seasonal wood floor cupping

The key to fixing a cupped floor is to first quickly identify and rectify the moisture source. Moisture meter readings ranged from 6773 MC on the tops of the boards and 9296 MC in the subfloor in both cupped and uncupped areas.

6 Ways Humidity Can Affect Your Hardwood Floor Lauzon Flooring

When this occurs hardwood flooring tends to do the reverseit expands.

. This can happen because of seasonal changes like the humidity levels will rise during the summertime. Almost all wood floors will experience some contraction and expansion as the seasons change. The most common reason behind a cupping hardwood surface is wet mopping.

Air with a high moisture content MC or high relative humidity RH causes wood to gain moisture. In the early summer months humidity abounds especially if you live in hot Southern climates. Understanding Cupping Warping and Buckling.

This makes curve to a bow crook cup. Seasonal Expansion and Shrinkage in Hardwood Floors. Remind customers that minor cupping may be due to seasonal changes and that this kind of cupping usually disappears on its own when the.

An engineered floor. Seasonal temperature and humidity fluctuations will have an effect on wood floors. Engineered floors typically have a thin beauty or wear layer of hardwood on the top and a thicker core layer which is typically plywood on the bottom.

This can cause warping issues such as cupping or in severe cases even cracked and split planks. Your homes humidity levels will likely fluctuate from season to season particularly if you live in an area with dry winters and humid summers. The humidity levels in your home likely change naturally from season to season especially if you live somewhere with humid summers and dry winters.

Warping happens when wood dries unevenly in the process of losing moisture. On the flip side low humidity will cause your floors to dry out and shrink. Dry cupping can be a seasonal occurrence especially in climates that are cold and have a long heating season.

There are few wood flooring problems more upsetting than cupped floors. Improper installation of flooring. Fortunately cupping caused by humidity is often less severe and may even correct itself when the season changes.

Hardwood flooring must be given time to adjust to surrounding moisture levels by means of a process known as acclimating or conditioning before it is. During the hot humid days of summer we field calls from clients whose solid hardwood floors are cupping. When wood gains moisture it expands.

It is natural for wood floors to expand and contract throughout the year and seasonal Relative Humidity swings can have a big impact here. During the summer even the most carefully installed wood floors tend to expand and sometimes cup or even buckle. Engineered wood floors can actually exhibit cupping when moisture levels drop quickly in the Fall below 30 relative humidity.

When the air inside a building is heated such as during the winter months the wood loses moisture as it seeks equilibrium with the drier conditions. If the cupping is more severe it could indicate a serious moisture related. 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.

Dry Cupping on Engineered Wood Floors. I called the company who installed the floor and they said the moisture level was too high. Cupping of the wood floor can be a natural reaction to these seasonal moisture changes if they occur to a minor extent.

Almost every wood floor will have some seasonal separation between the individual boards gaps throughout the floor during the fall and winter months. This is not a sign of a problem with your flooring though as this shrinkage and expansion is quite normal. Your wood floor may react to changing humidity levels if it is located in an area that experiences dry winters or humid summers.

I have a new 6 month old on-site installation of 34 inch hardwood flooring that is cupping. Of course you can check RH levels in your house with a hygrometer. Using a straightedge and a feeler gauge I found the cupping ranged from 00090015 inches.

Upon entering the home I could see approximately 50 percent of the flooring was cupping. However the expansion of the hardwood boards will correct itself naturally when the season changes and the humidity level drops off. If cupping persists you may have an unusual moisture source.

David Land August 13 2018 at 429 pm. Wood floors expand and contract in each season. Changes in weather conditions.

Certain climates experience rather warm and humid summers and the season can result in elevated levels of moisture and with it the risk of cupping. If your hardwood floors have a wavy appearance they are likely cupping due to wet mopping or an underlying moisture problem. Our Flooring Is All-Natural Made Entirely of Timber From Traditional Exotic Materials.

In many instances the wood planks cup because excessive humidity in the air makes the wood expand closes the gaps between slats and in the presence of excess moisture forces the wood to cup. Another common culprit of floor cupping lies beneath the surface of your room. Ad Stunning Natural Wood Flooring To Give Your Home a Classic Look That Will Last for Years.

Cupping may occur in a fairly uniform manner throughout your house. In fact wooden flooring that has been properly. If you have hardwood flooring youve probably noticed that cracks seem to appear in the winter and then disappear or fade away in the summer.

The edges of a board becomes higher than its center. Moisture is at 45. The degree of cupping should not be too drastic.

This condition occurs with gaps as the flooring shrinks. These events occur because of woods relationship with moisture in the air. Flooring also may cup when a wood floor experiences conditions that cause rapid drying on the surface.

This can be verified only with a moisture meter that takes readings of the underlying subfloor. Unlike solid wood flooring extended acclimation times will not reduce the possibility of the engineered flooring cupping during periods it. Wood floor cupping can be avoided or fixed by following a few simple steps.

Never attempt to repair a cupped floor until all of the sources of excessive moisture have been located and eliminated. Humidity can cause cupping that is less severe than others and may even resolve itself as the seasons change.

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