wood floors warping

Eliz F
by Eliz F
Ive noticed my bamboo floors are warping in an area that is just above the furnace. There is no water in that area ever
  11 answers
  • 3po3 3po3 on Jan 15, 2012
    Bamboo is an engineered wood product, and I know many engineered wood products warp at high temperatures. Not sure about your setup, but can you add some type of thermal barrier between the furnace and this flooring?
  • Moisture or heat causes this issue. Are they cupping up on the edges or up in the middle? Edge up normally suggests moisture, middle up suggests sever drying. How is the humidity in the rest of the home? The heat given off by the furnace will tend to dry the area in which its located more then other areas of the house.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 16, 2012
    My guess is "crowning" this is where the middle of the board is a bit higher than the edges...cupping is where the edges are higher. Most likely this is due to the heat and a limited degree to not being fully acclimated. what type of area is this?....hallway, livingroom bedroom?....how is this area "tied" to the other nearby spaces. If it possible to replace with a more robust material...like tile?....withe the added heat below tile would be nice....like a radiant system
  • SawHorse Design Build SawHorse Design Build on Jan 16, 2012
    Did the warping start during the heating season or did you just notice it now. If it is an atmospherically vented furnace then there should be a couple 6" pipes bringing fresh air from the outside of the house. During the humid season these pipes are bringing in humidity to the mechanical room. If the mechanical room is not sealed off from the rest of the house, this humidity will be absorbed in the wood surrounding the HVAC system and water heater. Flooring is one of the first things to show signs of moisture since it was kiln dried and a change in the moisture content would cause it to change shape. There are many other possible answers as well. Moisture problems in the floor can also lead to mold and other issues in the house. I would suggest getting a home performance assessment or home inspector to take a look at the problem. If you are a GA Power client, you can get up to $200 off the cost of this inspection and get rebates to fix the problem as well..
  • Eliz F Eliz F on Jan 17, 2012
    yes it seems the warping started during the heating season. the water heater and furnace are in a crawl space.
  • Eliz F Eliz F on Jan 17, 2012
    I need a clarification about a response
  • SawHorse Design Build SawHorse Design Build on Jan 17, 2012
    It has been relatively humid outside this season since it has been a mild heating season thus far. When the AC is not running, it is not pulling humidity out of the air. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my dehumidifier kicked on since it was over 70% RH outside. Without seeing the house, we can only speculate.
  • FloorNerd FloorNerd on Jan 17, 2012
    @ Eliz, Are you positive there is no leak from your heating pipe below the floor?... Bamboo does swells more from mosture then any other flooring. Sawhorse good read On prior post.
  • Eliz F Eliz F on Jan 19, 2012
    I am thinking about having that crawl space insulated. What do you think
  • Another reason for the warp. Could the flooring be lifting because of expansion and not enough space along the edge of the floor to the wall? Eliz, be sure to ask your insulation question as a new topic. Otherwise many people will miss the chance to answer this for you.
  • SawHorse Design Build SawHorse Design Build on Jan 21, 2012
    @Eliz- when Howard comes out, he will be able to tell you the root of the problem. @Woodbridge- Howard is a BPI trainer and runs our home performance division. She is in good hands.