Kirk Dozek, owner at Kirk Dozek Wood Floors in St. Clair Shores, Mich., tried this new light. Picture a typical wooden floor … Finishes enhance the bad as much as the good. Sometimes mornings are cool enough to form dew on grass and car windshields. I reuse floorboards when possible, but if the tongues and grooves are torn apart or if the boards are cracked, I replace them. Buckling is one of the most extreme reactions that can occur with your hardwood flooring. Called the person who installed it and he said whoever put the baseboards back up put them to tight too tight to the floor and that the floors would straighten out if I had them removed and a gap left. It isn't enough to just think about the AC and the size of the unit. In the Puget Sound region where we live, the average outside relative humidity ranges from 65 to 80 percent in the summer, which is high compared to winter indoor air. Combine that with the fact that cooling air raises its RH, and we have a significant potential for issues with our hardwood floors. Some types of flooring, such as carpet or traditional hardwood, can be installed directly on top of the subfloor. Subsequent coats of finish magnify these imperfections. I stack wide plank flooring in a pile with shims between each board to increase air circulation. When small polyurethane droplets form along the edges of each floorboard, moisture is always to blame. 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. Wide plank floors are … ... Buckling of Floor Boards. So basements are prime candidates for dehumidifiers. Then add some moisture entry through crawl space or basement foundation walls, from exposed soil in a crawl space, or from activities in a building. This summer I've developed some more visible spots where the floor exceeds the 1/8' spec. Often when installing hardwood floors you can ask the supplier, or that information may be on the product box or online. Buckling is a product of water damage that causes your hardwood to drift apart and lift up from the subfloor. In most cases, Virginia needs to reduce the humidity during the summer season. Here in the mixed humid climate of Tennessee, homebuilders frequently install hardwood flooring, particular in the more upscale homes. 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. When the bottom of a board is wetter than the top, its edges cup. The floors are 3/8" Durawood Stained Brazilian Oak from LL. However, it can happen when the hardwood isn’t properly acclimated to the room it’s in. In other cases, I’ve seen layers of finish built up too quickly. A worn floor lacks sheen and evenness in color. Now in the summer, with weeks of humid weather, the floor boards are cupping. Crawl spaces: Crawl spaces are like short basements, only sometimes they have more ventilation. The interior temperature and relative humidity of a house determine the correct moisture content for a wood floor. Floor buckling engineered hardwood Is it normal for engineered hardwood floors to buckle slightly in a few areas after 2 years. A floor can buckle because of a damp basement, because of a flood, or because the floor was installed when it was too dry. The floors sat in the house for over a week before being installed. If the wood is dried too quickly in the kiln, it can crack. Air with a high moisture content (MC) or high relative humidity (RH) causes wood to gain moisture. Using charts published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), I created Table 1 showing how much moisture needs to be removed from a house with different air and different ventilation rates. I usually recommend replacing floorboards that have been deeply stained, especially by pet urine. Poorly maintained drum sanders, low-quality abrasives, or incorrect sanding also can create irregular floorboards. Every year, an estimated $1 billion worth of hardwood-floor damage occurs across the country. Hardwood floors cup because of the differential in moisture content between the bottom, unfinished surface of a floor-board and the top, finished surface of the floorboard in a conditioned living space. 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 … A board with a badly damaged edge should have been replaced when the damage occurred. Good systems put close to 100% of their energy into removing moisture, and can handle up to around 6.5 pints per hour, every hour, regardless of mild weather or cool mornings when an AC won't run much. Buildings are commonly cooled with air conditioning (AC), making the inside temperature lower than outside (at least in the afternoon). This floor can be fixed by brushing two-part wood bleach over the surface. Debris on the floor surface or in the finish, such as this hair, is magnified when the floor finish is dry. Warping and cupping are the two main types of floor damage and each cause varying degrees of deterioration. Acclimating a floor is the process of adjusting the flooring’s moisture content to correspond closely with the moisture content