Hardwood Floor Cupping Dehumidifier
Subfloor moisture another common cause of hardwood cupping is a sub floor that has higher moisture content than the wood itself.
Hardwood floor cupping dehumidifier. Wood floor cupping as the name suggests is a condition where the edges of floorboards curl upward. Hardwood floors dehumidifier foundation window user name. During the winter the cupping went down 100 and i have tracked humidity in the crawl space through out the year. Too much indoor humidity for an extended period will create the adverse effects of cupping and crowning.
This imbalance could either be moisture from the concrete environmental conditions in the space being to dry and drying out the top of the wood and or a wood floor that wasn t properly acclimated to the environment prior to installation. During warm and humid summers the hardwood floor absorbs moisture from the air swelling and expanding creating pressure between the boards and causing the boards to warp cup or crack. Sanding so now that you have eliminated the moisture source and dehumidified your space if you still see no change in your floor the cupping as just as severe as before then this calls for more serious action. Hardwood floor cupping and crowning.
It will then take some time for the wood flooring to get back to its normal internal humidity balance and shape. The edges are higher than the center making the board look like a cup creating an unsightly tripping. Use a unit that drains automatically set it at 35 and let it run all summer long. The national wood flooring association nwfa advises that relative humidity levels should range from 30 to 50 percent for the best performance and life span of hardwood floors.
To prevent hardwood cupping in a basement situation run a quality dehumidifier that s large enough to handle the area. In some instances the use of fans and or dehumidifiers might be necessary to bring everything back to normal. Slight cupping in hardwoods. Consistently high humidity can swell wood by as much as 15.
The cupping is due to some type of moisture imbalance in the wood flooring itself. Why is humidity bad for wood floors. Hardwood floor moisture problems. Because wood is a porous material it soaks up moisture which can damage it.
Dehumidifiers remove moisture content in the air and if you are lucky a simple dehumidifying session might do the trick and help reverse the hardwood floor cupping. The nwfa estimates that approximately 90 percent of hardwood flooring failures are caused by relative humidity issues in the home. When a wood plank cups. Through much stress and hell the co op board approved a full replacement of my hardwood floors.
The wood floor experts at svb wood floors have a few tips about how to control the humidity in your home in order to maintain your beautiful wood floors.