Q: I have been to ifloor and you guys carry a great line of products to choose from. I have had a 3/8” hardwood cherry floor put down on my lower level of my house. The person laid i glued it down onto the subfloor(concrete) no vapor barrier was used there is some moisture present when the weather gets hot and humid. Presently the floor is cupped really bad due to the moisture what can I do to fix this problem or what type of product would you recommend from your line to solve this with no future cupping.
A: There are a couple reasons why a floor will begin cupping, and most of the time this is a moisture related issue. The first thing I would do is have a certified inspector come in to check the floor and ensure this moisture is not coming from your subfloor. Occasionally if the glue is not done right, this can cause a problem where the moisture seal the glue creates will not hold. If this is the case, it would be an installer error, but only an inspector would be able to determine this.
If the cupping is due to relative humidity in the air, then you will want to get a dehumidifier ASAP to remove this excess moisture. After time, the boards will begin retuning to their normal state and if caught early enough they will return fully to their state as of the day of installation. It would be good practice to get a dehumidifier going early then get the inspector in there to check the floor out.
Wood floors perform best when in the same “comfortable” climate as humans. This is normally around 65 degrees Fahrenheit and with 50% relative humidity. Any climate which deviates away from this can cause various problems, such as cupping, in your floor.