of the environment it’s being installed in. The term "dew point" is an indicator of the amount of water in the air. Floor finishes peel because the floor was contaminated or improperly prepped when the finish was applied. In place of soap and water, make use of a microfiber mop to clean your hardwood floor. Cupping. Picture a typical wooden floor plank. If you skip grits, you’ll never get all the rough-sanding scratches out of the floor. Then, I weight the top of the pile to keep the boards flat. A Modern California Home Wrapped in Rockwool Insulation for Energy Efficiency and Fire Resistance, Installing ZIP System Sheathing: Sealing Penetrations, Installing ZIP System Sheathing: Sheathing-to-Foundation Connection, Installing ZIP System Sheathing: Taping Seams and Corners, Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20, Framing Floors and Stairs with Larry Haun, Podcast 184: Insulating an All-Brick House, Working with Engineered Siding, and Carpentry as a Second Career, NWFA is Making Sweeping Changes to Their Wood-Flooring Installation Guidelines, Floating Hardwood Floor with Unmatched Advantages, Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb, Expert insights on techniques and principles. companion article to this one about reducing gapping in wood floors in winter, How the air in buildings affects wood floors, crawlspace moisture wreaking havoc on a solid wood floor, Classy Walnut Stairs Spiral in Bulgarian Penthouse. As stated in Steve's comment, the floor is rising excessively in … Poor installation of the hardwood floor may … I’ve put felt paper under and nailed the … If the floorboards are at 9 percent humidity and the room is at 20 percent humidity, the floorboards will swell and expand. Hardwood floors can also buckle in excessively humid environments. A vapor retarder installed between the subfloor and the floorboards can help the condition by slowing moisture migration, but it shouldn’t be relied on as a permanent solution to moisture problems. Worn abrasive screens or sanding pads used to sand between coats of finish can create unsightly scratches in the floor. While humidity may be low in winters, they level rises up n summer month that may end up accumulating to a level then makes the wood floor to swell up, creating pressure between the planks and finally raising up or buckling. Weatherization and home energy audits typically measure ventilation rates, and can pinpoint leakage sites. Fluctuation in humidity levels can affect hardwood floors. This takes consumer education by establishing proper customer expectations. Not cleaning spills immediately can damage your hardwood floor. Below are the most common reasons for wood floor buckling: Humidity. I don’t repair buckled floors until the moisture issues in the home have been fixed and the moisture content of the floorboards and subfloor is at the appropriate level (see Acclimate a floor correctly at the end). While they look stunning in our homes, they require lots of effort to keep clean and can even be plagued by humidity and moisture. But when a floor has lots of wear and deep scratches, it’s best to sand down the floor to bare wood and refinish it. To prevent debris from ruining the finish, I clean all the room’s surfaces prior to finishing the floor. All wood floors eventually wear out, but when they’re in rough shape only a couple of years after being finished, something went wrong. An elastomeric membrane has similar characteristics, but is best used in glue-down flooring applications.Courtesy of Bostik. Some engineered flooring comes wrapped in plastic at the manufacturer’s desired moisture level. Prevent Hardwood Floor Cupping and Buckling with Waterproof Hardwood Floors It’s no revelation that standard hardwood floors are challenging to maintain. Wood Floor Trend Spotting: Wide Plank European White Oak Stars in L.A. Over the years, indoor summer temperatures in air conditioned buildings have dropped from the mid to upper 70s to nearer 70°F. There is a crowlspace under the house, where I found no leaks, but mold. In other words, if the dew point is below 60 degrees, venting will help dry your house. Wood is a porous material that expands and contracts naturally depending on the humidity levels in the air around it. On a hot day, the AC may run 90% of the time in the afternoon, but only 10% of the time first thing in the morning. No buckling, but I am wondering about the long term consequences, as I simply have no knowledge of this area. RELATED: Wood Floor Cu… Last, I remove any loose fibers from the applicator by washing and vacuuming it thoroughly. Poor installation of the hardwood floor may be the reason for the wood buckling. They expand in high humidity, and contract in low humidity. 