Wood Floor Got Wet And Buckled

Fortunately this is not a common occurrence.

Wood floor got wet and buckled.

Degree of water. Buckling can occur for a number of reasons. Water is the enemy of hardwood flooring. Sometimes floors that appear dry to the naked eye can be soaked and the job might require industrial size fans and other equipment that removes water beneath the wood down into the subfloor.

Buckling also called cupping or crowning is the most extreme case of too much moisture. Floor buckling is the most extreme reaction to moisture in a hardwood floor. Because the wood needs to accommodate this excess moisture it moves upward and the expansion causes it to buckle. Whether there is too much weight on the wood flooring or exposure to moisture understanding why buckling occurs is the first step to fixing it.

How to fix a buckled hardwood floor. Floor buckling happens most often after a floor has been flooded for an extended period of time. For example if a toilet overflows and the water reaches the hardwood hallway the hardwood planks swell with moisture. Find more information about hardwood flooring now.

Buckling occurs when the wood flooring actually pulls up from the subfloor lifting several inches in one or more places. Nails may begin to lift glue may release causing separation between floor pieces and tongue and groove floors often cup or buckle when moisture has been absorbed. If spilled water sits atop the flooring for too long or if moisture seeps into the wood from the subfloor. Due to the porous nature of wood moisture can be easily absorbed into the material.

Moisture is the downfall of many hardwood floors.