Humidity wreaks havoc on hardwood floors.
1 32 gapping in wood flooring is excessive.
Failing to install the first board perfectly straight in a hardwood flooring installation.
The 25 gaps i counted over the first 300 350 sq feet were 1 16th the second 150 200 feet leading up to where they stopped had over 5 gaps that were 1 8 or slightly bigger to were you could put a nickel between the planks without even touching either side.
Gaps in hardwood floors can be a huge visual annoyance.
Gaps in wood floors are normal and occur when the wood loses its moisture content.
For normal gaps no repairs are needed.
Not only are they an eyesore they can also collect dirt and dust.
For instance even a change as small as 1 32 per 2 board multiplied across an eight foot room equals 1 of gapping or swelling.
Lighter flooring will show gaps more dramatically than darker.
Gaps between boards are one of the most common complaints from people with hardwood floors.
Hardwood gaps are generally caused by one of a few installation errors.
Wood cuts like plain sawn quarter and rift sawn will shrink swell in relation to the growth rings pic 4.
If hairline gaps aren t acceptable even 1 inch quartersawn oak strip flooring may not work.
C large gaps are the result of cumulative shrinkage.
It is normal for these cracks to appear in the winter months and fade away in the summer months.
Large gaps in wood floors that do not close up during the summer months could be a result of excessive moisture check the crawl space below being located too close to a heating vent incorrect nail spacing or structural settlement issues.
Improperly acclimating the hardwoods prior to installation.
Properly made and installed flooring is expected to have seasonal cracks between the boards of the flooring.
So anything bigger than 1 32 is not within tolerance or acceptable then.
Generally speaking wider flooring can have wider gaps.
Often gapping is a result of flooring that was installed during periods of higher humidity.
Now imagine a row of 100 planks that are floated and clicked together a run of flooring if each plank contracts by 1 32 and no tiny gaps form between the planks the contraction effect then radiates out exponentially to the edges of the installation.
Failing to keep boards straight when working.
Months later usually during the heating season gaps start to show up.
The size and the severity of the gap depend on a number of factors.
Simplified drawing all flooring is same width cutting type specie solid on site diagnosis.
If your client wants 7 inch hickory plank flooring with minimal winter gapping major changes to the house may be necessary.
All flooring professionals need to be proactive when it comes to proper installation of wood flooring.
Humidifiers can help some as can choosing the right wood flooring for the right situation but only to a certain extent.
Measure the boards next to gaps.
If floors have rafting the large gaps will not be due to excessive shrinkage of individual boards.