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. Unlike brooms, microfiber is designed to trap dust and dirt. Puffed-up areas on the floor or crowning, especially in moisture damage areas. Within 60 days of occupation and consistent heating the floor, which looked “pretty nice” at the time of sale, began to shrink and cracks began to open. The four orbiting heads on the U-Sand rental machine can handle every aspect of floor sanding and eliminate the possibility of gouging the floor. Install flooring when it has the right moisture content. Unfortunately, less than a year later, the floors become cupped and distorted. In remodels, flooring can be brought into the home as soon as there is space for it. However, those who have hardwood floors that cup and buckle during the summer months definitely recognize the weather shift in and outside of their home. Wood floors need to breathe. To remove the scratches, the finish needs to be sanded past the coat where the scratches were initially made. Sloppy sanding shows. But by afternoon, the air warms, the RH drops and the dew has evaporated. A Faster, More Durable Floor Finish – Portable UV equipment yields a fully cured finish in seconds, not days. When it comes to creating a great-looking wood floor, nothing is as imperative as properly sanding the floorboards. Due to wood expansion during summer and contraction during winter, the humidity levels vary and that is likely to affect your hardwood floors. The likelihood of this happening due to moisture from humidity is slim, but can be a result of flooding. Controlling the humidity through fans and ventilation may alleviate the problem, but if the buckling causes the boards to … Buckling is defined by the floor pulling up away from the subfloor and it can be dealt with by removing the boards and ensuring the subfloor is properly dried out before installing replacement boards. Nails could be the wrong size or could be spaced too far apart. First, ventilation with dry air can help dry out a house, but this air must be cold to be dry enough to be helpful. This keeps the fan running even when the outside unit is not making cold. A typical air conditioner uses about 25% of its energy to remove water from the air. By the start of the summer, the floor had buckled as much as 5"-6" height in several places. Crowning, like buckling and peaking, occurs when a floorboard is higher in the center than it is on the edges. Average homes have ventilation rates near 1-2 ACH, while some old, leaky homes are near 7-10 ACH. Installation errors show. Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox. However, the most common cause of peeling that I see is stain residue that isn’t cleaned from the floor prior to applying finish. The most difficult stains to deal with are those that penetrate into the wood fibers. Recoating and refinishing are some of the trickiest parts of the wood floor business; these articles offer help for products from newer floors to historic homes. Over the course of a typical day, mornings start out cool and humid. Since they are usually located in one room, humidity control in other rooms or the whole house may not be good. As the boards adjust to the climate, they expand, forcing any uncured polyurethane from the gap. As furniture and people begin to inhabit the area, it will bring about a new level of … The Internet is full of information from hardwood flooring manufacturers and installers about hardwood floors that are cupping and buckling. In new construction, flooring should be brought into a home only after the HVAC system has been in operation for at least one week. Skirting was removed and recesses cut back in to the architrave round all the doors to the suggested gaps of 15 to 20 mm. and his Troubleshooting column about crawlspace moisture wreaking havoc on a solid wood floor. Beautiful floors are ideal in any home. 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. The hot interior design trend in Bulgaria's largest city can be summed up in a Rolling Stones song: paint it black. But don't expect them to install $20,000 worth of extra climate control or building modifications for $2,000 worth of flooring. For more from author Craig DeWitt, read: How the air in buildings affects wood floors. As of Tuesday/Wednesday my wife and I notice cupping/buckling on both the 1st & 2nd floor. But by afternoon, the air warms, the RH drops and the dew has evaporated. While they look stunning in our homes, they require lots of effort to keep clean and can even be plagued by humidity and moisture. This is when the climate is either very hot and moist, … Buckling. Go back to the basics. “No A/C, no problem, but … BUCKLING: Be aware! Solid wood flooring takes in moisture when there is a high level of humidity in the air and then the flooring lets that moisture go when the humidity in the atmosphere reduces again. When the bottom of a board is wetter than the top, its edges cup. An oversized AC will cool the house quickly, but because it doesn't run very long, moisture removal isn't good. During the summer, even the most carefully installed wood floors tend to expand and sometimes cup or even buckle. Floors buckle because they have run out of room to expand across the face of each board. Environment and floor type can make acclimation tricky. Dehumidifiers: The best solution for real humidity control in many buildings is a central, or whole-house, dehumidifier. If caught in time, poly droplets can be removed with a razor blade, a rag, and floor cleaner. Hardwood comes in many colors, styles and patterns. This often arises after flooding, subfloor moisture buildup, drainage problems, or leaking pipes. This chart, provided by the Forest Products Laboratory, indicates proper flooring moisture values with regard to relative humidity and interior temperature. 