Bouncy Laminate!

[bugdust]

Just fitted a beautiful oak veneered board throughout the downstairs of my house. Very pleased with it apart from one small thing... between two of the rooms the floor dips very slightly, enough to give a substantial "bounce" to one small area about 2ft square.
It's quite annoying, and although I've been told that, in time, the board will probably "give" to take up the gap underneath, I'm not convinced.
Is there any way of retrospectively filling the gap beneath the board? (I can't take it up because it's all interlocking)
I'd thought about drilling a small hole through the board (easily disguised later as a small knot mark) and injecting a quantity of expandable gap filler through to the offending void, and leaving it to set. What do you think?

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo bugdust and welcome


DO NOT use expanding foam

expanding foam expands several dozen times in volume


are you shure its not tenting!!!!!
is there expansion gaps all the way round including door frames!!!!!
put a strait edge accross the area and a couple of foot each side to check if your not shure


if your shure i will give you ideas

 

[bugdust]

Thanks Big-all, but it's definately not tenting, there's adequate gaps all round the area. Its actually a hollow in the concrete subfloor where over the years its cracked and dropped slightly from the threshhold between the hall and the living room.
It's just a case of what I could use to fill the gap to stop it bouncing.
Somebody suggested kiln dried sand, but how i'd get it through a small hole in any reasonable quantity, or get it to stay in the area I'd want it is beyond me!
I know gap-filler expands many times, but are you sure it would actually lift the flooring? On the occasions I've used it previously, it just seems to settle into the recesses of where it's put.

Grateful for any help.

 

[big-all]

ok did you mean expanding foam or did you mean gripfill!!!!!

if you ment fill with gripfill yes i would agree providing you have underlay underneath
squeeze it in stand on the area pump up and down to spread it around would expect it to travel about 2 or 3" around the hole
with several fillings and pumping it would probably travel 4 or 5 " [10" accross]keeping in mind youve probably got about 10 or so mins before it skins


i know a man who built a stud wall for a shower sprayed expanding foam in for insulation

went back the next day and the plasterboard was bulging by several inches

 

[bugdust]

Thanks for your advice.. I'll pluck up the courage to try it this weekend.
I'll let you know if it ends in success, or divorce!!

 

[big-all]

Thanks for your advice.. I'll pluck up the courage to try it this weekend.
I'll let you know if it ends in success, or divorce!!

good luck on your long and happy marrage --------------















----------hopfuly

 

[bugdust]

Hi Big All,

Well, success was mine eventually, however, I'm ashamed to admit I bottled it somewhat!
I couldn't bare the thought of drilling through my beautiful oak floor, so I ended up having to take up the troubled area. This was easier said than done as it was all interlocking and under door frames etc - ended up having to sacrifice a couple of planks by putting a skilsaw through their length in order to prise them out and release the remaining area.. luckily, I had some spares left over!
Once up, I slid a series of softwood strips under the remaining planks, and, as I replaced the planks that I had taken up, I packed each one underneath with copious amounts of Gripfill (on top of the floor membrane obviously)
Had a few dodgy moments trying to re-interlock all the sections but found that with a genorous running of the joints with some candle wax, it was possible to click them into place and then tap their ends sufficiently to send them gliding along the joint back into their original position, several feet away on occasions.

Left the whole thing well alone for a good couple of days to allow the Gripfill to dry and, against all the odds, it seems to have worked fine with no more bouncy area.

Anyway, thanks very much for your advice.. (hadn't really thought about Gripfill until you mentioned it!) and both my floor, and my marriage, appear to be holding firm... although, as a veteran of two previous marriages, the floor's probably got a greater lifespan!!

Best regards

Bugdust

 

[big-all]

realy pleased it worked

the gripfill is normaly an "i am backed into a corner"method where your trying to fill in a hollow and can not easily lift the floor

usualy i would go for more normal ply hardboard "packers "basicly whatever fills the hollow

but hey it worked and will allow the floor to move with epansion so its a sucsess