The Challenge of Hardwood Floors

Cracks between floor planks: Even if the floor was installed properly and the floor planks were dry at the time of installation, some wood movement can occur when the relative humidity changes with the seasons. Floor planks may shrink and small cracks appear during the dry winter months with the heat turned on. The cracks disappear during the wetter summer months. Controlling the relative humidity within the room will eliminate this problem.

Cupping: The edges of the floor planks are pulled up and the center remains lower. This happens when the up-side of the floor planks loose moisture and shrink, but the down-side does not follow. It can also happen when the down-side of the floor absorbs moisture from the sub floor and expands. Cupping becomes very obvious when looking across a floor against the light. Minor cupping could be the result from seasonal changes of relative humidity.

Often the floor will reabsorb moisture again and flatten out. If the problem is more severe and resanding is considered, be careful. Sanding will leave the edges on the down-side of the floor planks unsupported.

Crowning: The center of the floor planks are higher and the edges lower. This happens when the up-side of the floor planks absorb moisture and expand. Be careful when sanding, because the middle on the down-side of the floor planks will be unsupported.

Buckling: Extreme crowning lifts the floor planks several inches off the sub floor. This is usually caused by a water leak or flood. 

One day, a janitor from a nearby school came to the office for a moisture meter.  The gymnasium floor had buckled extremely high after a roof leak was not detected during the summer months.  

If you are not always present, Lignomat's remote warning systems can keep track of changes in relative humidity, temperature and wood moisture. Measured values are accessible over the Internet.

Is there a cure for floors with moisture problems? Minor problems may be caused by seasonal changes. The defects come and go with summer-winter changes. This can only be avoided by operating an HVAC year around. For more severe moisture problems, expensive repair work or replacement may be necessary. Drying out and resanding may help. If the defects are so severe that the structure of the wood has been damaged or the wood is permanently distorted there is no cure. The floor has to be replaced. 

Then, nobody wants to take the blame: 

The home owner turning the air condition off. The floor supplier delivering wet wood. The contractor / sub-contractor / installer not checking the concrete slab or the sub floor, not acclimating the floor long enough, not installing the floor properly.

As supplier, contractor and floor installer it is important to follow NWFA guide lines and manufacturer's instructions. Take moisture measurements and keep records - important steps in protecting yourself from unwarranted claims.

>Click here for Floor Report.

>Click here for article in FCI Magazine: How Humidity affects Wood