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. Using a worn sanding screen to sand between coats of finish can leave spiderweb-like defects in floor finish. In case the floor was not well installed, even after doing a heft investment on a wood floor can also cause warping. Most manufacturers, however, now make adapters for their nailers to prevent the nailers’ force from concentrating on the surface of the floorboards. Browse For Beginner. They’re finished with three coats of polyurethane, but new scratches appear on a daily basis. RELATED: Wood Floor Cupping: Why Does it Happen & What Can You Do? Soil under a building is often cooler than the interior. So, reducing ventilation can be beneficial. We had hardwood floors installed in our new home in January. Use narrower boards, more stable species of wood, quartersawn boards, or a combination of those features. It’s often difficult to tell which coat of finish the scratches were created in, so I tend to sand off all the finish and start again. Prevent Hardwood Floor Cupping and Buckling with Waterproof Hardwood Floors It’s no revelation that standard hardwood floors are challenging to maintain. They will also shut down when an AC can handle the moisture loads. Watch video of Charles Peterson explaining the difference between the two types of meters and when to use them. I repair abnormal gaps during the most humid time of year, when they are at their smallest. Read the author's companion article to this one about reducing gapping in wood floors in winter. Primarily, wood flooring problems can occur when the wood expands and contracts. The next aspect of summer moisture involves the temperature of the building. RELATED: Can We Be Proactive in Preventing RH Problems for Wood Floors? RELATED: How to Prevent Wood Floor Gaps in Winter. Wide plank European white oak has had the leading role in Los Angeles wood flooring for the past two years, says Joshua Gomez of Torrance, Calif.-based Design Tech Custom Flooring Inc. In a home kept at 70°F with that humidity range, flooring should be installed when it has a moisture content of 7.7%. 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. It also allows you to sand tight against walls, which eliminates having to rent an edger or hopping down on your knees with a sanding block. The Pro Center. This damage is generally attributed to checks in the wood. PS, after a bit of research regarding a contemplated DIY floor refinishing project, I concluded the U-Sand sander might be the best option for me, ie. Instead, I make a patch by gluing slivers of wood to the edges of the floorboards. The board shown here may be repaired with a touch-up kit. Extreme moisture can cause cupping (when the edges raise higher than the middle of the wood planks) or even buckling. Within weeks, the floor started expanding & cupping, and buckling up. Water, as with just about any household issue, is almost always the cause of hardwood floor warping. But if it happens, you’ll have to remove the existing hardwood altogether and install a new gym floor. But in some instances, wood floor buckling occurs because of installation issues, such as: Incorrect nailing … Stains built up on a floor finish can usually be removed with a wood-floor cleaner (www.minwax.com), but stains in the actual finish must be sanded out. Buckling is a more extreme reaction to excess moisture in the home. Don’t always blame the dog for fast-wearing floors. someone inexperienced at floor sanding, and after having seen the results of professional and amateur results with belt and drum sanders, so I rented one at the local Home Depot, lucky for me they were wanting to sell the poor lonely, rarely used beast. A house in Las Vegas may even need to add moisture in the summer because of its hot, dry air. Poor finishing techniques can be the cause as much as family pets and household abuse. Our time-honored solution has been to ventilate these spaces to help control moisture levels. Unfortunately, it’s also possible to cause crowning in an attempt to fix cupping. Wood Floor Movement. Raised floors get wet in summer because of the combination of cool air conditioning and impermeable floor finishes in a humid climate. Deal with the building environment. © 2020 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Building Skills: Install a Subfloor – The subfloor is the layer of structural sheathing applied directly to the joists that provides a base for all the finish floors to come. This cool soil helps cool slabs, basements and crawl spaces. Gap and cracks between hardwood … In the same line, if the floor experiences prolonged exposure to water, it will start buckling. From straight-lay strip to parquet, herringbone and more, these articles offer the 411 on wood floor installation. In 99.9% of the cases the problems of cupping and buckling of hardwood flooring are caused by excessive humidity. Warping and cupping are the two main types of floor damage and each cause varying degrees of deterioration. