18mm Oak Floor on screed - gaps

gugs · 31 Oct 2007

We had 18mm Oak floating floor layed on screed this April. The carpenter used extra strong glue at the joints.

Unfortunately, gaps have appeared at the joints in some areas. In some cases these are up to 5mm wide. They seem worse, near the radiators.

What can we do to remedy this? Is this a continuous process i.e. will the floor settle or will this happen throughout the year during the different seasons? Should we take the floor apart again and glue it to the ground? We went for a floating floor because we wanted to lay underlay. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

gugs · 31 Oct 2007

The wood planks are of various length, same width, all T&G.

mattysupra · 31 Oct 2007

how long after install did the gaps appear? 1Month? or within the last month or two now you have turned your heating back on?

gugs · 1 Nov 2007

Same gaps appeared soon after the floor was layed. However, some large ones in the last few weeks since the heating is on more constantly.

WoodYouLike · 1 Nov 2007

How long had the wood been in situ before it was installed? IMHO it looks like the wooden floor was to 'wet' and hasn't had sufficient time to acclimatise before it was installed.

gugs · 2 Nov 2007

The flooring was store in original packing in a heated room from December 2006 until April 2007. The installer, stated it was fine lay it.

WoodYouLike · 2 Nov 2007

Stating or really checking the moist content, now there is a difference

gugs · 5 Nov 2007

So it appears the flooring was moist when laid. Do you know what is the best remedy now?

WoodYouLike · 5 Nov 2007

No, that's not what I was saying, it's very hard to tell now if that had been the case. It sounds like it, based on your story. But if your fitter hasn't checked the moist content before he installed it, it is very hard afterwards to proof it was too moist.

IMHO you've waited too long to get the fitter back, you should have done that the minute you noticed gaps appearing during summer - the season where the air-humidity is normally higher: floors expand then, not shrink!
But see what he has to say?

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18mm Oak Floor on screed - gaps

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