Hardwood flooring and water damage

Homeowners who enjoy hardwood floors have a gamble on their hands…what’s going to happen to their gorgeous floor if the plumbing fails?  As we will see, this isn’t something that is taken care of so quickly or easily.

When moisture enters the wood floor from above, it seeps between the wood and the sub-floor.  As the top of the wood dries out – more rapidly than the bottom, where the water is trapped – cupping occurs. If the cupped wood is sanded, the floor will initially appear flat.  Yet the bottom of the wood, remaining damp, is still cupped.  When the bottom of the wood eventually dries, it flattens, leaving the top of the wood crowned.