It isn't enough to just think about the AC and the size of the unit. Every year, an estimated $1 billion worth of hardwood-floor damage occurs across the country. Crawl spaces: Crawl spaces are like short basements, only sometimes they have more ventilation. This is when the climate is either very hot and moist, … I’ve been able to refasten some buckled floors, but others had to be removed. You don’t have to worry about orienting the sander with the grain or gouging the floor as you would with a drum sander, and a built-in dust-collection system improves both safety and performance. The rest of the time, it won't remove 9 pints per hour. When wood gains moisture, it expands. If you sand the peaked edges of a cupped floor too soon, you could have crowned boards when they’re fully dry. Refinishing one floor …. ft. out of 4,000 sq. 5 Tips to Prevent Hardwood Floor Cupping This Summer. With the hot, humid weather that South Carolina and particularly Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand experiences every summer, the problems are compounded. “Buckling is when the hardwood floor lifts or separates from the sub floor. Hardwood floor … But moisture is removed only when the AC runs. Even when sanded and finished properly, wood requires regular maintenance. Wood is a porous material that expands and contracts naturally depending on the humidity levels in the air around it. They expand in high humidity, and contract in low humidity. I also strain the finish and pour it into an applicator tray that I’ve lined with an insideout garbage bag. Poor installation of the hardwood floor may … So we now have warm, humid summer air and cool indoor surfaces. RELATED: Can We Be Proactive in Preventing RH Problems for Wood Floors? Sometimes mornings are cool enough to form dew on grass and car windshields. Summer and Hardwood Gym … I had 3/4 red oak select 4.1/4 floor installed in my new construction home in January. They take away from the overall look of the floor, which should be relatively uniform across its surface. I see more cracks in factory-finished floors than in any other type of flooring. Cupping can also be a reaction to the imbalance in the humidity level in the wood planks. The humidity levels in your home naturally change with season, temperature, and weather. RELATED: How to Prevent Wood Floor Gaps in Winter. This often arises after flooding, subfloor moisture buildup, drainage problems, or leaking pipes. Go back to the basics. Gymnasium and hardwood floor owners may fear that a buckled floor needs completely replaced. A 3-ton air conditioner can remove about 9 pints of water per hour, when it's running wide open. If the ventilation rate is higher, even more water needs to be removed. But I have had success using two-part wood bleach (www.kleanstrip.com) to remove stains. This cool soil helps cool slabs, basements and crawl spaces. Environment and floor type can make acclimation tricky. CUPPING. We live in CT. we have the house at a steady 72° and by the way there isn't a finish on the floor … SOLID HARDWOOD. When warm outside summer air enters a house and cools, the RH of that air increases. There is nothing worse than buying a beautiful, new hardwood floor and days later witnessing damage from moisture or flooding. Wood floor cupping or when boards turns up on the edges. The soft spring wood in this floor was dug out by improper sanding. The cupping could continue to worsen and create gaps between the boards. I love the look and durability of wood floors, and it’s not just because I’ve been installing them since 1978. Floor buckling engineered hardwood Is it normal for engineered hardwood floors to buckle slightly in a few areas after 2 years. © 2020 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Abnormal gaps are generally the result of flooring that’s too wet when it is installed (sidebar p. 80), but they also can be the consequence of installing flooring in areas of excessive dryness. Buildings are commonly cooled with air conditioning (AC), making the inside temperature lower than outside (at least in the afternoon). I replace the board, or I fill the crack with wood filler and apply a coat of finish over the entire floor so that colors, tones, and sheen match perfectly. The likelihood of this happening due to moisture from humidity is slim, but can be a result of flooding. Finishes enhance the bad as much as the good. Picture a typical wooden floor … Cupping, also known as wash-boarding, is the milder form of floor damage. Although sealed with a protective coating, hardwood floors can still absorb moisture. If debris does find its way into the finish, I make repairs by sanding the floor as I would between coats of finish and apply a new top coat on the floor. If I repair gaps when they are at their widest, I might not leave sufficient clearance between floorboards and