From : MCCI
To: All
Subject: Buckled hardwood T. & G. hardwood flooring.
This is an older home, single story, built on conventional foundation. Approx a year ago the rear boy’s bedroom had some buckled t& G planks (original flooring) which
I replaced with new boards and refinished. The problem has now spread to another adjoining bedroom with several boards pushed up in two or more places. even the boards that I replaced a year ago have again buckled. Should I replace the damaged boards with new T & G planks like before or tear up the flooring and start with new subflooring? Any suggestions as to what might be the underlieing causes, and how to correct it?
Thanks
Replies
It sounds like you're having moisture problems- a pipe with a slow leak somewhere, maybe a roof leak running down a wall, or too much humidity in the basement. Take care of that, and then,and only then, do the floor repairs.
And the new flooring should be allowed to acclimate to the house several days, or even better, a week or so, before installation.
If the original, old boards are just now buckling, then something has changed their environment. And since it took a year for the new boards to buckle, sounds like a slow leak. Is there are pattern? Are they buckling in succession further away from some definable point? Maybe a underfloor water line has sprung a pinhole leak and is spraying the underside of the subfloor. Or window flashing gone bad.
No point in tearing things up until you find and fix the source of the moisture.
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