Go Back  DoItYourself.com Community Forums > Interior Flooring, Floor Coverings and Coatings Center > Wall and Flooring Indoor Tiling
Reload this Page >

Hot/humid weather inside apartment cause damage to cabinet and floor?

Hot/humid weather inside apartment cause damage to cabinet and floor?


  #1  
Old 06-13-16, 09:59 AM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hot/humid weather inside apartment cause damage to cabinet and floor?

I live in an apartment where there is only one window and my main door which is glass sliding door and thus the entrance to my apartment. Where i live is pretty hot. Most people have their doors open etc due to this. Almost everyone here has their fan turned on all the time... its those fans on the top of the ceiling etc. People here turn on AC as well if its hot. For me, i don't turn my ac on much because i don't feel very hot though but thats me.


Well i had notice that i had a cabinet where it has been breaking apart. Basically the back of it and the sides are tearing apart. I had not know the reason for this but someone tell me the reason is because i rarely have my windows opened. Can someone here confirm that if you don't have windows open, this could happen? I have lived in many different apartments and this never had happened every before. This is back in the US. I mean i understand hot weather makes things warmer etc but can it basically break things inside the house if no windows are opened for any air to get in for a long time? I do have the ceiling fan at high settings on almost all the time. This was months ago though.


I'm located in Mexico and in my previous apartments here in Mexico, i never had this issue at all. I usually have ceiling fan open and ac on a few times but not that much as i don't need it.


Another thing was recently i noticed the floor in my room is not only uneven... but its basically like a huge crack thats uneven in an area. This is on a specific area in the room. Like if you walk on that area, you notice thats like a crack. Thus the floor is not only uneven but you see a noticeably bump and theres a line like that in the room. I have never seen this before. In the picture i post, you can probably notice it i think... its on the 2nd line vertical around the area and extends upwards. Thus if you look at the right of it... no bump/crack at it. However few days ago we had to have some people do repair work on the AC and they did bring ladder and other things and had to stand on top of that exact area etc. Could this have possibly caused this bump/crack on the floor? My apartment is basically a 2 room open studio... though there is a door that separates the 2 rooms but its more like an open push door as oppose to a real door. And this crack is around the same spot where the guys put their ladder and other things on etc.


Would that most likely be the reason? Or could heat cause this? The thing is someone in my building told me the reason the cabinet basically was tearing apart was b/c its so hot and thus things tear down. I didn't know this as i never had this happen before. But it did make sense. Can someone confirm this is true? But what about my floor then? Its basically like tile floor and this happened few days ago right after the guys did work on that area though so i thought that had to be a coincidence. Because if heat could cause this, why would it take that long for it to happen. I can't imagine heat could have caused this right or could it? But i do have the fan turned on in that room and the other room. I will ask the person i rent from on this but i wanted to know your opinion.



1. How would i be able to fix the cabinet parts tearing apart? It does look like i could stick it back together though. Would getting super glue be able to fix this? What exact type of glue would i need? Also in the last picture... its from the side of it. Can you all see how its like worn out as well like imagine a wet piece of paper? Its like torn like a brown piece of construction paper etc.


2. How would this be fixed with the floor? I had wondered could it be possible that the people who live under me could have caused it? Such that their fan or they hit something in the ceiling really hard which is why my floor is like this? The thing is i noticed this bump/even a few days ago and this was again right after when a few guys had to come over and do something with my AC and they put ladder in that area to climb up to it etc. Could they have put ton of pressure on it etc? It really feels like if i put lot of pressure on that area, i felt like it could break though i think that is exaggerating it a bit.



Thanks.
 
Attached Images      
  #2  
Old 06-13-16, 10:04 AM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Here are the pictures of the floor. Can you see theres like a crack in the 2nd vertical line and thus its uneven? Its only around that area though and when you walk in the area, you hear cracking where the surface is not even.
 
Attached Images    
  #3  
Old 06-13-16, 07:33 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Okay someone i know took a look at the cabinet. He basically said its not possible to glue it back via super glue. also said those other products won't work either and you have to get a piece of wood and attach it because it just torn apart etc.


