Cracks in Hardwood Floor: Types and Causes
Learn about the different types of cracks in hardwood floors, their common causes, and how to address them to maintain beauty and durability.
Wood floor cracking is a common issue that is often provoked by humidity and temperature fluctuations. External conditions affect wood’s composition, which leads to plank expansion and cracks. It’s natural for hardwood to get some cracks over time; however, the persistent appearance of cracks within limited timeframes indicates some underlying reasons.
Types of Hardwood Floor Cracks
There are several types of hardwood floor splitting:
1. Gaps between planks
This is one of the most common types of hardwood cracks. You can typically notice gaps between planks during dry seasons. As the hardwood gets drier, it starts to shrink, creating visible gaps between boards.
2. Fractures
Fractures are splits in hardwood planks, which occur due to incorrect installation. Still, there are some exceptions—fractures can be a result of manufacturing defects or appear over years of use.
3. Crowning
If you’ve noticed the edges of hardwood planks getting higher than the center, most probably it’s crowning. Most often, this type of crack is caused by prolonged moisture exposure, when one side of a board absorbs more liquid than another.
4. White line syndrome
White lines and hazy color are prominent signs of the WLS in wood flooring. Oftentimes, it’s caused by improper finishing and excessive humidity.
5. Buckling
Buckling is characterized by lifted or warped hardwood planks. There are several reasons behind this type of crack, including incorrect subfloor preparation, excessive humidity levels, and temperature fluctuations.
Causes of Hardwood Floor Cracks
Though humidity and temperature changes are the most common reasons behind hardwood flooring cracks, there are several less widespread causes like poor installation, improper subfloor preparation, natural aging, etc. According to Boston-area experts at https://floors-are-us.com/locations/woburn, regional climate patterns significantly influence crack development in local homes.
Below, you can find a more detailed breakdown of the causes of hardwood cracks:
1. Humidity/temperature fluctuations
It’s natural for wood to absorb and release moisture. Thus, wood floors cracking in winter is commonplace. As humidity changes, planks expand and contract, causing cracks. Both high and low humidities can be equally harmful to your hardwood. That’s why it’s important to control humidity and temperature levels.
2. Improper installation
It’s important to let wood get accustomed to the humidity and temperature levels typical for the space where it’ll be installed. Without proper adjustment, the hardwood’s reaction to the surrounding environment can be unexpected. Among other common mistakes in the installation process are insufficient expansion gaps and an inconsistent floor heating system.
3. Other reasons
Sometimes, causes of hardwood cracks are as simple as natural aging or poor workmanship of hardwood installers. Besides, cracks can appear as a result of a wet subfloor, which can lead to moisture transfer into the wood, resulting in cracks.
Identifying Serious vs. Cosmetic Cracks
There are two types of cracks in a hardwood floor: cosmetic and serious. Cosmetic cracks appear as a result of natural wood movement and environmental factors, while structural ones are usually wider and deeper and are prominent indicators that your hardwood requires professional attention.
How to identify cosmetic cracks?
The crack is narrow.
Cosmetic cracks usually look like fine lines running with the wood grain.
Consistent crack width
As a rule, cosmetic cracks have similar width and length.
No change over time
Cosmetic cracks don’t show noticeable changes in width or length over time.
Often caused by too low humidity, seasonal temperature changes, or natural wood changes.
How to identify structural cracks?
The crack is wide and deep
If the cracks on your hardwood are wider than ¼ inch, most probably you’re dealing with a deep structural crack. It can also be accompanied by an uneven flooring surface.
Varying crack width
Inspect the crack spread across your flooring. If they have varying lengths and widths, most probably these are structural cracks.
Crack changes over time
Structural cracks can widen, deepen, and change their length over time. These transformations usually happen under the influence of temperature and humidity fluctuations.
Often caused by subfloor issues and water damage.
Repair Methods for Different Crack Types
Different types of cracks require different repair approaches. While cosmetic cracks can be fixed with wood fillers or a custom glue mixture, larger structural cracks may require epoxy-based fillers or stitching.
How to fix small cracks?
1. Professional wood fillers
A common solution used by hardwood flooring professionals. Wood filler is applied with a knife. After it dries, flooring experts will sand it and smooth it out.
2. DIY fillers
DIY fillers are commonplace among homeowners looking to fill cosmetic cracks on their own. Usually, they’re based on wood glue.
How to fix structural cracks?
1. Epoxy-based fillers
With its superior durability, epoxy-based filler is suitable for fixing deep and wide hardwood cracks. It’s advisable to apply epoxy-based fillers by layers to avoid cracking and ensure quality drying.
2. Stitching
Stitching is a specialized technique used by flooring contractors. Flooring experts drill holes on both sides of a large crack and stitch it using leather or other materials.
When to Call Professionals
If you’re not sure about the reason behind your hardwood flooring cracks or still hesitate about their severity, the best way to find out is to contact wood flooring professionals.
Hardwood specialists will analyze your flooring carefully and assess the damage. Then, you’ll receive a detailed estimate and recommendations on the most feasible repair options.
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