There are few things that spoil a nice wood floor more than boards that have separated and developed gaps. Thankfully, this is a situation that, with the right preparation can be pretty much avoided. In this week’s article we’ll explore some of the reasons why wood floor boards separate and develop gaps as well as what you can do to avoid it happening to your floor and what you can do to solve the problem if you’re facing it right now.
Why do floor boards separate?
Temperature and moisture extremes
Wood is a completely natural product and as such expands and contracts when it comes in contact with moisture and temperature fluctuations. As a general rule of thumb, when temperatures are on the hot side and moisture levels are high in the air, wood takes in the moisture and expands. When those temperatures fall and the moisture dries up, the wood contracts again.
When this happens in nature, it isn’t an issue at all, but once floor boards have been fitted tightly together, this expansion and contraction can cause havoc if it’s extreme and it’s left to continue. Excess moisture can also come from a sub floor that hasn’t been sufficiently damp proofed.
What will happen eventually with boards that are expanding and contracting too much is that they will either develop unsightly and often draughty gaps or they will cup or bow because they don’t have enough space to expand as much as the conditions are forcing them to. Both of these situations can be avoided by putting the right practices in place both prior to and whilst laying your floor.
Acclimatisation and expansion gaps
Apart from moisture and temperature fluctuations, wood floor boards can separate and develop gaps if the flooring hasn’t been properly acclimatised prior to installation or if an insufficient expansion gap has been left around the room.
Acclimatising your wood flooring is an essential part of your pre-installation procedure. In a nutshell, it means getting the wood ready for its new environment. A well-acclimatised floor board will be spared the trauma of excessive expansion and contraction due to environmental conditions when it’s laid.
Once you’ve acclimatised your flooring, when you lay it, you need to allow sufficient space in your calculations for it to expand and contract. The general rule of thumb is to leave a gap of 10-15mm around the perimeter of your room to allow the flooring to expand and contract without the risk of damage.
Poor installation
If boards haven’t been sufficiently tapped into place next to their neighbouring board during installation, they’re highly likely to separate and develop gaps over time. Remedial action can be taken to tighten up the contact of the boards after installation, but ideally this situation can be avoided by taking more care during the fitting.
Remedial action for flooring separation
There are four main things that you can do get rid of the gaps in your wood floor. They are:
- If your floor isn’t fixed to the subfloor, you could try sliding the boards back into place. What you need to do here is work around the outside, or perimeter of your room and gently manoeuvre the boards back into place. If needs be you could introduce some wooden pegs to avoid the boards slipping back again. Where you have an unfixed floor, it’s important not to drag or slide heavy items across the floor because this will exacerbate the risk of gaps developing.
- Use a dust and resin mix to fill the gaps. This is a great way to fill relatively small gaps and separations. All you need to do is mix some sawdust that’s the same colour as your floor with some clear resin filler until you have a firm paste. Thereafter you use the paste to fill the gaps. Using a spatula is the simplest method and you should get a good result if you work patiently and methodically across the floor.
- Insert filler strips into the gaps. Filler strips are fine lengths of wood that are of the same species and colour as your floor. All you need to do here is pop the strips into the gaps. They shouldn’t even need to be glued down. When you’ve finished introducing the strips, you may find that you need to lightly sand the floor to get the level spot on.
- Use a colour-match acrylic filler. Coloured acrylic fillers are widely available and come in a whole host of shades. If you’re able to lay your hands on a colour that perfectly matches with your floor, this option is really simple. All you need to do is follow the instructions on the pack and kiss goodbye to your gaps!
If you’d like some help with a wood flooring challenge you’re facing, why not get in touch? We’d be delighted to hear from you and to help you sort out your problem.
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FAQ
Q: Why are expansion gaps necessary when fitting wood flooring?
A: Expansion gaps are necessary because wood naturally expands and contracts with changes in temperature and moisture levels. Without an expansion gap, the wood planks can squeeze against each other, leading to problems such as cupping and bowing.
Q: Are expansion gaps necessary for both solid and engineered wood flooring?
A: Yes, expansion gaps are necessary for both solid and engineered wood flooring. Although engineered wood flooring is more resistant to expansion and contraction, leaving an expansion gap is still important.
Q: What is the best way to allow for an expansion gap?
A: The best way to allow for an expansion gap is to use spacers when fitting the floor. Place suitably sized spacers against the wall you’re fitting against and the two walls where the floor will run to ensure the correct size of the gap.
Q: Won’t an expansion gap look ugly?
A: Once you’ve fitted your floor, you can replace the skirting board to hide the expansion gap. If you don’t have a skirting board, consider adding one as it not only hides the gap but also protects the bottom of your walls. Alternatively, you can use curved mouldings to hide the expansion gap.
Q: How can you check if you have an expansion gap?
A: To check if you have an expansion gap, you can lift off your skirting board and examine the space between the floor and the wall. This simple check will confirm if an expansion gap is present.