Boards Separating

[khq0660]

In the winter, the boards of my wood floor pull apart. Do I need to add more humidity in winter to solve this? Thanks.

 

[highup]

It's always better if a wood floor has a fairly constant humidity level but I'm not sure how easy that is to do on a permanent basis.

 

[Dan]

Pick up a hygrometer to see what your relative humidity level is currently. You can find them for $10-$20 at most hardware stores. Only then can you make educated decisions. Seasonal gaps between boards that close up in warmer months are common.

 

[khq0660]

Thanks.

 

[Elis6666]

I am having the same issue. My house was fully Gut renovated and we moved in 6 months ago. The hard wood floors were Nailed in onto new Plywood subfloor. about 1 month ago I noticed a few boards separating from one another near the walls. Now every room all around the perimeter of the house near the walls have some separation. Again they were nailed in. How an this be?

Thanks

 

[C.J.]

I am having the same issue. My house was fully Gut renovated and we moved in 6 months ago. The hard wood floors were Nailed in onto new Plywood subfloor. about 1 month ago I noticed a few boards separating from one another near the walls. Now every room all around the perimeter of the house near the walls have some separation. Again they were nailed in. How an this be?

Thanks

Wood moves. It grows and shrinks with environmental changes. I think it takes 3 or 4 seasonal cycles for the wood to calm down and settle into where it likes to be but it will still grow and shrink with the seasonal changes. I’ve got a pellet stove for heat during the winter and humidity during the summer. You wanna talk about a floor that has seasonal changes, I got one.

 

[Elis6666]

right but can it separate if it was nailed down? and only near the walls around the house and not in the middle of the rooms?
Please see attached photos

 

[Tile Tom]

Pop your baseboards off in the trouble areas. Vacuum out the gaps and carefully squeeze a little wood glue in there. Use a pry bar to pull the boards back into place and clean up whatever glue squeezes out with a damp cloth. A couple finish nails around the edge where baseboards cover and you should be all set.
If the hardwood was nailed down I suspect the installer didn't glue the parameter where his nailer couldn't reach.

 

[Tile Tom]

Also, If the whole parameter wasn't glued or nailed you can probably just pull the baseboards and pull the planks out and put construction adhesive on them then replace.

 

[Dan]

Pop your baseboards off in the trouble areas. Vacuum out the gaps and carefully squeeze a little wood glue in there. Use a pry bar to pull the boards back into place and clean up whatever glue squeezes out with a damp cloth. A couple finish nails around the edge where baseboards cover and you should be all set.
If the hardwood was nailed down I suspect the installer didn't glue the parameter where his nailer couldn't reach.

BAD idea! Expansion gap is required by industry standards and manufacturer's warranties.

By the way, so is controlling temperature and relative humidity.

You have to know temperature and relative humidity before you can provide the proper environment. Like I mentioned earlier, go spend $10-20 so you can monitor and learn. You'll be much happier.

 

[Tile Tom]

BAD idea! Expansion gap is required by industry standards and manufacturer's warranties.

By the way, so is controlling temperature and relative humidity.

You have to know temperature and relative humidity before you can provide the proper environment. Like I mentioned earlier, go spend $10-20 so you can monitor and learn. You'll be much happier.

I don't understand why it's a bad idea to glue the planks back into place leaving the expansion space? Lol

I think you read it wrong or I possibly didn't communicate it right. I meant vacuum the gaps between the board's & glue THEM, not the expansion space. Glue between the planks and pry with a pry bar to push them together again.............

The last couple rows almost always get glued in. Looks like the installer just tossed in some boards and never secured them. Seen that many of times in my area. Mostly from contractors that play flooring installers.

I'm literally working on a quote right now to try to save a hardwood job where some dink only nailed every 5-6 rows!

 

[Elis6666]

I don't understand why it's a bad idea to glue the planks back into place leaving the expansion space? Lol

I think you read it wrong or I possibly didn't communicate it right. I meant vacuum the gaps between the board's & glue THEM, not the expansion space. Glue between the planks and pry with a pry bar to push them together again.............

