Water damage to floor
We had a water leak which has caused a large area of cupping on our floor. Does this usually go away after the floor dries completely or is it permanent? If it is a question of wait and see, typically how long should I wait (a week, a month, 3 months)? Thank you.
We had a water leak which has caused a large area of cupping on our floor. Does this usually go away after the floor dries completely or is it permanent? If it is a question of wait and see, typically how long should I wait (a week, a month, 3 months)?
Thank you.
Our own brand new 3/4″ hardwood floors were damaged by the Nor’easter that happened in April, 2010. Even though we are on the 22nd floor, the water seeped through into the building and under the wood (and under the plywood underlayer).
The cupping started within a week and it did not get better after a month. We actually became concerned about the effects of residual water under the floor so we decided to do something quickly, and we are very glad we did.
After interviewing multiple contractors we hired RMD Floors, http://www.rmdfloors.com. They came and cut out a portion of the hardwood, exposing wet plywood beneath (proving that once you see cupping it is best to act before something worse develops).
For what it’s worth, RMD did an excellent job removing all of the cupped wood (in two rooms) and seamlessly integrating it into the hardwood that didn’t need replacement (the water only infiltrated about 8′ into the room).
At this point, you would never know that our beautiful wood floor had been damaged, and the actual finish (satin matte) is actually much better than when the floor was first installed (clearly, RMD Floors used 100% Bona, and lot’s of it, and that’s expensive stuff).
Anyway, get rid of those cupped floors. And also be sure to check with your insurance carrier . . . it may very well be covered (ours was).
gckmac
actually,
damage is permanent –
caused by absorption of water by wood –
If there was a slight amount and you cleaned it up quick
and if it was 3/4″ thick tongue _ groove , you may be able
to get away with it –
group 2 architects engineers corp.
shervin_mirzai@msn.com
damage is permanent –
caused by absorption of water by wood –
If there was a slight amount and you cleaned it up quick
and if it was 3/4″ thick tongue _ groove , you may be able
to get away with it –
group 2 architects engineers corp.
shervin_mirzai@msn.com
Thanks Scrappalonk, that’s good to know. Think I’ll replace that section, probably better in the long run.
Once it dried, it’s nearly impossible to remove a cup. I’ve heard of people using steam to “soften the bends and then fasten them down, but I’d assume you would loose the finish on the wood in the process. Also, it may be cheaper and easier to just replace the wood.
If the wood has cupped and not completely dried, then you may be able to pull it back down again. I’ve personally did this by going into the ceiling from the floor below and used screws to “suck” the hardwood back down to the subfloor. That was 15 years ago and it’s still perfect.