How to Fix Curled-Up Hardwood Planks

Hardwood floors may curl over time. This can be due to a number of reasons stemming from the same problems: improper acclimatization, failure to correctly seal the hardwood or the presence of too much moisture in the room. Once the moisture penetrates into hardwood, it will curl and/or split. The former scenario is the more common failure of the two, and it can be remedied by simply replacing the curled hardwood planks.

Pry bar
Hardwood floor planks
Hammer
Finishing nails
Hardwood sealer
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Gently pry away the floor trim around the base of the walls, using a pry bar. Do not exert too much pressure, or you may break and/or crack the trim molding. Set the floor molding aside, as you will reinstall the trim pieces later.
- 2
  Grasp the exposed end of the curled plank, and pull the curled plank upward and outward away from the wall by hand to loosen and free it. Use a pry bar if absolutely necessary to pry up the curled board.
- 3
  Continue to take up adjacent curled hardwood planks by hand as necessary. Stack all of the curled planks away from your working area once each one has been freed.
- 4
  Fit replacement hardwood planks in place of the old, curled boards in the reverse direction from the way you pulled up the damaged planks. The new planks will snap in place as you install them in the reverse direction.
- 5
  Put the floor molding back in place against the wall, covering the ends of each replacement hardwood plank. Fasten the trim to the wall with a hammer and finishing nails.
- 6
  Apply a coat of hardwood sealer to the replacement planks with a paintbrush and let it dry.

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