I’ve replaced the carpet in one of our room with hardwood, about a year ago, which buckled up by the end of the summer this year.
There is a crowlspace under the house, where I found no leaks, but mold.
I’ve put felt paper under and nailed the boards down.
I didn’t replace the particle board with plywood. Could that be the cause of the moisture and bucking?
The particle board under the moisture barrier is molded bad.
What I should’ve bean doing otherwise, or the problem is not due to installation?
Thank you for your advice!
Best Answer
The cause of buckling in hardwood floors is nearly always from failure to leave adequate space (generally concealed under trim) at the sides of the room.
Wood shrinks and swells as the humidity changes with the seasons, and mostly across the width of the boards (very little end to end.) If installed without adequate space to allow for this to occur the floor will buckle when it's reached the walls and swells/expands more.
If in addition to normal seasonal changes you have excessive moisture, the "normal" expansion space may prove inadequate.