Floors
Cleaning Warped Floors


Some warped wood flooring is repairable and some is not. The extent of damage will depend partly on the kind of material used in the floor. Different woods react differently to dampness or flooding.


Plywood

Many homes have plywood sub floors. Plywood usually separates from excessive moisture. This will make carpets, sheet-flooring or tile buckle.

If only a small section of the sub floor has separated, replace that section with new plywood. If the entire floor has separated, either remove the entire sub floor and replace it, or renail new plywood over the old. Consult a reliable contractor for this work.

Hardwood

Badly warped hardwood floors usually can't be repaired. If the floor is obviously beyond repair, take it up and discard it. Allow sub flooring to dry before installing another floor over it.

To repair slightly warped hardwood floors:
  • Clean and dry the floor completely before attempting any repairs. This may take weeks or even months.
  • If the floor is still warped in places when it is dry, remove strips adjacent to the bulges, and plane them on their edges. This will give space for the warped boards to flatten out in time. If boards are tongue and grooved, consult a carpenter about the special techniques necessary for this work.
  • You may be able to draw some buckled flooring into place by nailing the bulged spots. Some humps may be removed by planning or sanding. Heavily planed or sanded
  • floors, though unsuitable to be used uncovered, can serve as a base for new flooring, or carpet or resilient floor covering.
Pine

Warped wide pine board flooring will often flatten out after it has thoroughly dried. Clean the floor and let it dry for several months. Using the furnace as much as possible during the drying time will speed up the process. (Do not build fires to hasten drying.) Do not try to repair the floor until it is dry. If any boards are still slightly warped when dry, use the same technique as for warped hardwood floors.

When laying a new floor or sub floor, remove baseboards and molding. The finished floor should be the same level as the original floor, if possible. If floor level changes, doors must be refitted to the new level. Consult a carpenter before attempting this work.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.