So does that mean thats the only option and thus buying anything wouldn't work for this issue with those cabinet products mentioned earlier?
 
  #4  
Old 06-13-16, 07:39 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Also the floor issue. He mentioned he had similar issue but it wasn't that bad like the floor issue i have. I will ask the landlord about this etc. But i like advice on this but most importantly the cabinet issue. In those cabinet picks, you can see how its basically torn apart but i felt that some type of super glue or whatever could possibly stick it back together. But the guy i know here says that won't work etc.


Would like input on both of this. I know the floor... i cannot fix this issue myself and don't know how this happened suddenly except when those guys came over to do work in the AC with their ladder etc.


Thanks.
 
  #5  
Old 06-13-16, 08:13 PM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
This is the landlord's trouble not yours. It is his responsibility to fix it. In the U.S. in fact a tenant could get evicted or even sued for trying to fix problems like this.
 
  #6  
Old 06-13-16, 11:09 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hi. Well the thing is the cabinet issue was my fault as im pretty positive reason it happened was because of humidity in my apartment. Did you mean this or the floor?


The floor... i have no clue how this happened.
 
  #7  
Old 06-13-16, 11:43 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Here are more pictures of the cabinet.


Thoughts?
 
Attached Images           
  #8  
Old 06-13-16, 11:48 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thoughts on this? Does this mean no glue would work or anything? Someone in another forum said it wouldn't. If not, what are the other options then?
 
Attached Images  
  #9  
Old 06-14-16, 12:28 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
I live in a very humid hot climate and there is no A/C and only minimal ventilation (I never open windows) in my kitchen yet my cabinets are still good after 40+ years so I'm not sure what is going on with yours but it looks like water damage.
 
  #10  
Old 06-14-16, 08:37 AM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hi there. But how could there be any water damage? There isn't any water that i think that would touch the cabinet? Someone mentioned maybe there is water dripping from the AC so that could possibly be the reason. Thing is i rarely had the AC on much at all during this time. If thats the case, do you or anyone know how this could happen etc?


Thanks.
 
  #11  
Old 06-14-16, 09:54 AM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
okay i just thought about something. but many times when i use to do laundry after washing and drying, i recalled few times my clothes were not fully dry. I then put these clothes over those paper towels in the cabinet. Could that possibly be the reason? When you mentioned water, i thought of that right now. However what doesnt make sense would be how the other side of the cabinet which is in the far end had this happen as well. I mean, it can't reach all the way there right? I know i didnt hsow picture but it extend toward other side of the cabinet... cabinet is pretty long like 7 feet.


But could water on floor cause this with the tile though?
 
  #12  
Old 06-14-16, 10:05 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
But could water on floor cause this with the tile though?
If the floor is particle board, yes.
 
  #13  
Old 06-14-16, 10:11 AM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
can you tell in pictures if it is particle board?
 
  #14  
Old 06-14-16, 11:12 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
No. The tiles would have to be removed.
 
  #15  
Old 06-14-16, 11:19 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
recalled few times my clothes were not fully dry. I then put these clothes over those paper towels in the cabinet. Could that possibly be the reason?
That could concentrate the moisture enough to cause damage.
Excessive heat shouldn't cause your issues but excessive humidity could.
 
  #16  
Old 06-14-16, 12:09 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The landlord came over and took a look. Was told its 100 percent humidity. There was also another person here who knows this type of stuff and agreed that it was humidity.


There were few times when i recalled i had wash and dried my clothes at laundromat but the clothes weren't fully dried. Now it wasn't wet though it might have been just a little. I then put those clothes on that cabinet with the bounty paper below it. I never noticed the bounty paper ever get wet at all not even a bit.


Well the reason why i mentioned the ladder was b/c it was around the time i noticed this. I also was pretty sure i heard a sound when the guys were doing stuff on the ac but i didn't take a look though. Im usually dont look.


