Gapping on Wood Flooring - Part 2 - Variations in Size and Straightness

Description

This is when gaps are caused by a number of things which include, small variations in the width of the board, lack of complete straightness on the edges or when the floor boards are out of square. These gaps will be noticeable at the time of installation. Where gaps are caused by out of square ends, the ends of the boards will be touching at one side of the header joint whilst the others produce a gap on the other side..

Make sure you apply your adhesive properly
  • Small variations in the board width are not uncommon with solid wood flooring and tend to occur at either end of the plank. Measuring the board width can make identifying the problem considerably easier. Variations in flooring size and straightness are generally less of a problem with unfinished flooring, as gaps can be filled before the floor is finished.
  • Gaps at the end of the boards on header joints can be caused by either bad installation methods being applied or because the end of the actual board is out of square

Solution

Ensure that you accurately identify the problem in order to make the solution more suitable to the issue. In this case, look for small gaps present at the time of installation. These are easy to repair as they can often be filled with a color matching filler.

Avoidance

  • Randomly check dimensions of flooring boards prior to the acclimatisation process
  • Where unacceptable variations in width or out of square ends are found, the offending part of the board can be trimmed and the remaining portion used to start or end a row. This usually has a minimal effect on wastage, which may prove financially beneficial.
  • When installing wood flooring using the nail down method, a Power-Jack can be used to straighten boards that have side bend prior to the board being fixed down