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Diagnosis and Solutions

Gaps in the flooring in winter

This is a natural phenomenon that results from the hardwood loosing moisture content due to dryer conditions in winter.

The solution:

increasing the relative humidity in a home with the help of a humidifier so that it stays between 30% and 50% will help eliminate this phenomenon and actually bring much healthier living conditions for both you and your pets.

Cupping

Cupping occurs when the edges of the flooring strip are higher than the middle. The main cause of cupping is a high level of relative humidity that results from an imbalance of humidity through the thickness of the strip, i.e. the bottom of the hardwood floor strip has more humidity than the top surface.

The solution:

Cupping can also result from water seeping in through windows and doors or very humid sub-floor. The only solution is to wait and allow the hardwood flooring strips to dry out while controlling the relative humidity with the help of a dehumidifier and/or locating the source of the water seepage.

Sanding is not recommended since it could lead to
crowning and irreparable damage to the hardwood
flooring strips.

Crowning

Crowning is when the centre of the flooring strip is higher than the edges. Moisture imbalance is sometimes the cause of crowning if excessive moisture is introduced on the top of the floor, perhaps from water used when cleaning the floor.

This is often caused by having a cupped hardwood floor sanded before giving it time to thoroughly dry and flatten out on its own. Cupping is more apparent in the summer, while crowning will be a "winter phenomenon" due to the lower relative humidity and resulting contraction of the hardwood flooring.
Crowning is unfortunately a very serious problem, which cannot be fixed by simply reintroducing humidity in the environment.

Filling the voids between the flooring strips with putty and applying a new
coat of finish is an aesthetic but usually short-lived solution, as the strips will expand again with higher relative humidity (summer) and the putty will be forced out.


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