Hardwood Floor Swelling

Swelling and shrinking is a natural occurrence directly related to the properties of all kinds of wood when accompanied with high variations in humidity or temperature change.

Hardwood floor swelling.

The days of green shag carpet which offered shock absorption and comfort for our feet have been replaced by stiff surfaces like hardwoods laminates and tile that cause more wear and tear on our feet. Your hardwood floors may not actually be killing you but they are likely irritating your feet. In previous blogs we have discussed the common effect weather change in denver can have on all hardwood floors. Along with seasons heat and rain humidity levels in the air rise and fall from percent to percent.

If the floorboards are at 15 humidity and the room is at a 3 humidity very dry the wood will shrink. Swelling is the largest in the tangential direction which is across the face of plainsawn flooring or across rotary peeled faces. Red oak hardwood floors were installed throughout our newly constructed home we moved in at the end of july 2017. If spilled water sits atop the flooring for too long or if moisture seeps into the wood from the subfloor it can eventually lead to a buckled hardwood floor.

Hardwood floors can be very damaged from water infiltration. Hardwood flooring swells based on moisture and shrivel due to the lack therein. How to repair a hump in the floor. Hardwood floors can swell in the following ways.

Removing the moisture as soon as possible is key. Because soil shifts and house frames settle there is usually a slight variation in floor level. The amount of cupping will depend on the species swelling coefficient cut width thickness and the restraining forces that may be present. You will see gaps or cracks between floorboards.

The boards on the first floor began to contract in early december. This swelling wood floor is also known as a cupping floor. Since the contraction took place in the space between each board there is what looks like a beige stripe. Depending on how swollen the wood.

If you have a noticeable hump in the floor however something. Because of the expansion and contraction issues installers will normally leave a gap between the wall and the floor to accommodate swelling this type of hardwood flooring should only be installed. A parquet floor that is laid properly in a humid climate will have small spaces between the floorboards allowing them to. The end result is unsightly to put it mildly.