Warping wooden staircase and cracks in the wood

  • Erstellt am 2025-07-11 20:10:07

bau_clem

2025-07-11 20:10:07
  • #1
Hello everyone!

We moved into our new building in November last year after a relatively short construction period of 7 months. We had a concrete staircase installed with wooden tread steps, as well as wooden cladding on the railing. It is parquet-glued beech wood with a lacquer finish.

Now, after not even 8 months, both the tread steps and the railing are massively cupping, the outer sides of the wood are pulling upwards, so even the silicone joints have already cracked and in some places the glue in the middle of the wooden boards is coming apart. The difference from the edge to the middle is now more than 6mm.

The humidity in the house is actually not high due to regular ventilation and consistent heating despite the fast construction period. Right next to the staircase is the moisture sensor, which hardly ever shows more than 60%. Room temperature is always even due to underfloor heating. We had a dry phase in April/May with humidity of 30% over weeks. Is this due to too rapid drying from ventilation and the wood surface shrinking? Has anyone had similar experiences?

At first, I didn’t think much of the cracking silicone joints because wood does expand and contract. However, now we have noticed the cracks in the wood in the middle and you can see how it is lifting at the edges.

I am very grateful for any input!
Regards
CW
 

admin

2025-07-11 20:14:13
  • #2
Do you perhaps also have pictures for that?
 

bau_clem

2025-07-11 20:19:54
  • #3
At first, I didn't think much about the tearing of the silicone joints because wood does expand and contract. However, we have now noticed cracks in the wood in the middle, and by now you can see how it is lifting at the edge.
 

ypg

2025-07-11 23:15:08
  • #4
That's not a crack?!? That looks like a scratch!
 

bau_clem

2025-07-11 23:39:00
  • #5
Unfortunately not. At the gluing on the top and right, it is also coming loose and lifting up in a triangular shape, standing above the rest of the board - it is not clearly visible in the picture.
 

Similar topics
27.07.2013Average construction time for a semi-detached house with a basement11
10.05.2014Settlement at 85% humidity14
18.03.2015Developer information varies. What is the realistic construction time?19
06.11.2018New construction 2014: Problems with high humidity in the basement15
23.03.2016Building moisture after moving in - experiences20
02.06.2016Necessary insurances during construction and afterwards11
20.01.2018Significantly high humidity in the cellar10
23.01.2017What to do if the construction time is not met15
27.02.2018Too high humidity in the apartment. 60-70% in winter33
18.03.2024Attic problem. High humidity - Controlled residential ventilation?39
14.06.2020Ventilation in summer without controlled residential ventilation is problematic19
21.11.2020Humidity 60% Masonry damp23
11.06.2021Floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor without railing65
09.07.2021Is the construction time specified in the prefabricated house contract binding?19
02.11.2021Bathtub in front of window, railing too low, contractor is obstructing48
25.11.2021Getting rid of moisture from the shell construction - how to ventilate and other topics18
24.11.2022High humidity despite decentralized ventilation system16
21.06.202320% humidity in KFW 40+ new construction113
06.06.2023Estimation of construction time for the new build of a semi-detached house17
06.11.2023Very high humidity in all rooms50

Oben