repair cupped flooring. Right now in Houston the weather has been cool and dry. Gap and cracks between hardwood planks. This should help address minor warping and fix the warped floor. As it dries out, the floor will instead show signs of crowning. This is a reaction due to a humidity level disproportion in the wood plank. Good luck. If nothing else, the appearance of cupping tips you off that your hardwood floor is susceptible to moisture problems. My suggestion would be to have an independent inspector come to your home and evaluate the situation. I would have a wood flooring contractor, one that has experience in site sand and finish work, come over and evaluate the existing floor and give you options. B. The rows were not always staggered 8-10″ row to row for the 5″ wide planks. The part where the kitchen, dining room and living room are located is a concrete slab. I installed 4 inch, 3/4 red oak hardwood floors in January in my addition. Visible when look for always. How long does the wood flooring need to be in the house before it can be installed? Lifting is the hallmark of extreme buckling and typically will only occur after a major water catastrophe like flooding.”] ... One way to prevent this is to install a sump pump or dehumidifier … The ends of the planks are lifting-edge lift? Thanks for writing in. Answers About Cupping Hardwood Floors And A Desiccant Dehumidifier Cupped Hardwood Floors Hardwood Floor Problems Heed The Warning Signs Wood Floor Buckling ... Wood Floor Cupping Why Is It Happening And How Do I Stop It 10 Unique Is It Okay To Have Different Color Hardwood Floors It may be best to contact NWFA.org to get an independent inspector to review your floor and determine the cause. Most of the planks flattened out but there are still issues. Also, make sure that there is black plastic covering the crawl space. Feel free to use pics! We are stumped at our dramatic floor situation. Sometimes mornings are cool enough to form dew on grass and car windshields. Unfortunately, I can answer which of these is the culprit. I purchased a 15 year old townhouse in SW Colorado in March 2020. Prior to delivery of the wood flooring, check and record the jobsite ambient conditions and the subfloor moisture to ensure they coincide with the wood flooring requirements that have been selected. Wood floor cupping can be avoided or fixed by following a few simple steps. Safeguard your beautiful hardwood floors with moisture measurement you can trust. I guess the first thing to do would be to get the installer involved to give you an explanation and a course of action to remedy the situation. Sometimes the early stages of cupping can be noticed when light comes in from a window and reflects onto a wood floor. If you want to address the problem, you need to know about the common causes of floor cupping. Insurance came to the house the following day but waited 4 more days to decide to dry the floors out. Cupping is such you almost need look or feel for it. thanks so much! Crowning wood floors show symptoms that are the exact opposite of cupping ones–the wood is bent up in the middle and down on the edges.. Here’s how that happens… This was recently milled stock. We had new white oak hardwood floors installed in our brand new ranch one year ago over our crawl space. What’s happening to your previously gorgeous flooring? Plumber? I agree, it sounds like the restoration company is being thorough, but how are they evaluating if they are having impact on the floor. My apartment has sealed wood floors but it’s those that snap in. If that doesn’t eliminate the issue, here’s how to fix hardwood floor: After the wood is completely dry, sand the surface until it’s even once more.
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