What is cupping? Cupping is usually the first obvious sign that a floor is being affected by moisture in its environment. Any hardwood floor will naturally expand when its exposed to moisture. When only one side of a plank is exposed, just that side will expand causing the whole board to warp away from the damp side. This makes the plank edges curl up resulting in an overall wavy appearance. This can happen due to seasonal changes, like during the summertime, when humidity levels rise. In this instance, the expansion tends to correct itself naturally when the seasons change and humidity falls. The most common causes are wet mopping which should not be done on any hardwood floor, and when the relative humidity in the home is not kept within a 20% range. Cupping can also occur due to faulty plumbing, bad ventilation, and a variety of other circumstances all having to do with excessive moisture in the home.

How do I treat cupping?

In some cases, a cupped floor can straighten out naturally over time on its own, but the key here is first determining all potential sources of moisture and acting quickly to treat them before the floor becomes permanently damaged. Until this occurs, a cupped floor cannot become repaired. Once you have located and eliminated any trouble spots and controlled your home’s humidity, verify that the underlying subfloor is dry by taking readings with a moisture reader. This may take weeks, months, or even an entire heating season. It’s a good idea to take moisture readings at different levels in the flooring. If there’s a difference of 1 percent or more between the top and bottom of the boards, they’re probably not done drying.

If your flooring does not return to an acceptable state, your home likely has an underlying moisture issue and requires closer inspection by a professional, such as a local waterproofing expert like Barrier Waterproofing Systems, to determine if the moisture intrusion is coming from the foundation of the home or a crawlspace located beneath the subfloor that may not be properly sealed off from the rest of the home.

So just to recap, cupping is caused by moisture that is intruding into your flood boards. To prevent this problem, you can contact your local waterproofing contractors, like Barrier Waterproofing Systems, and have your floors evaluated for any potential problems. Give Barrier Waterproofing Systems a call at (615) 257-1060 today!