1928 house hardwood floors cupping

16 years ago

We bought this house in Feb, it was cold we are near Chicago. The red oak floors were in good condition but we did not like the color. We had the floors redone and only one room a hardwood floor added. The house was built in 1928 and most of the floors are original. The house does not have central air conditioning, just 2 window units. Last month the floors started to severely cup. I would say 60% of all floors, including the new room, are cupping. We are hoping to get central a/c in a year or two. We constantly run a dehumidifier in the basement, and always have. When we bought the house in Feb. it did seem extremely dry, there is radiator heat. The attic does not have proper ventilation or insulation - we are adding a whole house fan, more mushroom vents and insulation in the next couple of weeks. Will this ventilation help the cupping or is it really from the lack of a/c. The strange thing is that the house never had a/c and we never saw the cupping before - what could the previous owner have done that we aren't doing? Would a dehumidifier upstairs help? My husband does not think you can put a dehumidifier where there are open windows. Will the cupping flatten out in the winter? Thanks!!!

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Comments (2)

smileytiley
16 years ago
2nd discussion this afternoon in London was your oak floor. First I think the best thing to do is explain something....In days gone by wood was harvested and then lay to 'season' for no less than 7 years. The reason for this was simple any expansion of the wood would occur in this time and eventually it would 'rest'. However today this is not the case....the wood is put through a kilning process for speed and commercial reasons.

We had a long long discussion about this, and the first thing I have to ask is this....did you not do a test area before undertaking the task of re-colouring? I have to advise any client a test area is always a pre-requisite for undertaking any changes to oak. Unfortunately unbeknown to yourself you changed the conditions that this wood was enjoying and it has reacted in this way.

This wood was happy and settled before the process of re-colouring was undertaken. The environmental forces of chemicals being enforced upon it now have changed and wood being a natural substance will react to such changes. This is what has happened to your oak.

Now the bad news, we have never seen a wooden floor that has cupped be rectified. My advice to you is to see professional wood mason or master carpenter immediately.

I am sending my best regards to you and please keep us updated.

Kind Regards

Lynn (and the boys in London England)
glennsfc
16 years ago
Lynn (and the boys in London England) obviously know wood. As they said...wood will respond to changes in its environment and to the "chemicals being enforced upon it" by any refinishing endeavor.

I have seen happy wood floors go bezerk when extensive renovations or additions to a structure were undertaken. Simply adding insulation or changing the HVAC system, or doing anything else that changes how air and moisture migrate within a structure (convection currents) and you can have negative effects on wood floor systems.

Resanding cupped wood flooring and refinishing once the wood is again in equilibrium can result it slightly crowned wood flooring...not entirely objectionable.
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