wood floor cupping in summer

One of the most common questions we are asked is why a floor cupped. The flattening out process of the cupped hardwood floor depends on its causes.

My Wooden Floor Has Started To Rise At The Seam What Should I Do

In many cases of slight to moderate cupping eliminating the source of the water and drying out the flooring can save the floor.

. Solid wood flooring moves constantly as the humidity level changes expanding when the humidity is high and contracting when the humidity is low. Only install acclimated wood floors. When this occurs hardwood flooring tends to do the reverseit expands.

Extreme moisture can cause cupping when the edges raise higher than the middle of the wood planks or even buckling. As noted previously moisture movement within wood can be slow. Just running a fan or dehumidifier for a week will not solve most problems.

The main cause of cupping in hardwood floors is the presence of excess moisture in the immediate vicinity. If the cupping is due to a faulty HVAC heating ventilation and air conditioning system then it will not flatten naturally. During the hot humid days of summer we field calls from clients whose solid hardwood floors are cupping.

Wood will try to match its internal moisture content to the moisture content of the air around it. To help protect your hardwood floors against cupping follow these 5 tips. 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 dry winter with the heat on will reduce the humidity level more. This problem is particularly pronounced during a hot humid summer or cold dry winter. How to Prevent Cupping and Worse in Summer Months During the summer even the most carefully installed wood floors tend to expand and sometimes cup or even buckle.

Dry air will pull moisture out of a hardwood floor causing cupping. The material from which hardwood floors are made is especially susceptible to moisture due to the tendency of wood to absorb it particularly when it is present in large quantities to adjust its own moisture levels to match those of its surroundings. Humidity plays a huge role in the upkeep of your hardwood floors.

The questions mostly come twice a yearin the summer as humidity rises causing floors to expand and in the winter as humidity falls and floors shrink. If the humidity level inside or under the house is much higher than the wood flooring was. If the cupping is more severe it could indicate a serious moisture related.

Seasonal Expansion and Shrinkage in Hardwood Floors. We have assembled the Wood Floor Business Content Library which organizes our most pertinent print and online features by topic. PDFs of new and archived content are available.

Floors cup for one reason as a response to moisture. Wood floor cupping can be avoided or fixed by following a few simple steps. How to Prevent Cupping and Worse during the Summer Months.

Reasons Wood Flooring Buckles or Cups. The floors sat in the house for over a week before being installed. This means that in high humidity your wood floors will absorb more moisture causing them to.

Wood floors expand and contract in each season. New Hardwood flooring Cupping and Buckling. There are multiple sources of moisture that can be the culprit in a cupped floor.

Now that the summer is here and the humidity has gone up we are noticing a significant amount of cupping and in a. The degree of cupping should not be too drastic. While moisture from below is the usual cause of cupping wood floor cupping can also occur from rapid surface drying.

By far this is the biggest potential problem during the summer and its one that definitely dont want to encounterCupping happens when the edges of a board are higher than its center due to moisture which causes the wood to expand. Cupping may occur in a fairly uniform manner throughout your house. During the summer even the most carefully installed wood floors tend to expand and sometimes cup or even buckle.

Almost all wood floors will experience some contraction and expansion as the seasons change. High relative humidity RH is. During the summertime humidity levels tend to be higher than during the winter when indoor moisture levels are often dried out due to your heating system.

The suggested moisture range of most Hardwood floors is 6-9. Air with a high moisture content MC or high relative humidity RH causes wood to gain moisture. Your wood floor may react to changing humidity levels if it is located in an area that experiences dry winters or humid summers.

If seasonal change has caused the hardwood floor to cup then it will flatten out naturally. Cupping of the wood floor can be a natural reaction to these seasonal moisture changes if they occur to a minor extent. Air with a high moisture content MC or high relative humidity RH causes wood to gain moisture.

There are few wood flooring problems more upsetting than cupped floors. This can cause warping issues such as cupping or in severe cases even cracked and split planks. Of course you can check RH levels in your house with a hygrometer.

The floors are 38 Durawood Stained Brazilian Oak from LL. These events occur because of woods relationship with moisture in the air. A crucial factor is the relationship between air humidity and wood moisture.

If your hardwood floors have a wavy appearance they are likely cupping due to we. The best prevention is to. In fact wooden flooring that has been properly.

When the relative humidity is above zero the air contains water vapor. During the summer all wood floors tend to expand because wood reacts to moisture. 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.

With this type of cupping use will see gaps that develop as the floor shrinks. Remedies for Cupping. In the early summer months humidity abounds especially if you live in hot Southern climates.

If the cupping is throughout your home humidity is likely the cause. This is not a sign of a problem with your flooring though as this shrinkage and expansion is quite normal. Hardwood floor cupping is usually caused by the top of the floor drying out.

We had hardwood floors installed in our new home in January. Even the most carefully installed flooring can be subject to hardwood cupping especially during the humid summer months.

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