471 Hein Drive
Garner, North Carolina 27529
(919) 662-1599
Installing & Finishing Hardwood Floors the American Way
In each installation of a hardwood floor, there are uncontrollable variables from site to site. One of these is the amount of moisture, or lack thereof. This variable will have a great impact on your hardwood floor which could result in cupping or separations in the floor.
Cupping is the result of the floors being exposed to excess moisture. This exposure can come from inside the house (high humidity, spills, leaks, etc.) or from beneath the house, causing the boards to expand, resulting in raised edges along the length of the boards. If cupping occurs, the first step to correct this problem is determine the source of the moisture. Once this source is identified and corrected, the moisture in the floor has to stablize to determine the necessary future process. We recommend placing a fan blowing across the cupped floors to aid in removing the moisture.
Once the moisture has stabilized, the floors may lay back down and no further action need to be taken or just a buff and recoated to repair any damaged finish. If the cupping is still present after the moisture has stabilized, the area may need to be re-sanded, as long as the cupping is not severe. Severe cupping may require the replacement of the damaged area.
Cupping is more prevelant in summer months when the relative humidity if fairly high in the region.
Separations in a floor are just the opposite of cupping. This occurs when the floors become extremely dry. The loss of moisture causes the flooring boards to contract resulting in separations along the length of the boards. The separations in 2 1/4" boards could become as wide as the thickness of a dime or wider. The wider the original boards the more the floor will contract, resulting in larger separations.
Separation within hardwood floors mostly occur during the winter months when the relative humidity is fairly low in this region. This coupled with running home heating systems adds to the drying effects of the hardwood floors. These separations usually will disappear as the summer and higher humidity levels return.
The use of humidifiers and dehumidifiers can have a great impact on how much fluctuation you have in your hardwood floors.
