Floor buckling is the most extreme reaction to moisture in a hardwood floor.
Wood floor got wet and buckled.
A flooded hardwood floor can have up to 40 moisture content and can retain well above the normal amount of moisture for weeks if left to dry on it s own.
M ajor storms like sandy can cause extensive water damage to hardwood floors but panicked homeowners should not rush to replace what appears to be beyond repair.
For example if a toilet overflows and the water reaches the hardwood hallway the hardwood planks swell with moisture.
So your flooring may show signs of staining from small spills the wet floor may also begin to buckle and cup when large amounts of water are absorbed as the planks swell.
Whether there is too much weight on the wood flooring or exposure to moisture understanding why buckling occurs is the first step to fixing it.
Water is the enemy of hardwood flooring.
Buckling occurs when the wood flooring actually pulls up from the subfloor lifting several inches in one or more places.
Hardwood floors will buckle if they are subjected to excess water.
Due to the porous nature of wood moisture can be easily absorbed into the material.
Floor buckling happens most often after a floor has been flooded for an extended period of time.
Find more information about hardwood flooring now.
Degree of water.
Sometimes if you let it dry out.
If spilled water sits atop the flooring for too long or if moisture seeps into the wood from the subfloor.
Because the wood needs to accommodate this excess moisture it moves upward and the expansion causes it to buckle.
How to fix a buckled hardwood floor.
Buckling can occur for a number of reasons.
Buckling also called cupping or crowning is the most extreme case of too much moisture.