create a floor that buckles when it expands. Gap and cracks between hardwood … Especially when we keep the windows open, higher humidity can cause wood floors to swell up and close all the gaps between boards. By that time, the floor looks like it has aged 10 years. Poor installation of the hardwood floor may be the reason for the wood buckling. Beautiful floors are ideal in any home. Other floors might be deformed permanently. The basement is humid at this time of year, but none of the 100 year old floor boards in the other rooms over the basement are cupping. Read the author's companion article to this one about reducing gapping in wood floors in winter. BUCKLING: Be aware! (By contrast, winter dew point temperatures can be well below freezing.). I’ve put felt paper under and nailed the … Excessive moisture and water can cause another issue with hardwood gym floors – cupping. This sander is aggressive enough to take down floorboards, yet gentle enough for light abrading between finish coats. Factory-finished boards can be fixed with a manufacturer repair kit, which typically consists of wood filler, colored marker, and a bottle of finish. Install flooring when it has the right moisture content. Start your subscription today and save up to 52%. and his Troubleshooting column about crawlspace moisture wreaking havoc on a solid wood floor. Weatherization and home energy audits typically measure ventilation rates, and can pinpoint leakage sites. Water, as with just about any household issue, is almost always the cause of hardwood floor warping. Today’s homeowners will find many varied flooring choices to pick from. On a typical summer day, the dew point may be near 45°F in the Southwest, 55°F in the Northwest, 65°F in the Northeast, and in the upper 70s along the Gulf Coast. Typically, when the thermostat says "house needs cold," the outside unit and the indoor fan turn on. This is how an AC controls humidity. According to this table, about 7.4 pints of water per hour needs to be removed from an 1,800-square-foot house to lower the inside RH to 50% when the outside air dew point is 70 degrees. Thank you for your comprehensive, rational, ACCURATE discussion on this subject as a whole. When the bottom of a board is wetter than the top, its edges cup. Whether you’re trying to flatten a floor or simply abrade it for a fresh coat of finish, the sander you choose has a significant impact on the quality of the job. Wood floors need to breathe. There are a few things you can do to resolve buckling … See more on this topic: Moisture & Wood Floors. ... I’ve replaced the carpet in one of our room with hardwood, about a year ago, which buckled up by the end of the summer this year. Categories FAQ. Instead, I make a patch by gluing slivers of wood to the edges of the floorboards. Floors buckle because they have run out of room to expand across the face of each board. – During summer: It can move up to 50-55%. Crawl Space Moisture and Hardwood Flooring Crawl Space Moisture and Hardwood FlooringTo understand the cause of wood floors cupping or buckling (when you’re sure there is no water damage due to a flood or leak), you must understand the relationship between relative humidity, your wood floor and your crawl space.During the summer months in the northeast region, wood subfloors and floor … By way of explanation, the floor has gained moisture either by the ambient conditions within the home's structure or it has flooded with water. Grit left on wood floors acts like sandpaper when walked on, and unclipped pet nails or unprotected furniture feet can scratch a finish considerably. Once the floor buckles, it cannot be returned to its original condition by simply adjusting humidity in the home. I like to use 150-grit to 180-grit pads when sanding oil-based polyurethanes and 220 grit when sanding between coats of water-based finishes. During the summer, all wood floors tend to expand because wood reacts to moisture. While humidity level rises in summer, it is very low in the winter. Sometimes mornings are cool enough to form dew on grass and car windshields. For this reason, hardwood floor buckling and cupping is common during prime summer and winter seasons. The amount of water in the air over any given day stays relatively constant. And since dehumidifiers turn on and off because of humidity levels, oversizing an AC or even leaving the AC fan in the "ON" position becomes less of an issue. The hardwood flooring closest to an outside wall in a bedroom is cupping downward. Best Hardwood Floor Vacuum and Mop Combos of 2020 – Reviews and Guide. Boards buckle if they can’t expand. As furniture and people begin to inhabit the area, it will bring about a new level of … I did about 10 sq homes have drastic swings in both temperature and RH, and weather initially! 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