Hardwood Floor Damage After Rain Please Help

[Michael Roback]

Just finished remodeling a house and when I want to look at a floor near a sliding glass doors I see what looks to be a fairly bad case of cupping. It rained very heavy here in So Ca about 3-4 weeks ago and I suspect that the channel of the door had debri in it and the water did not drain out and drained onto the hardwood floor. The floor did not look wet though and there are carpets and such near it that would have obviously been wet??? Will condition like this reverse itself when the wood completely dries out or is the wood ruined. Is there anything that I can do? I would hate to have to have it sanded down now after just finishing the whole floor. BTW, the sliding glass doors have little plastic weep plugs on the outside. I was told these were to stay on but wonder now if that was correct info. Please advise.

[Bob Bowles]

[Steve Manes]

Once hardwood cups it won't return to its original state. Depending on the floor and the severity of the damage, it's possible to sand just that patch flat and refinish it. I've done it before and it's tedious. Basically, you refinish within the area demarked by the boards' sides and ends. But it's definitely better to rent a power screener and add another coat to the whole floor.

Usually, cupping of a finished floor will be because water wicked underneath to the unfinished side. Check for any gaps in the caulking between the door and the edge of the floor. The natural movement of wood, especially new wood, to climate changes could have opened up a void. Also check the caulking outside the door... not just at the bottom but around the the top and sides. Also around the facia over the door. Water seepage can be very tricky. You could have rain dripping down the outside of the house, into a gap in the siding, down to the header and down a jack stud where it's pooling on the subfloor.

------------------------------------------=o&>o---- Steve Manes, Brooklyn, USA

[Art]

I suspect the door was not installed properly. I would get your contractor over there and bitch to him. There should be caulking under the threshold so moisture does not get into the house. Try to get a copy of the manufacturers installation instructions.