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Hardwood cupping, gapping, buckling or worn out.

A flooring contractor should assess and repair the floor, and the right trade should fix any leak or humidity source.

Customers put it like this

  • boards are cupping
  • gaps between the boards in winter
  • floor buckled up
  • worn floor, refinish or replace?
Prepare this job in ForeBotFind another guide

Stop first if

  • Standing water reaches outlets or equipment, or a wet floor gives a tingle.Stay off the floor. Shut off power only if it can be done without risk. Call a licensed electrician.
  • Paint from before 1978 may be disturbed by sanding or scraping.Stop. Do not sand or scrape until it has been tested.
  • The floor humps or sags and it is changing week to week.Stop work and keep people clear. Call a structural engineer.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. What species and board width is the floor?
  2. When was it installed, and when did you first notice this?
  3. Was there a leak, flood or humid spell first?
  4. Was the heat or air off for any stretch?
  5. What is under the floor: slab, basement or crawlspace?
  6. Do you have moisture readings from the install?
02

Bring

5
  • Moisture meter with species correction
  • Hygrometer for logging
  • Ruler or gap gauge
  • Flashlight
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

5
  1. Collect species, width, install date and what happened before the complaint.
  2. Meter the flooring and the subfloor at several points.
  3. Check below for a wet basement or crawlspace, leaks and slab moisture.
  4. Measure gap width across a known run and log indoor humidity.
  5. Note whether the pattern is even, over a wet spot or following framing.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Moisture readings by location
  • Humidity and temperature log
  • Gap measurements with dates
  • Photos of the pattern across the room

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.