The last couple rows almost always get glued in. Looks like the installer just tossed in some boards and never secured them. Seen that many of times in my area. Mostly from contractors that play flooring installers.

I'm literally working on a quote right now to try to save a hardwood job where some dink only nailed every 5-6 rows!

That's what probably happened. He probably couldn't nail the last row of planks because its close to the wall and the nail gun wouldn't fit. But controlling the humidity, i cant image every house I have ever been to controls their home humidity in new York. temperatures vary like crazy here. never seen anyone's floor have this issue. especially on every floor in their house.

 

[C.J.]

That's what probably happened. He probably couldn't nail the last row of planks because its close to the wall and the nail gun wouldn't fit. But controlling the humidity, i cant image every house I have ever been to controls their home humidity in new York. temperatures vary like crazy here. never seen anyone's floor have this issue. especially on every floor in their house.

Have you reached out to the installer or GC? That would be my first step. Maybe duder comes right out and fixes it??

 

[Tile Tom]

That's what probably happened. He probably couldn't nail the last row of planks because its close to the wall and the nail gun wouldn't fit. But controlling the humidity, i cant image every house I have ever been to controls their home humidity in new York. temperatures vary like crazy here. never seen anyone's floor have this issue. especially on every floor in their house.

I get there's a lot of rules and regulations associated with having the "perfect" hardwood floors. But in reality, I don't know anyone that has a whole house humidifier and can regulate it 24/7. Most people just live with the fact that their hardwood moves a little and occasionally makes a sound here and there.

But I would bet dollars to donuts whoever installed that just tapped in some planks and walked out the door. It's a very easy fix but like CJ said you should contact whoever installed it if you paid someone to do it.

 

[Steve079]

I am having the same issue. My house was fully Gut renovated and we moved in 6 months ago. The hard wood floors were Nailed in onto new Plywood subfloor. about 1 month ago I noticed a few boards separating from one another near the walls. Now every room all around the perimeter of the house near the walls have some separation. Again they were nailed in. How an this be?

Thanks

If it was gutted and renovated, with new plywood, maybe the plywood and your hardwood weren't allowed to acclimate and get to the proper moisture content. In my area, new homes would measure 12-14%, wood flooring used to be shipped at around 6%, but that was when we, the US, was milling our own own wood. Regardless, as I said, if the subfloor and the hardwood were not allowed balance out, you would have problems like you mentioned. But it's likely that those last rows are secured, as was mentioned.

 

[Dan]

I don't understand why it's a bad idea to glue the planks back into place leaving the expansion space? Lol

I think you read it wrong or I possibly didn't communicate it right. I meant vacuum the gaps between the board's & glue THEM, not the expansion space. Glue between the planks and pry with a pry bar to push them together again.............

The last couple rows almost always get glued in. Looks like the installer just tossed in some boards and never secured them. Seen that many of times in my area. Mostly from contractors that play flooring installers.

I'm literally working on a quote right now to try to save a hardwood job where some dink only nailed every 5-6 rows!

Tom, I may have been a bit hasty. I think I read it as just putting glue in the expansion gap.to keep the board, and floor as a whole, from shrinking and swelling.

Still.......we don't know why the gap is in the floor because we haven't looked to see why.

Is that board properly attached to the floor? We don't know. It may have face nails under the baseboard. I've also seen guys use a 2" finish nailer that would fit so they could nail through the tongue.

Will a floor shrink in times of low relative humidity? Science says every time. Most likely this time of year.

We must know the "why" before deciding on a plan of action to rectify the situation.

 

[ThisGuy5280]

I am having the same issue. My house was fully Gut renovated and we moved in 6 months ago. The hard wood floors were Nailed in onto new Plywood subfloor. about 1 month ago I noticed a few boards separating from one another near the walls. Now every room all around the perimeter of the house near the walls have some separation. Again they were nailed in. How an this be?

Thanks

It's a problem - not an issue.