Wood on a live tree contains moisture to keep it alive. After the tree is cut, it begins to dry and then shrink in thickness or diameter. The length will usually stay the same. This shrinkage happens to all woods, no matter what kind of tree it is.
In a live tree, the moisture content can be as high as 200 percent of the weight of wood substance. Shrinkage usually occurs at 25 to 30 percent moisture content. When the tree is cut and the wood is processed to be sold and used as flooring, for example, the moisture content is brought down to zero percent.
A leak or flood causing water damage to the wood will increase its moisture content. The increase in moisture from zero percent to 25-30% - the fiber saturation point - will make the wood swell. Extreme water damage will cause cupping, crowning, buckling, or cracks/splits in the flooring.
Cupping, crowning, and buckling
Cupping is when the edges of a board of wood are higher than the center, forming a concave shape. This is usually caused by moisture imbalance on the wood, where some parts have more moisture content than the others.
Crowning is the opposite; the center of the board is higher than the edges. Crowning occurs when there is excessive moisture on the top of the floor. It can also happen if the floor had cupped during a previous water damage incident, and was sanded before it had dried completely.
Buckling of floors is when the flooring literally pulls up from the subfloor and lifts up several inches in one or more places. This usually happens when the floor is submerged in water for some time.
Remedies
When water damage occurs on wood, the moisture must be removed immediately. Drying may be done with fans and dehumidifiers on top of the floor and if possible, below the floor system such as on the crawlspace. If there is forced air heat in the home - through a heater or furnace, for example - the heat should be turned up to between 76 and 80 degrees F in order to dry the wood. Once the wood is dry, restorative procedures such as screening, filling, recoating and refinishing may be done.
If after the water has been removed the cupping of the wood is prominent but there is no buckling, the wood should be sanded lightly across the grain to remove the wood finishing. This will allow the excess moisture in the wood to dissipate faster. The floor should then be dried, again using fans and dehumidifiers, and then refinished.
Wood that has cupped and buckled indicates that there is excess moisture in the flooring and the flooring system. This excess moisture under the flooring system should be completely removed. When both the floor and the flooring system are completely dry, the damaged areas and loosened areas should be replaced. If there is plywood under the flooring and the plywood was wet by the leak or flood, the entire system should be removed and replaced.
Cosmetical repairs - simply re-nailing, sanding and refinishing - without completely drying the flooring system underneath may result in problems later on. The flooring could develop staining, crowning, finish failure, cracks and become loose. If these problems developed after you have filed your insurance claim for water damage, the cost of repair would have to come out of your pocket and may be more expensive than the payout you got from your insurance company.
Water damage on wood is time-consuming to repair. Quick action is important to arrest further damage. When it comes to restoring the wood and you do not know what you are doing, leave it to the experts and save your wallet from additional unnecessary expenses by letting them do the professional work.
What Can Happen When Water Meets Wood: Hardwood Floor Water Damage. Floor installers gain large levels of new customers from friends that pass on their phone number, and seal of approval to friends, and acquaintances. Give an estimate for a new floor? Sure. It is good for business to get those kind of calls. Sometimes a previous customer may call with a question or a complaint. You may see signs of cracks, cupping or buckling on a floor that when first installed seemed so perfect. Those are the most common changes that moisture can inflict on a floor. They benefit neither the person purchasing, or the flooring industry as a whole. Stories of hardwood floors suffering water damage due to incorrect installation or ineffective maintenance of the owner, imply that a hardwood floor is more of a headache than some other flooring options. For wood flooring professionals, it’s important to inform end users about the normal behavior of wood in relation to moisture. When the humidity is low, solid wood flooring will generally tend to contract. during the winter, many times apparent cracks appear between boards, and there are expansion issues when the humidity soars. These effects can be reduced by keeping the temperature and humidity levels stable throughout the building. These written materials describe the negative effects of mixing wood and water. Finding areas where moisture could cause a problem and eliminating this potential will give you the best possible floor. Alot of moisture problems can be fixed before, during, or soon after installing. A well-performing wood floor is often the result of an installer taking the proper time and care necessary for a successful installation. It involves a knowledge of: • the expected moisture content of wood flooring in a particular area after acclimation; • the moisture content of flooring at the time of installation; • and the expected “in use" changes. The main determining factor for wood changes is moisture, and it is active in machine processing, and following installation. Installers must know moisture’s effect on wood and wooden floors.
Both Charmaine Pierce & Anita Mckenzie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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Anita Mckenzie has sinced written about articles on various topics from Install Flooring, Internet Marketing and Yacht. By choosing a renewable and sustainable resource, such as Bamboo; you are making a conscience decision to improve the plight of the world’s rainforests, which are not only an important part of reducing the buildup of CO2 gasses in our atmosphere, but are. Anita Mckenzie's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.