What Makes Hardwood Floors Buckle

Causes of buckled hardwood floors.

What makes hardwood floors buckle.

Hardwood floors will buckle if they are subjected to excess water. When hardwood floors lift up at the center making this area higher than the board s edges they re crowning. We carry hardwood flooring laminate bamboo cork vinyl area rugs and even staircase materials like iron balusters so whether you know exactly what kind of flooring you want or you are in the very beginning phase of shopping for new floors we can help you every step of the way. This is usually caused by sanding a cupped floor before it has completely dried although moisture on the upper side of the floor caused by plumbing leaks or wet mopping may cause floors to crown as well.

Floor buckling happens most often after a floor has been flooded for an extended period of time. Buckling occurs when the wood flooring actually pulls up from the subfloor lifting several inches in one or more places. If spilled water sits atop the flooring for too long or if moisture seeps into the wood from the subfloor. For example if a toilet overflows and the water reaches the hardwood hallway the hardwood planks swell with moisture.

Moisture primarily is the main cause of buckling. Fortunately this is not a common occurrence. Buckling is when the hardwood floor lifts or separates from the sub floor. Because the wood needs to accommodate this excess moisture it moves upward and the expansion causes it to buckle.

Once the root cause of peaking is identified the hardwood floor peaking problem can be fixed. Here s a rundown on why cupping happens. Floor buckling is the most extreme reaction to moisture in a hardwood floor. Moisture is the downfall of many hardwood floors.

A buckled floor with only minor damage can sometimes be repaired simply by removing the excess moisture but serious buckling will necessitate replacing the hardwood boards. This is when the real wood floor problems start like hardwood floor raising up often accompanied by cupping or swelling starts. Understanding what makes a floor cup whether solid or engineered can help prevent wood floor failures or once the cupping has happened can assist in diagnosing the source of the problem. Although the damage appears atrocious and costly to fix you can easily repair the issues yourself after becoming familiar with the common causes behind it.

Homeowners with wood floors are frequently faced with buckling or peaking floorboards. If you see an area with minor buckling and or other slight signs of water damage it won t hurt to take the easy way out first and try this quick and simple repair.