Effect of power wheelchair on floating floor

[FloatingFloorFix?]

Im trying to find out what affect a power wheelchair, probably 400 to 500 lbs., would have on a floating floor. We can see the floor flex as it's rolled over. But then it flexes when I walk on it too. I've searched but all I can find are discussions about refrigerator or cabinets or other unmoving heavy items. Is the wheelchair destroying the floor?
Thanks for your help!
fff?

 

[highup]

500 lbs of weight distributed by a very large person's feet would do much less damage than the tires on a wheel chair especially when turning. That said, it depends what kind of chair it is. Mobility type chairs usually have wide tires.
That said, the floor shouldn't flex when walked on in the first place.
If the floor is installed over a floor that isn't extremely flat, it will flex. If the floor flexes, that may weaken the joints over time.
Is the floor wood or vinyl?
If it's wood, how thick is it and are the joints glued or are they locked together?

 

[DarisMulkin]

The type of tire on the chair could have a bearing on it also.

 

[FloatingFloorFix?]

The wheels are a combination of fat 8 or 10 inch tire and then two six inch castors. There were definitely pre-existing issues with the floor. It came with the house, so I don't even know if it is hardwood or laminate. I know it isn't vinyl -- it splinters. Even in the humid summer there are huge gaps between the board ends, which get even bigger in the winter. Enough that it makes me wonder if the son-in-law installer thought the gap around the room edge was supposed to be between the boards. (interesting how I know it was the son-in-law who installed but don't know what it actually is.)

The sub-floor is concrete and I don't think the planks are snap-lock. But, I also really wonder if they used glue at all.

I've got one of those floor gap fixers and am going to clean the gaps, put some floating floor glue on the ends, then bring the ends together, working my way back to leave the gap at the wall. There are a couple of boards that stick up on the long side and I've got some Wonderlocking tite chair glue. That has the needle like nozzle that will go down between the boards without making me pull them up. Wondering though with the heavy wheelchair if it would just be wasted effort. Can't afford to replace the floor right now though, so it has to work, right?

There are also low spots, and I am thinking about the youtube video where the guy injects Great Stuff underneath the spongy places. Crazy idea?
Thanks everybody!
fff?

 

[highup]

Last first....... yup, crazy don't do it. If the foam keeps expanding one you think you have enough... you might have a hill to climb instead of a low spot.
The glue on ends might not do any good because the wood and the glue are not designed to flex much.
Go to the last plank near a wall, meaning a cut plank and kick the plank towards the wall in an effort to move that single plank or separate the end joint it's attached to.
Wear sneakers or a shoe with a grippy sole. There should be a gap between the flooring and the wall, so if it's a click lock the joint might move or open up. If it does open up you will know if the joint is a click lock or standard t&g.

 

[highup]

"Enough that it makes me wonder if the son-in-law installer thought the gap around the room edge was supposed to be between the boards. "
That was a good one.

 

[FloatingFloorFix?]

I decided not to glue the ends, just because I was nervous about putting glue down that would maybe hurt the floating abilities. I know that without the end glue I will have to do this again perhaps as much as yearly. And, I decided not to try to fix the low spots with great stuff, seemed like waaay too much could go wrong.

But the massive gaps are now safely at the under the wall skirting or maybe a bit out from it where the gaps were really huge. My shoe tread alone was not enough to really fix the gaps. (okay, I should blame the shoes, I'm just a wimp) But, the floor gap fixer did the trick. There was obviously no glue used in the tongue and groove because I could go to the end of the line, attach the tool, and whack from the end to close all the gaps. I didn't have to close each gap one board at a time. I know that without the end glue, and with the wheelchair usage, I will probably have to do this again perhaps a couple of times a year. But I am happy with the results.

I absolutely loved this guy's video of a home made tool and that he called it the Whack-a-Do. But, I went the lazy way and bought the 'Tool Gap Fixer'. I still call it the Whack-a-Do though, because that is just too awesome.

Thanks everybody with your help!!!

 

[Floorist]

Let us know how it works out. I turned down a loose-lay vinyl job because I was afraid a wheel chair would ruin it.

 

[highup]

Glad that tool worked for you. It's hard to tell without seeing your layout, but if the base boards were removed it might be possible to lock the flooring in on the board ends by putting a pea to dime sized bead of silicone between the plank and the wall. That small amount might stop movement yet allow some expansion if the floor ever grows a little bit.