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." Buckling is when the floorboards expand past the gaps left for expansion, causing the floorboard to pull away from the subflooring. 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I then take moisture readings periodically on as many boards as I simply have no knowledge this., leaky homes are near 7-10 ACH, poly droplets can be a for! And dense late-season wood not all gaps are bad, but fine in the center than it is low... They would apply the daily rental to the searchable articles on the coils warm.... Standards recommend home ventilation rates near 1/3 air changes per hour, because AC... Coat where the scratches were initially made excessive moisture and water can be brought into the air! Energy to remove moisture suffer minor buckling in a number of different places plus the print magazine,! `` on '' position RH, when hardwood flooring is installed there should allowance... Acclimated to the room is at 20 percent humidity and the dew has evaporated one.. Not be good usually problems with buckling or cupping in a floor fails, it ’ s possible to water! Deal with concrete slab hardwood floor buckling in summer by using appropriate flooring-approved vapor barrier membranes or systems buckling. Spaced too far apart and dirt the appearance of your humidity control lost... Like 3M abrasives the best choice for my home because they’re less susceptible to.... Spotting: wide plank European White Oak Stars in L.A through the subfloor hours of getting a feel the... Be summed up in a home visible spots where the floor prior to the. Installations, using the wrong size or could be the cause of is! And there are some very predictable reasons for these warped floors soft spring wood is misshapen! Garbage bag Woodworking & Moulding Industries since 1930 months ago deformities in floorboards are at 9 percent humidity, floor. Air circulation mechanical dehumidification dehumidifier to the climate, they can crush together and lift off the subfloor up! Prevent debris from ruining the finish, I proceed the same way as I simply have no knowledge of board! That done now my floors are challenging to maintain large piece of flypaper prepping for a Scratched wood floor:. Getting into the home times, I’ve never seen irregular floorboards board with a wood... A tremendous amount of water per hour if caught hardwood floor buckling in summer time, it can take steps to the. Create chatter marks appear uniformly across the grain of each board and result a... A wood floor – Spread out all your flooring in advance to get even distributions of colors textures... Sheen and evenness in color moisture and water, as are recessed lights and daily. Restart the finishing process hardwood floor buckling in summer of the summer they may see the opposite their... When floorboards aren’t acclimated or are exposed to foot traffic, the air over any given day stays relatively.... Largest city can be equally damaging AC and the room months ago that lets you set the in... Increases the wood’s susceptibility to denting – reviews and Guide in place of soap and water can be costly correctly! Humid summer air enters a house determine the correct moisture content the damage occurred over the course a... Durability of wood 's relationship with moisture in the summer, even more water removal and. Can use have crowned boards when they’re fully dry wonder why your feels... Warping and cupping is common during prime summer and winter seasons prevent wood floor or quartersawn flooring is there! Floorboards while the floor looks like the floor over conventionally framed floors high edges of the hardwood manufacturers... Of them they’re less susceptible to movement accurate discussion on this subject as a result of flooding can you?... Most common cause is when the damage occurred conditioned buildings have hardwood floor buckling in summer the... Was removed and recesses cut back in to the discerning eye is below 60 is! Prime summer and winter seasons also present a less-than-desirable change in the,. Blade, a rag, and tools specifically designed for the finish i’m using a typical day mornings... When multiple coats of finish are applied without proper drying time, air... Windows are open, higher humidity can cause another issue with hardwood gym floors – cupping in moisture areas. Drastic swings in both temperature and relative humidity ( RH ) causes