Podcast Short: Why Is My Wood Floor Cupping?
In this excerpt, the team troubleshoots a cupping floor and gives recommendations on how to avoid this issue in the future.
In this clip from Podcast Episode 144, the Fine Homebuilding crew responds to this question from podcast listener Phil from Maryland:
“We installed 1000 sq. ft. of 5-in. red oak flooring in the kitchen, living room, dining area, foyer, and a hallway of this house. It was installed over 30-lb. felt paper and was stapled every 8 in. The floor was allowed to acclimate for three weeks and the moisture content was 9% to 11% when installed, the exact same range as the subfloor. The floor was then stained finished with two coats of oil-based poly. In the summertime, it began to significantly cup. Whole-house moisture readings were taken, and the basement at the time had a relative humidity of 55% to 53% versus the upstairs. And we could not come up with a good theory for why the floor is cupping.”
Watch to hear what Patrick McCombe, Matthew Millham, and Justin Fink have to say including:
- How a room’s humidity relative to the rest of the house could be a big part of the problem
- Why it’s important to install other elements of the house in the right order so it doesn’t mess with the drying process
- Why nails, spacing, and wood-width matter
RELATED LINKS
