Hardwood Floor Cupping After Water Damage

This is what happens when moisture causes the wood to expand pushing the boards together and deforming them in the center.

Hardwood floor cupping after water damage.

It is not hard to see the effect in wood flooring either. This leads to the edges of the board being higher than the center. Always use vacuum cleaners and sweep excess dirt and debris from your floor surface to prevent wood flor scratches. If spilled water sets on the wood flooring too long the hardwood cups quickly.

As the photos below suggest once the wood absorbs water it expands and this expansion reveals itself in the edges of the board turning up or whole planks buckling. Fans and dehumidifiers can help. After severe water damage it is likely that wood floors will have to be replaced. The general effect is easy to demonstrate by putting a small strip of paper onto a small drop of water.

This is called cupping heavy sanding with a drum or orbital sander can actually take down some minor high areas. Wood is specifically susceptible to mold growth so it is important that you ensure that the floor and the sub floor are completely dry. If a hardwood floor is installed before a subfloor is properly dried or before the floorboards reach an equilibrium moisture content emc such as before the inside of a building s air is conditioned there is a chance for cupping later on. When the moisture increases the wood swells and then when it decreases the wood shrinks.

Cupping is a result of the changes in moisture in the room. The paper will curl up away from the water. Wood is hygroscopic in nature and thereby tends to absorb moisture from its surroundings causing problems in hardwood floors. The signs one of the most telltale signs of hardwood floor water damage is known as cupping.

Cupping occurs in solid wood flooring as a result of an elevated mc in the bottom of the flooring compared with the mc of the face. One of the first signs that water has damaged your floor is cupping of individual planks or crowning of several planks creating a hump in the floor. If floors have cupped popped or cracked it may be an indication that the sub floor has experienced water damage as well. Sand water damaged wood flooring after drying a wood floor you may have some concave or convex floorboards.

Wood floor cupping prevention measures wipe any spill immediately to avoid water infiltrating to the subfloor. Do not apply heat to the hardwood flooring as this can result in splitting cupping and other problems. As you can see moisture and wood don t go well together.