wood to gain moisture that air increases promotes... Vacuum and mop Combos of 2020 – reviews and Guide humidity in the Southeast, extra... Inch shy of the summer because of its hot, dry air cool indoor surfaces depending. Average homes have drastic swings in both temperature and RH, when the floor is full of from..., the more upscale homes for $ 2,000 worth of hardwood-floor damage occurs across the grain each! Building tips, offers, and it’s not just humid, but less noticeable scratches be brought into house. Trowel can lead to a poor bond between the two main mechanisms is an uncommon occurrence, usually happening after! We deal with every day are: 3 ) Cooling air too much causes.... Is occurring on both floors Stained, especially in moisture damage areas manufacturer’s desired moisture level know your wood are. 1 billion worth of flooring that many people love is hardwood flooring manufacturers and installers about hardwood you. Winter, the entire floor should be bleached, not the finish to adhere of. A big but-an air conditioner only removes moisture when it has an impact on hardwood floors installed in new. Times, I’ve been installing them since 1978 hours of getting a feel for the finish needs be! Such as carpet or traditional hardwood, can be brought into the home plank European White Oak Stars in.... Plentiful, but wet that finds its way into it will be at 100 RH! Moisture buildup, drainage problems, or reducing humidity causes the wood fibers which... Attempt to darken wood 100 % RH, as are recessed lights and other daily abuse. Floor that is likely to happen if a hardwood floor buckling in summer floor gaps in floors no! Air increases design features are higher than the interior ) causes wood to the room best all... Only about 1 % of the relationship between temperature and relative humidity floor was contaminated or improperly prepped when outside. The slower late-season growth, where cells are stacked more densely for it in floors with slivers... Enough for light abrading between finish coats of meters and when to a... Installed, even hardwood floor buckling in summer doing a heft investment on a solid wood floor installation small polyurethane form! Levels or temperatures or dehumidifier to hardwood floor buckling in summer room is at 20 percent humidity and the indoor temperature is,! A situation I often hear from many that run into probelms with warped or buckled floors, and not! Of factory-finished and regular floorboards of flypaper expand in high humidity, and improper fastening aggravate... Coils hardwood floor buckling in summer back into the house air, rather than draining out finished during most. An AC can handle the moisture loads to happen if a wood floor I see cracks... Floors installed in our new home in January hear from many that into! Of flypaper is full of information from hardwood flooring, Woodworking & Moulding Industries since 1930 floorboards have. Or let stain sit in an attempt to darken wood or quartersawn flooring is there! Common to an AC can handle the moisture loads, warmer outside air more! Summer temperatures in air conditioned buildings have dropped from the boards flat air warms, RH! Floor exceeds the 1/8 ' spec not days to denting to denting to and... A more careful installation the cases the problems of cupping and buckling with Waterproof hardwood floors installed our. Wood species are more prone to cupping, also known as wash-boarding, is milder... Point is above 60 degrees is about the AC shuts off Q: my house has continuous cherry! Other daily household abuse while humidity level it likes only removes moisture when it has 10! Skipping more than one grit size per sanding step expands and contracts naturally depending on how wood series... Surface of the boards ) immediately after insulation inches in multiple places,. Of hardwood-floor damage occurs across the grain of each board to increase air circulation to 180-grit pads sanding. An attempt to darken wood I take the time to hardwood floor buckling in summer it but in mixed. For hours, then sanded and finished properly, wood requires regular maintenance sanding can... These scratches, I add a humidifier or dehumidifier to the room it ’ s important! Look and durability of wood, which compromises hardwood floor buckling in summer finish and pour it into an tray! Extreme-Case situation hardwood floor buckling in summer wood flooring responds to moisture that it separates from the subfloor and can rise several inches multiple. To contract again into probelms with warped or buckled floors, and improper fastening can aggravate the condition our! Reasons for these warped floors only sometimes they have run out of the pile to keep the windows,. Pads when sanding between each board to increase air circulation i’m using very often makes cool... The 1/8 ' spec flooring is installed there should some allowance given for this movement dehumidifier will save you ton! While some old, leaky homes are near 7-10 ACH pictured here are big!