Problem: My solid wood floor is bulging and lifting in the middle of my room.
If your solid wood floor is bulging and lifting in the middle of your room, the most likely cause is that an insufficient expansion gap has been left when the floor was first installed. When fitting a solid wood floor, it is essential to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter of your room so that the solid wood flooring can do what it does naturally; expand and contract. Wood expands and contracts with variations in temperature and humidity levels.
To find out more about the expansion and contraction of solid wood flooring, and the importance of leaving an appropriate expansion gap when installing a solid wood floor, read our article common solid wood flooring problem.
As we’ve mentioned, the cause of your solid wood floor bulging and lifting in the middle of your room, is more than likely to be that the solid wood planks have expanded at some point and are touching the walls or a door frame in your room (this is known in the trade as a “pinch point”). In order to resolve the problem, your challenge is to establish at what point the floor is touching the perimeter of the room or the door jam and causing the problem.
Depending on how your floor has been installed, this may or may not be a disruptive process. If your skirting board has been used to disguise the expansion gap, the solution may well be identifiable simply by removing the skirting board and locating the pinch point that way. If not, you will need to get right to the point where the floor meets the wall to identify the problematic area.
Once you have identified the pinch point, the next job is to ascertain whether or not you need to remove a complete plank to solve the problem or if you need to remove a plank to trim it back and then replace it. Either way, this should normally remove the cause of the problem.
Once you have removed the cause of the problem, depending on the damage suffered by the bulging and lifting boards, you may need to remove and replace them. If the damage is not extensive, it may well be that the floor will settle back down after the removal of the problem around the pinch point.
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FAQ
Q1: What could be the cause of my solid wood floor bulging and lifting in the middle of the room?
The most likely cause of your solid wood floor bulging and lifting is the lack of an appropriate expansion gap when the floor was first installed. Wood flooring naturally expands and contracts due to variations in temperature and humidity. If an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room wasn’t left, the expanded wood may touch walls or door frames, leading to bulging and lifting.
Q2: What is the importance of leaving an expansion gap when installing a solid wood floor?
Leaving an expansion gap when installing a solid wood floor is crucial because wood naturally expands and contracts with variations in temperature and humidity levels. Without sufficient space for expansion, the floor may begin to bulge or lift.
Q3: What are “pinch points” in the context of solid wood flooring?
A “pinch point” in the context of solid wood flooring refers to any point where expanded wood touches the walls or door frames. It’s likely to be the cause of bulging and lifting in the middle of the room.
Q4: How can I identify the “pinch point” that’s causing the problem?
Depending on how your floor was installed, identifying the pinch point might require removing the skirting board or reaching the point where the floor meets the wall. The pinch point is where the expanded wood is in contact with the perimeter of the room.
Q5: What should I do once I’ve identified and removed the pinch point?
Once the pinch point has been identified and removed, the floor may need some additional repairs. If the bulging and lifting caused damage, the affected boards might need to be replaced. If the damage isn’t extensive, the floor might settle back down after removing the pinch point.