Polyurethane Hardwood Cupping

The wet subfloor wets the bottom of wood flooring which causes the bottom of the planks to swell causing cupping in summer said rachael.

Polyurethane hardwood cupping.

The two major types of polyurethane are oil based and water based each of which has different advantages. Hardwood floor in basement cupping q. Solid hardwood flooring offers the broadest range of options as you can sand and scrape away up to 1 4 of an inch of the wood to remove cupping or surface mold and. The simplest way to think of wood floor cupping is to imagine the edges of each plank sticking up higher than the centers.

Water based polyurethane is clear low odor and has a quick drying time it is recommended for surfaces that see little exposure to heat or the elements such as desks bookcases and end tables. It ends up looking a little like an accordion. 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. The boards have bowed up in a large section in the center of the floor and you can bounce on them.

Cupping in solid wood floors. When problems arise or when a floor fails it can be costly. Any wood floor can suffer from cupping. As suggested in the wood flooring 101 section of our website the type of wood flooring you have limits the range of possible repairs for your wood floor.

The general effect is easy to demonstrate by putting a small strip of paper onto a small drop of water. Clean your floor regularly by sweeping and damp mopping and work on any spills quickly so they don t set in and. This expansion can be in the form of cupping the center of the board is lower than the edges or crowning the center of the board is higher than the edges. The boards have bowed up in a large section in the center of the floor and you can bounce on them.

The type of wood flooring you have affects the repair options available. However you still need to take special care when cleaning this type of floor as you can damage the floor or the coating if you re not careful. My basement was finished by the previous owners about 30 years ago and they put down hardwood floors possibly directly on the concrete. Hardwood floor in basement cupping q.

When moisture interacts with a hardwood floor the side of the boards closest to the moisture expands. Installing a wood floor requires a substantial investment in materials and labor. For flawless wood floors avoid these 11 wood flooring installation and finishing mistakes. The paper will curl up away from the water.

The moisture will therefore try to move inside and cupping will start taking place when the moisture cannot escape through the floor boards due to impermeable sealants such as polyurethane.