Hardwood Floors October/November 2017

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and self-defeating. All parties involved should clearly understand the natural properties of a wood oor. It is usually best to leave the gapped oor in place and repair as necessary, if possible. Once an existing oor has been acclimated to a home’s environment, it is far more likely to remain stable and, with professional repairs, can regain the appearance it had when new with no loss of service.

ese types of abnormal gaps in wood oors, which do not close up in humid months, may involve solid or engineered wood ooring. A thorough job site inspection should be conducted to determine the actual cause when deemed “abnormal.” Abnormal gaps can be caused in many di erent ways including: • structural movement or se lement

• improper fasteners • fastener schedule • inadequate sub oor • improper adhesive application

• improper acclimation of the product • edge-crush from prior exposure to extreme moisture • poorly insulated heating duct below the oor ASSESSING THE GAPS When assessing a customer complaint regarding gaps between boards, the rst test should always be checking the interior temperature, relative humidity (RH), and moisture content of ooring, then comparing to the season in which you’re receiving the complaint. In these “seasonal situations,” the MC will likely be quite low. If you can gather these three pieces of information, you can easily assess whether the gapping is seasonal, by simply comparing your data, the EMC chart, and the seasonal uctuations in your area. If the cause of the gaps is clearly not seasonal, more investigation will be necessary. An NWFA Certi ed Inspector can provide a thorough, unbiased inspection of the entire job to help nd the cause. SOLUTIONS Regardless of what environment a oor has been exposed to, or exists when inspected, removal and replacement of a wood oor to alleviate gaps is usually both unnecessary

Normal gaps: If truly normal, in the sense that the gaps close up in summer months, no repairs are necessary. Any ller used to ll gaps when they appear – e.g., when the oor is dry – may permanently damage the ooring as the wood expands when it picks up moisture. In the process, ller, some of which are as hard as the wood, can crush the wood bers along the edges of the boards. us, llers may cause uglier gaps than those Mother Nature forced on the oors. A normal gap may have also been built into the oor, as an internal expansion joint (also known as a washer row). ese built-in gaps should not be lled either. With the introduction of humidity, seasonal gaps will swell, and the gaps will disappear. is can be accomplished in two ways: (1) wait for the humid season while living with the seasonal gaps, or (2) introduce humidity to the facility with an adequate humidi cation system.

Ugnomat 800-227-2105 www.lignomat.com E-mail: sales@lignomat.com

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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