What Causes Buckled Hardwood Floors?

Flooding

• Moisture is the most likely reason your hardwood floors are buckled. When the wood gets wet, it expands, and, when it has nowhere to expand because it is fitted tightly between baseboards or walls, it has no choice but to bend in the direction of least resistance, which is up, resulting in a bucked floor. Flooding is one obvious way that moisture can get to your wood and cause this problem. Removing some of the length of the flooring to allow for expansion is one way to remedy the situation if the wood is not too damaged to save. High humidity in homes can also cause mild buckling. Removal of some flooring may also help in this situation to allow for more air circulation and drying.

Improper Nailing

• If you have a hardwood floor that has been installed by nailing down the planks to the subflooring, the nails could be your problem when buckling occurs. If the number of nails were insufficient to hold the boards down, or if the wrong types of nails were used, this could be the main cause. Removing improper nails and adding longer nails of the proper type in their place will help hold wood flooring in place. The issue may even result from an insufficient number of nails, and more may be needed.

Subfloor Separation

• The subfloor is the material below your hardwood that supports the floor, makes it level and holds it down. Some installers use glue instead of nails to attach the hardwood to the subfloor. While this is handy for eliminating nails and giving the surface a smooth, natural look, glue doesn’t form as strong of a bond as nailing and could result in subfloor separation. If the hardwood separates from the subfloor, buckling can occur.

Maintenance and Prevention

• To keep your floors from buckling, you should practice regular maintenance and prevention. When cleaning the floors, use a damp cloth and not a wet mop. The moisture from the mop can absorb into the wood and cause expansion and buckling problems. Clean up spills immediately to prevent standing water or other wet material on the wood floor. Maintain water-resistant coating by refinishing your floors when they begin to show signs of wear.