What does it mean when a floor buckles?

What Are Buckled Wood Floors? Buckling of wood floors is when your floorboards rise, causing humps and uneven surfaces. Wood naturally expands and contracts as it reacts to environmental conditions. But severe expansions and contractions can prevent your hardwood floor from going back to its original shape.

What causes floors to buckle up?

Floor buckling is the most extreme reaction to moisture in a hardwood floor. Buckling occurs when the wood flooring actually pulls up from the subfloor, lifting several inches in one or more places. Floor buckling happens most often after a floor has been flooded for an extended period of time.

Why is my floor bulging?

When a floor board starts to bulge, it’s usually because it is warped. Hardwood floors usually warp because they have been exposed to water, or excessive humidity. The water causes the fibers in the wood to swell and shrink. A board that is severely bulged will most likely need to be replaced.

How do you flatten a buckled hardwood floor?

How Do You Fix Buckled Hardwood Floor?

  1. Fix the source of moisture. The first step would be to fix the source of the moisture on your floor to prevent any further bubbles and swelling that can spread the damage to new planks.
  2. Remove the warped plank.
  3. Replace the damaged planks.
  4. Refinish the Floor.

How do you fix a subfloor bulge?

  1. Cut the subfloor. Use a circular saw to remove the subfloor to expose the high joist.
  2. Look at the joist. The joist underneath the hump may appear thicker than the joist on either side of it because of moisture.
  3. Shave down the higher joist.
  4. Install the subfloor.
  5. Mount the new floor over the subfloor.

How do you fix a swollen floor?

If the floor is swollen from humidity, then you must set up ventilation fans to dry out the room. To speed up the process, a dehumidifier may also be set up in the room to help dry out the flooring and capture the moisture.