Flooring should always be acclimated before installing
Q: In January we had the carpet in our home replaced with hardwoods (four rooms). The new and older hardwoods were then all sanded and finished with an oil-base finish. Now, 6 months later, the new woods are cupping, not only in the rooms where there had been carpet, but also in the kitchen where new wood was used to patch a small area under a cabinet peninsula that we removed. Our first thought was that the cupping was caused by a moisture problem in the crawl space (we live in an area that is humid during the summer), but if that were true, wouldn’t all the hardwoods on the first floor be cupping, and not just the new wood? Does this have something to do with the installation? Acclimation? Finishing? What do you suggest we do to fix the floors? And can this be done without re-sanding and refinishing?
A: Flooring should always be acclimated before installing and both the floor and sub floor should be checked with a meter to make sure they are within 4% of each other on the moisture scale. Having said that, it does sound to me that you have a moisture problem that needs to be addressed first in the crawl space. I have seen floors that had cupped flatten out, so I would suggest you get someone in who has a moisture meter to check the floor. Buying a hygrometer is not a bad idea either. It will tell you the temperature and relative humidity in the air.
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