Well she tells me its 100 percent humidity. The thing is i have never heard of this. So basically if say a basement was pretty humid etc... things like the furniture, floor etc could just break because of no air? I lived in many apartments before this and thus never had anything like this happened. The cabinet... then the floor etc. I do believe cabinet could be from humidity but could it be the design of the apt/building etc? Because if no one were to live in this apartment for a bit and was vacant, wouldn't the same thing basically happen to it? I know many apartments in my building are vacant few times.
The thing is in my previous apt here in mexico, i have never done anything different.


I mentioned couldn't the floor break if too much pressure? I was told no that would not be possible.


About the cabinet, yes i had thought you could easily glue it back together though it would be noticeable. I knew it wouldn't look like it would be 100 percent... but at least it didn't look that bad. Obviously whenever i move out, i would mention all of this stuff. The thing with the cabinet was it doesn't really bother me so i just left it as it is.


Well my apartment is a very small studio. Thus the kitchen and the bathroom is very close to it. So you are saying if you pour a ton of water on that area, then this could happen right? Because that has not happened before. I mean i do get some water on the floor in the kitchen floor but of course i wipe it off really fast if its a spill etc. This is a bit farther away from there.
Rate this post positively
 
  #17  
Old 06-14-16, 12:16 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
What would they have to do to the floor then? Would it be pretty tough or simple for this?
 
  #18  
Old 06-14-16, 12:45 PM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
When wood soaks up humidity it swells which could explain the buckling and the cabinet coming apart.
 
  #19  
Old 06-14-16, 02:05 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Alright thanks for that info. So can someone tell me what are the ways to fix the cabinet? And how much this would most likely cost?
 
  #20  
Old 06-14-16, 06:37 PM
J
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,485
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
The problems with the cabinets is high humidity and probably cheap cabinets.

The "tenting" of the floor tiles is also partially caused by humidity, but the main reason is poor workmanship. I believe the installer did not leave an expansion gap around the perimeter and depending on the size of the areas there should have also been expansion spaces installed within the field.

So, high humidity, hot temps, possibly moisture under the floor, no perimeter expansion joints, tiles expand and sometimes the walls shrink. This causes tremendous sheer pressure and the tiles come loose and often tent. Happens all the times under certain conditions.

I had it happen to sections of a large cafeteria many years ago. The center of the tent would be close to 24" off the floor and I could actually walk over it. I'd fix it, then next year an adjacent area would do the same.

Jaz
 
Attached Images   
  #21  
Old 06-15-16, 09:39 AM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Well yes the cabinet is probably not that good quality.

in the 2nd picture of the floor, yes thats how my floor looks. How much does it cost to fix this? Is it possible 100 percent this was caused my humidity?
 
  #22  
Old 06-15-16, 12:50 PM
J
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,485
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
"Is it possible 100 percent this was caused my humidity?"

No, tiles do well in high humidity, it may have been one of several reasons as I stated. The main reason is installer error.

Jaz
 
  #23  
Old 06-15-16, 12:58 PM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
The landlord came over and took a look. Was told its 100 percent humidity.
What does the landlord intend to do about it? With the exception of hanging damp clothes over the cabinet it should be his responsibility to fix everything.
 
  #24  
Old 06-15-16, 05:00 PM
J
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hey. Well i was told its 100 percent humidity and nothing else. Another person took a look while here and said same thing...


I don't know what is going to be done with it at the moment. The thing is i'm not sure this is my fault or not. My apt is indeed humid though most of the time. But what doesn't make sense is if thats the case, say an apt here is vacant for a long time, then wouldn't this eventually happen as well?
 
  #25  
Old 06-15-16, 05:37 PM
J
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,485
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Where is this again? Why would high humidity be your fault?

I think the people telling you that don't know what they're talking about.

Jaz
 
  #26  
Old 06-16-16, 03:22 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
The humidity is only your fault if you introduced the moisture into the apartment. So the cabinet damage might be considered your doing. Unless you spilled a lot of water on the floor [probably multiple times] the floor buckling is completely the landlord's responsibility! Normal wear and tear, building defects and such are all on the landlord .... at least that's how it works here in the states.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: