Floorboards - large gaps

[Catherine70]

Not so much a DIY disaster as a disaster produced by a carpenter, but hopefully I can get some tips on what to do now...

We took up floorboards during a renovation/extension and the carpenter relaid them upstairs. During the first 2 weeks since we've moved in, large gaps have appeared between the floorboards - as much as 8mm in places. The kids can't play with lego as they'll lose pieces and it's simply unsightly. In addition, some of the boards have curved widthways so there's a bump along the length of the boards.

Please can anyone tell me what my best option is to sort this out? I understand that fillers such as Bona will not cover a gap this wide. If we give up on the 'olde worlde' floorboard look and go for carpet, will gaps this big mean that the carpet will show wear unevenly?

I'd be grateful for any help.

 

[Burnerman]

This usually occurs when the new floorboards haven't been seasoned properly - its a good thing to have the boards inside the house for a month before fitting, if possible.
Its also vital that the 'joiner' wedges each board together before fixing them down - proper clamps are available for this.
Regarding your query - its probably best to fill the gaps a bit at a time - then sand down afterwards. Its a pity you have to go through this though - ideally it shouldn't be necessary.
John

 

[geraldthehamster]

Not so much a DIY disaster as a disaster produced by a carpenter, but hopefully I can get some tips on what to do now...

We took up floorboards during a renovation/extension and the carpenter relaid them upstairs. During the first 2 weeks since we've moved in, large gaps have appeared between the floorboards - as much as 8mm in places. The kids can't play with lego as they'll lose pieces and it's simply unsightly. In addition, some of the boards have curved widthways so there's a bump along the length of the boards.

Please can anyone tell me what my best option is to sort this out? I understand that fillers such as Bona will not cover a gap this wide. If we give up on the 'olde worlde' floorboard look and go for carpet, will gaps this big mean that the carpet will show wear unevenly?

I'd be grateful for any help.

Hate to say this, but the most effective solution would be to take the boards up again and have them re-laid properly. They should be cramped up tightly when laid - possibly this wasn't done. I'm slightly puzzled though - you might expect some shrinkage from new boards, especially if not acclimatised in the house for a few weeks before laying, but you seem to suggest that these were old boards, re-laid, in which one wouldn't expect that much movement.

In any case, if you have boards with 8mm gaps between them, I can't see any elegant solution other than to re-lay them.

Cheers
Richard

 

[digdilem]

If they are the original boards, were the kept outside for a while? That would explain them swelling, both widthways and the cupping, if they were simply bought back into the house and laid.

Doesn't really matter though, as gerald says, only solution is to lift and relay. Can be easy or hard, depending on how they're fixed.

DO wait until the gaps have stopped getting bigger though, or you'll be doing it a third time!

 

[Catherine70]

Thanks very much to the three of you. The boards were indeed taken out of the house and stored in the garage while much of the extension work was done and then brought back in.

On balance, I think I'll need to go back to the project manager - all three of you are effectively telling me the process wasn't right and the process is down to the project manager...

It's been one thing after another

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to reply and share your knowledge

 

[big-all]

if you do relay the floor either use new boards for the first six laid or mix up the first 6
this will reduce the likelihood off the screws/nails trying to use the same holes and holding the boards apart

 

[geraldthehamster]

If they are the original boards, were the kept outside for a while? That would explain them swelling, both widthways and the cupping, if they were simply bought back into the house and laid.

Doesn't really matter though, as gerald says, only solution is to lift and relay. Can be easy or hard, depending on how they're fixed.

DO wait until the gaps have stopped getting bigger though, or you'll be doing it a third time!

They'll be easier to lift if there are gaps between them

Cheers
Richard

 

[1john]

Just a thought for the project manager, would you have been happy with no floor and wood everywhere for 4/6 weeks while the floor seasoned, especially when older timbers are used there is less chance of your problem actually happening? Will the flooring always be exposed (have you sanded and varnished it) or do you plan on laying carpet over it? I know the old floor boards look nice stripped back and varnished but they are noisy. If you are having carpet fitted in the near future you could ply or hardboard over the top of the boards, this will be enough for the gaps not to show through the carpet and should be much cheaper that having the floor lifted and re-laid.

 

[Catherine70]

Just a thought for the project manager, would you have been happy with no floor and wood everywhere for 4/6 weeks while the floor seasoned, especially when older timbers are used there is less chance of your problem actually happening? Will the flooring always be exposed (have you sanded and varnished it) or do you plan on laying carpet over it? I know the old floor boards look nice stripped back and varnished but they are noisy. If you are having carpet fitted in the near future you could ply or hardboard over the top of the boards, this will be enough for the gaps not to show through the carpet and should be much cheaper that having the floor lifted and re-laid.

