Gaps in new hard wood flooring
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (12)
- 7 years ago
Related Discussions
acceptable gap size in new wood floor
Comments (15)No! All boards should be milled correctly and by saying that we are not necessarily talking about the "straightness" of the board. Many boards are likely to have a curve in them that gets straightened out during installation with a floor nailer.The milling issues wood be in the planing and routing of the board and would include things like chattering of the surface and tongues and grooves inconsistently cut. There will always be some culled boards but any reputable manufacture will have consistent milling of all size boards...See Moregaps in new wood floor - what's acceptable?
Comments (8)I had hardwood installed last summer in some pretty hot and humid weather. At the time of install there wasn't a gap to be seen and as the summer progressed it looked like the boards were slightly buckling. I noticed around December or so that gaps started showing up in places where I knew the subfloor wasn't totally level and a couple other spots. I just checked and my very biggest gap can fit a dime (only one gap this big though.) I was seriously considering calling the installer as well so I'll be interested to hear the rest of the responses. I have heard that it can take more than a year for the wood to really acclimatize, but I don't have terribly high hopes and really don't want to have to get a whole new floor. One of my problems (I think) is that I live in an area with very humid summers and very dry winters, and I'm not big on climate control in the house, i.e. I have the windows open at every opportunity i can get and there's no way I'll be regulating humidity, so I may be out of luck :( Don't know if any of that really helped, but that's been my experience so far. I'm interested to hear what others have to say though....See MoreGaps in new engineered wood floors
Comments (15)Joseph C. your reponse did give me a chuckle. However i fully understand this is not a space shuttle - precisely why i wanted to understand what is acceptable and what is not :) Thanks Cinar, Johnson, and SJ Mccarthy for objective answers. SJ again love your detailed answer. This is our first wood floor and my expectations were based on a roughly 300-400 sq ft of anderson engineered wood floor we ripped out in one area to put in this new one. That floor had zero gaps over 6-7 years and i could not put in a paper if i wanted to. I was thinking if one installer did it, other can too. SJ Mccarthy addresses that accurately. It was a not a distressed floor and had a flat finish and that could be the difference. I have seen distressed wood floors in large houses in last 2 weeks and they have zero gaps too. Perhaps they have filler put in which makes sense now based on all your responses. To give you guys better perspective, in 1100Sq ft of new install there were many areas with the gaps. Of course pictures i posted earlier were meant to be examples of smaller gaps only and not all problem areas. I noticed all of these gaps within 48 hours of install. My contractor says these gaps could not have appeared afterwards and would be from right during install as weather has not changed much and glue down wont let wood move so much so quickly. I was trying to get your opinion on whether replacement is worth it and I have my answer now. I think i have my answer now. Thanks all for input. Very helpful. So you folks have some perspective, there are some areas that are visible standing up and in right lighting. These are the ones the contractor said are install problem and should be fixed. and based on all of your inputs, I think i can have a better and practical discussion with him. Just for fun here is a picture I had put together for my contractor to review the work. There are about 8-10 credit cards....See MoreHUGE spaces: gaps in between brand new wood floors!
Comments (16)OH dear...another LL debacle. Cheap floors always end up more expensive. As you can see you have missmilled boards, short boards, etc. I feel bad for your family friend who was sweating BULLETS about half way into the first room! Laying a short-cuts hardwood is MORE expensive then laying long planks....because they take so DAMN long to install! I'm sure the friend was sweating (about how bad it looks AND because of how much EXTRA WORK it takes to put short boards down) and swearing (for the same reasons) throughout this job. Regardless of the subfloor prep (or lack thereof), the flooring probably isn't worth the money to have it installed. Hardwood shorts take 3-4 TIMES longer to install. Personally I would find a stain pen to colour up the edges (hide the blonde gaps in a black floor) and save up for the next attempt. I would give this floor 4 years before you are at your wit's end with it. Another cheap trick: pump up your humidity in the home. Get the wood as puffy as possible. See if you can cause some of those gaps to close up a little bit more. And just so you know...every subfloor requires work. The AMOUNT of work is to be determined. As a family friend (paid? unpaid?) you probably can't expect him/her to know about your subfloor requirements....See MoreRelated Professionals
Branford Flooring Contractors · Brooklyn Park Flooring Contractors · Cambridge Flooring Contractors · Eustis Flooring Contractors · Four Corners General Contractors · The Crossings General Contractors · Country Walk General Contractors · Enfield General Contractors · Evans General Contractors · Florham Park General Contractors · Lighthouse Point General Contractors · Noblesville General Contractors · Post Falls General Contractors · San Elizario General Contractors · Torrington General Contractors- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
Related Stories
REMODELING GUIDESYour Floor: An Introduction to Solid-Plank Wood Floors
Get the Pros and Cons of Oak, Ash, Pine, Maple and Solid Bamboo
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESWhat to Know About Engineered Wood Floors
Engineered wood flooring offers classic looks and durability. It can work with a range of subfloors, including concrete
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESWhen to Use Engineered Wood Floors
See why an engineered wood floor could be your best choice (and no one will know but you)
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESLaminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and More) for Less
See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESWhat Goes With Dark Wood Floors?
Avoid a too-heavy look or losing your furniture in a sea of darkness with these ideas for decor pairings
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESYour Floors: Zebra, Tiger, and Teak Wood, Oh, My!
Get the Pros and Cons of Exotic Woods: Hickory, Cherry, Rosewood and More
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESDesigner Confessions: Torn Between Wood Floors
19 Photos to Help You Choose a Wood Floor Finish
Full StoryFLOORSWhat's the Right Wood Floor Installation for You?
Straight, diagonal, chevron, parquet and more. See which floor design is best for your space
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN13 Alternatives to Plain Wood Flooring in the Kitchen
Graphic patterns, surprising transitions and unexpected materials make these kitchen floors stand out
Full Story
millworkman