Wood Flooring Water Damage
I live in a brownstone that has wood flooring on the ground level. A small section of it just recently started to buckle due to water damage. There is, however, no obvious signs of where the water damage came from. I don’t believe the “waterproofing” between the flooring and the ground is very good as very little separates the wood floor and the dirt below besides some insulation, paneling and beams that raise it off the floor. The ground below is moist but not overtly solid. So it might just be that over time the moisture below eventually broke the flooring down. I have lived in the house for five years. Anyhow, I am reluctant to repair the damaged section before knowing the cause. Does anyone know someone who understands how to do flooring on ground levels and might be able to evaluate the cause of the damage.
ihenderson
in Building Code 12 years and 7 months ago
3
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3 replies
ihenderson | 12 years and 7 months ago
Thanks for the feedback. The buckling is in fact near a masonry wall and next to the radiator pipe. I have yet to find any signs of serious leaking however, but agree moisture is coming in that area and I believe when the heat was turned on it caused it to expand. Can anyone recommend a person who can help me with waterproofing this area or to help me solve….
Bond | 12 years and 7 months ago
If I’m reading you correctly, the flooring sits on tops of sub-flooring, which is on top of your beams and those things all sit above the dirt, but only by a little? As Deboer points out, if there is any contact between the beam or flooring and the dirt, then it will wick the moisture out of the earth and into the wood. Assuming that this isn’t the case, that everything sits above the earth, even if only a little bit, that shouldn’t be a problem. A big clue is going to be where is the flooring buckling? Up against an outside edge would probably indicate that the water is coming from outside. In the middle of the floor or against an inside edge would probably indicate water coming from inside the house in which case you almost certainly have to correct the water source first. Outside you can put in shielding and live with it. What is more likely is that if you have masonry walls, there is probably no moisture barrier between the walls and the ends of the joists. Water will wick up through brick or concrete and then into wood. Assuming that you can’t get rid of the source of water in the dirt below the flooring, which would be the best option, then you will probably need to put some type of moisture barrier into the beam pocket that isolates the wood from the masonry. Same thing with the flooring, make sure that the flooring doesn’t directly contact the walls. Take into account that the flooring will expand across the grain when it’s humid. You don’t have to worry about length. As far as the moisture, the most likely culprit is seeping through the wall, which means you would have to excavate some of the dirt from outside and do so remediation, water seeping down the wall (windows or leaders are prime culprits) or something man made bringing water to the spot like a radiator or plumbing pipe. I’d post a pic, you’ll get a few off the wall answers, but you’ll also get a concensous on what the problem is. If the buckling is in the middle of the room, or on an interior edge, then you have something dumping water into the location and the first thing you need to do is identify and correct that problem. The last thing to take into consideration is, are you sure it’s water damage and not something else? Termites come to mind, in which case, you really, really want to fix the problem! Good luck and consider posting a picture.
jockdeboeraia | 12 years and 7 months ago
The flooring sits on dirt? Then that is why it is buckling.