Royal Wood Floors covers new hard wood floor problems and cures so that New Port Ritchey home owners can have beautiful hard wood floors – Series 2
Royal Wood Floors specializes in hard wood floor refinishing and installing hew hard wood floors in the greater New Port Ritchey area and has been highly successful for over 15 years. “After servicing or installing a new hard wood floor, we make a point of providing the following as a special series of tips for every customer in order to ensure that their floors are protected and provide that stunning hard wood beauty for as long as possible”, says Keith Allman who owns Royal Wood Floors. He continues to say, “there are a variety of problems that can affect the beauty and life of hard wood floors and once these are isolated they can be handled properly so that the hard wood lasts for years the way it should”. Different types of hard wood floor damage can often times be dealt with through hard wood floor restorations, it is important that residents be educated on it.
All Royal Wood Floor staff are trained in-house on the standards set by the National Wood Flooring Association which ensures that every job is evaluated for potential situations that can occur due to a variety of different circumstances. In this series Royal Wood Floors covers what is known as Compression-Set, Crowning and Cupping. These are common problems that can take place with hard wood floors that can damage them and will need to be fixed in order to restore the natural beauty in them.
Compression-Set
Compression-Set occurs when floor boards are being subjected to a substantial increase in moisture while being restrained from swelling by adjacent boards. This results in the permanent narrowing of the boards due to edges of the boards being crushed. The gaps often begin to darken with age and the edges may become slightly lifted and splintered. The compression is often exaggerated by debris becoming embedded in the gaps between the boards. This is normally associated with flooring that has been installed for more than one year. The cause is any exposure to a substantial increase in moisture causing excessive expansion, which is followed by lower moisture levels and contraction that makes the gaps between boards apparent. Examples of excessive moisture include water leaks such as the ones that can occur under plants, refrigerator ice makers, floors with high moisture content caused by excessive humidity found in bathrooms and other areas. The cure is to correct the source of moisture and follow proper maintenance procedures. Gaps in the floor can be filled with sand followed by refinishing the floor and properly coating it. “In some cases, floor boards can be replaced professionally”, says Allman. “However, the cause or source of the moisture will still need to be discovered and repaired properly so that new boards remain in good condition”, he continues.
Crowning
This is where the center of the pieces of flooring appear to be higher than the edges. While it is possible that excessive moisture could cause crowning, it is more likely that the floor previously cupped and sanded before the moisture content returned. Sanding too soon removed the raised edges. When the boards eventually dried, their edges were lower than the center. “Excessive drying from below can cause a moisture imbalance that causes crowning as well,” says Allman. First determine if the moisture content in the sub-floor has stabilized and returned to normal levels and if all the crowning from the original cupped condition has occurred. After the floor has stabilized, re-sand and finish.
Cupping
Cupping occurs across the width of the individual pieces of flooring. The edges are high and the center of each board is lower. This generally happens gradually over time. The cause is a moisture differential within individual pieces of flooring. Usually it is because of excessive moisture on the underside of the flooring. More subtle cupping can be caused by lack of proper acclimation (this is generally permanent cupping). Potential sources of extensive moisture include building leaks, poor drainage, plumbing leaks or overflows, leaks from dish washers or refrigerators, wet or damp basements or crawl spaces, lack of ventilation, concrete sub-floors that have not cured or HVAC systems not operating correctly or at all. Solid flooring also may cup when a wood floor experiences conditions that cause rapid drying on the surface. This condition occurs with gaps as the flooring shrinks. Low humidity levels can cause cupping in engineered flooring that is usually referred to as dry cupping. You never want to attempt to repair a cupped floor until all of the sources of moisture have been located and eliminated. This can be verified only by a moisture meter that can take readings of the underlying sub-floor. As long as the wood floor is not permanently damaged, the flooring will return to its original shape and size when all of the moisture is removed. This may take weeks, months or an entire heating season. Attempting to sand a cupped floor while it is still too wet may cause subsequent crowning when the floor dries. Flooring that does not return to its original shape, even after an entire heating season is probably permanently deformed.
Contact Us for a Free Estimate
For more information about this experienced and professional hardwood floor restoration and new installation company, or to schedule repairs by these New Port Ritchey wood floor refinishing contractors, or learn about custom wood styles or the company’s inlay and medallion installation services, phone Keith Allman at 727-267-2617. Easy estimates and appointments are currently available through the company’s website, https://royalwoodfloor.com/. The company provides top craftsmanship and cares for many types of custom and domestic wood. Visit the company’s website for examples of previous work.