Hi John,
Thanks for your comments - yes we would have been entirely happy with boards in place for 4-6 weeks as we weren't living in the house. There was no need for speed which would have over-ridden the preference to do the job correctly. The boards have been sanded and varnished as we were persuaded that the original boards would look much better than carpet. If we'd known the floor would look as it does, we'd have hardboarded and carpeted! We will either have to re-lay or, as you say, put carpet over.

Would I be right in thinking that the ply/hardboard would need to season in the house for 4-6 weeks (which we could live with)? Is there a recommended depth of ply/hardboard that we should use?

Sorry to ask further questions but would appreciate your thoughts if you can spare the time.

Catherine

 

[digdilem]

Funnily enough I was thinking about this post on the drive home tonight and thought about demanding customers and project managers put in difficult places - glad to hear that's not the case..

To answer your last question, no. Manufactured boards don't need to adjust to the house's humidity before fitting, which is one reason why they're used almost exclusively in modern housing where a finished surface is not required.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Just a thought for the project manager, would you have been happy with no floor and wood everywhere for 4/6 weeks while the floor seasoned, especially when older timbers are used there is less chance of your problem actually happening? Will the flooring always be exposed (have you sanded and varnished it) or do you plan on laying carpet over it? I know the old floor boards look nice stripped back and varnished but they are noisy. If you are having carpet fitted in the near future you could ply or hardboard over the top of the boards, this will be enough for the gaps not to show through the carpet and should be much cheaper that having the floor lifted and re-laid.

Hi John,
Thanks for your comments - yes we would have been entirely happy with boards in place for 4-6 weeks as we weren't living in the house. There was no need for speed which would have over-ridden the preference to do the job correctly. The boards have been sanded and varnished as we were persuaded that the original boards would look much better than carpet. If we'd known the floor would look as it does, we'd have hardboarded and carpeted! We will either have to re-lay or, as you say, put carpet over.

Would I be right in thinking that the ply/hardboard would need to season in the house for 4-6 weeks (which we could live with)? Is there a recommended depth of ply/hardboard that we should use?

Sorry to ask further questions but would appreciate your thoughts if you can spare the time.

Catherine

I'd go with what you wanted. If you're really happy with overboarding and fitted carpet then fine, but if sanded and varnished boards are what you wanted, don't be short-changed.

Cheers
Richard

 

[1john]

Ok, the stripped and varnished boards do look nice, granted, but they are noisey and a bit colder under foot than carpet so there are pro's and con's. 6mm MDF would be more than adequate to cover the floor. It's a shame they have ballsed it up but TBH trying to match old and new timber doesn't work and you will see the difference, the older boards will have a richer golden colour and have more character about them. Let us know what you decide

 

[geraldthehamster]

Ok, the stripped and varnished boards do look nice, granted, but they are noisey and a bit colder under foot than carpet so there are pro's and con's. 6mm MDF would be more than adequate to cover the floor. It's a shame they have ballsed it up but TBH trying to match old and new timber doesn't work and you will see the difference, the older boards will have a richer golden colour and have more character about them. Let us know what you decide

I've always used rugs over stripped boards - the advantages of carpet, but you can also take them up and wash them and beat them. And if you're lucky the cat will be sick where the rug isn't.

Cheers
Richard

 

[wavetrain]

To answer your last question, no. Manufactured boards don't need to adjust to the house's humidity before fitting, which is one reason why they're used almost exclusively in modern housing where a finished surface is not required.

I beg to differ. They will shrink as they dry out, just not as much as softwood across the grain.

Try it for yourself. measure an 8' length of 12mm+ ply that has been stored in winter humdity conditions for a length of time. Then bring it into heated indoors and a month later it will have shrunk several mm over the 8' length.

As plywood shrinks in the X & Y planes the same amount whereas planks for wood change little along the grain, perhaps this is the reason modern house often have such creaky floors?

 

[geraint]

To answer your last question, no. Manufactured boards don't need to adjust to the house's humidity before fitting, which is one reason why they're used almost exclusively in modern housing where a finished surface is not required.

I beg to differ. They will shrink as they dry out, just not as much as softwood across the grain.

Try it for yourself. measure an 8' length of 12mm+ ply that has been stored in winter humdity conditions for a length of time. Then bring it into heated indoors and a month later it will have shrunk several mm over the 8' length.

As plywood shrinks in the X & Y planes the same amount whereas planks for wood change little along the grain, perhaps this is the reason modern house often have such creaky floors?

perhaps perhaps perhaps....