Hardwood Floors August/September 2018

AT THE SITE

Is Wood Flooring Becoming

A VICTIM OF BUILDING SCIENCE?

in. We are directing more of our a ention to dealing with what is released inside the home and how are we are ge ing it out. Showers, baths, cooking, plants, pets, and people are all interior moisture sources that must be considered and dealt with by the HVAC systems. Of the failures I have investigated, the single biggest moisture- related issues pertaining to wood ooring are o en found in buildings with inadequately, or improperly controlled, vented crawl space foundations. Mistakes are common in both new homes and the renovation of an existing structure in how these spaces are controlled. Examples include the builder/remodeler doing nothing, leaving the oor system exposed to elevated moisture conditions; not encapsulating and conditioning the crawlspace; or, most commonly, installing the wrong type of insulation causing even more damage to the structure. In a vented crawl space home, the No. 1 moisture source is the outside air trying to in ltrate the ooring system. When this happens, the moisture migrates through the sub ooring until it hits the wood oor above. At this point, moisture accumulates within the sub oor and into the underside of the wood ooring, and results in a cupped or buckled oor. So, what is one feasible solution? In my opinion, 2” of closed cell foam on the bo om side of an adequately dried sub oor is one system that will serve two purposes: (1) Not only does it serve as a thermal barrier that will keep those li le toes much warmer during the winter, (2) it also protects the ooring system from exterior moisture intrusion. (See Figure 1.) Earlier this year, I began a study to illustrate how this works. Graciously, a customer allowed me to turn her problem into an educational opportunity. A er several years of repeated failures in her wood ooring, we nally met, and she decided to follow my recommendation of 2” of closed cell foam. To demonstrate how this works, I inserted a wood moisture data logger into

Of course not, but it did make for a catchy title! However, there is some truth in the fact that the science of building be er buildings has resulted in the need, and increases awareness, to control moisture throughout the structure. Today’s buildings are be er insulated, much tighter, and have more energy e cient equipment. Everything from the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) duct systems to the windows is ge ing be er and be er. As someone who has investigated moisture-related issues in thousands of homes in more than 38 di erent states during the last 20 years, I believe there is a serious lag in the learning curve of many of the trades that are responsible for the proper performance of these buildings and each of the components that make them up. As a result, when there is a bowed or buckled oor, who is the rst person the homeowner/contractor calls? e ooring company, of course, despite the fact that there are many trades involved in the successful installation and performance of the wood oors. Just as a fever is simply a symptom of a deeper-rooted problem within the human body, the ooring issues are o en symptoms of a deeper-rooted problem, which is o en moisture-related. So, let’s look at some of the trades that impact moisture control and ooring. Today, we nd various types of insulations being used, o en in a hybrid mixture in the same dwelling. Be er and more insulation, combined with advanced air-sealing procedures, means that the homebuilding industry has reduced the heat ow through the building, but not always the moisture ow at the same ratio. e increased use of foam insulation, especially in the southern climates, has caused us to change how we condition our buildings. We no longer focus as much on the outside ge ing INSULATION PROFESSIONALS — THE MOISTURE FROM BENEATH

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