If the buckling is only minor, in many cases the boards might return back to normal. If the boards are still showing areas of damage and buckling, you'll need to replace them.
Cupping is one of the unfortunately common issues that can plague hardwood floors. It can happen to most types of wood, and it's often the first observable sign your floor is being affected by moisture. But if you catch it early and can address the moisture issue, there is hope in getting your floor back to normal.
Leaking appliances or moisture from a concrete subfloor can buckle your wood floors. When it gets wet and moisturized, the wood needs to accommodate the moisture. Thus, causing the hardwood planks to swell. It would need to move upward and expand, which leads to buckling of the wood floor.
If you know that the source of your warping comes from humidity changes or a water spill and not an underlying leak, then sanding the solid wood floor might be a good option. This requires an aggressive sanding technique that may cost a floor up to ¼ inch of its thickness.
If your hardwood floors have a wavy appearance, they are likely cupping due to wet mopping or an underlying moisture problem. The key to fixing a cupped floor is to first quickly identify and rectify the moisture source. If cupping persists, you may have an unusual moisture source.
The direct rays from the sunlight will heat the wood and help it to absorb moisture from the towels. This will help the warped wood to regain its original shape again. You need to dry the wood until the problem is fixed. This can take several days, so you need to hold your patience before you see any progress.
But a quality engineered floor will look and feel exactly like a high-quality solid hardwood floor. Engineered wood won't cup or gap. The plywood layers of engineered flooring help keep the floor from moving too much, thus minimizing cupping and gapping.
Temperature doesn't matter in a crawl space, so an unvented crawl space with a dehumidifier is a great, efficient way of controlling humidity levels below wood floors that are over a crawl space.
Top tips for maintaining and cleaning wooden floorsUse felt protector pads and never drag heavy objects across the floor. Sweep away dust and dirt on a daily basis. Clean your floor using a microfibre mop and wooden floor cleaning spray. Never use a steam mop, wet mop, furniture polish or abrasive products.
Length of Time Water Sits on Hardwood FloorsThe longer the water sits on a hardwood floor, the more damage it causes. If water has been on the floor more than 24 hours, the potential for replacing the entire floor is significantly greater.
Wood floors experience cupping when moisture becomes trapped underneath the wood. This sometimes happens when there's been a flood that has seeped into the floor. If wood floors are placed directly on concrete with no vapor barrier installed underneath, humidity will pass through the porous concrete.
