HELP! my flooring install has big gaps!
Sunshyne
2 years ago
Hi all, I posted a short while ago about my flooring install. I'm installing maple and from day 1 the floor boards have gaps running length wise...lots of them. I get some gaps are normal but these are pretty big. The installers stopped after day one and let the wood dry out more as they noticed some gaps. It's been a week and they have t been able.to.finish because the boards aren't all dry enough. My problem is the floor has so many big gaps. Your eye just goes to them. I've had several people ask me what's wrong with them and tell me it's incorrect. I wanted to get more thoughts though. I know some spacing is normal as it's wood but shouldn't it be tight to begin? Here are some pics. My concern is with how many and how noticeable they are...and that it's not even cold or dry yet and the cracks will only get larger as the humidity leaves the boards. Would love all opinions! Thanks!
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Sunshyne
2 years agoRelated Discussions
help! gaps widening in newly installed wood floors
Comments (5)Well at least your wood acclimated for 10 days. We have run into the exact same problem with 4 inch flooring. We had the wood milled for us and then installed by a company not in the normal circle of the mill. The installer **should** have taken moisture readings but didn't. The GC **should** have overseen the process but didn't. The manufacturer **should** have checked the moisture readings upon providing the material and given a stern warning to acclimate the wood but didn't. As a result we are looking at a re-install of about 1000 ft. of reclaimed oak flooring and associated cost of between $6 and $7K. Nobody is offering to help us out on this cost as of yet. I bought a moisture meter (Delmhorst) and measured the gaps with a micrometer and estimated that our flooring upon installation was around 16% MC; and now it is around 9%. Our gaps are around 1/16"--the size of a nickel. We have looked into filling with putty but have been advised that we should not treat putty as grout. We have looked into filling with slivers of wood, but have been advised that they will work their way free eventually and may become a hazard. We could leave the flooring as is in a couple lesser-used areas (closets) but I'm concerned with all the dirt that will fill the gaps. Good luck in your resolution!...See MoreHelp! Painted Knotty Pine Paneling Has Huge Gaps In Winter
Comments (4)Wood expands and contracts as it absorbs and looses moisture. During heating season the relative humidity tends to go down (the warmed air can hold more moisture, and without a source of moisture the RH goes down). During the cooling season the humidity tends to be higher. The air from an A/C coil is at its dew point (that is why it gave up water as condensate) and even after mixing with the warmer air in the house the RH is still higher than in the heating season. No finish can completely stop moisture movement in and out of wood. It can be slowed down, but not stopped. The movement is a percentage of the width of the board based on the change in its moisture level. Wider boards move more. You can minimize the movement by how the wood is cut from the log also. Quarter sawn wood moves less in width than flat sawn wood, but it still moves. You could try and apply more paint to the now exposed wood, but depending on how tight the tongues are in the grooves it may be scraped off when the wood expands during the summer. If you manage to get paint into the joint, it can also lock the tongue in position in the groove. When the wood then shrinks further splitting can occur (and the tongue having the smaller cross section is a common place for a split to occur....See MorePlease help...how big should the gap be between range and cabinet
Comments (17)Like everyone above says, the cabs should be tight to the range. Our kitchen cabs are within 1/8" of the range on each side and the granite is flush. However, it is possible that your cabinet maker really does mean 1.5 inches ... because that did happen to us recently with a new build townhome we bought. Never occurred to me in a million years that this was even possible, but here that's what the builder actually gave us and then tried to pass off as 'standard' in our PDI. Needless to say I threw a complete and total hissy fit lol, and they did come back and add filler panels in the days after we closed. I'll show you pics of it with the gap so you can see just how completely ridiculous it looks. Here's our home kitchen and what the flush cabs should look like: And here's our townhouse kitchen when at closing. Whatever you do, ensure your cabinet maker does not copy this look. :-)...See MoreXpost - New flooring has gaps. Is this acceptable?
Comments (2)Thanks chief! Two of the gaps will be under the sofa. I can live with that but the majority are in more visible locations. I'm sure my guests are never going to get down in their hands and knees but it certainly will bother me. Not to mention all the dirt and dust that will get caught there! :(...See MoreSunshyne
2 years agoSunshyne
2 years ago
millworkman
2 years ago
Timothy Winzell
2 years ago
User
2 years ago
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