On Preventing And Correcting Gaps In Your Hardwood Floors

Wood flooring can develop numerous problems when care is not taken prior to, and during, its installation. The boards can crown, buckle, and cup, destroying the appearance of your floors. They may also creak or even bounce when someone walks over them. The most common issue is gapping; small spaces open up between the individual boards. Among all other issues, gaps prompt the highest number of complaints from homeowners.

Below, we'll explain the reason gaps appear between wood boards, and why they seem to appear and disappear with the seasons. You'll learn how acclimating the boards to their environment plays an important role in minimizing the problem. We'll also provide a few suggestions for preventing large gaps from developing.

The reason involves moisture. Even though the wood that composes the flooring is dead, each board continues to absorb and release moisture. As it does so, it expands and contracts (respectively). Contractions cause gapping.

When the level of humidity in the environment changes, so too does the amount of moisture in the air. This is the reason gaps often appear in hardwood floors denver when the weather is cold. Many people heat their homes during the winter, pulling moisture from their hardwoods. This causes the boards to contract, leaving small gaps between them. Conversely, hot weather prompts many homeowners to turn on their air conditioners. This forces moisture into the air. The boards absorb it, and expand, causing the gaps to vanish.

Sometimes, hardwoods are installed when there is a substantial amount of humidity in the air. The boards are placed in their expanded state due to moisture absorption. Unless the level of humidity is maintained throughout the year, gapping will eventually occur. Homeowners who install their own floors are more likely to make this mistake than professional installers. A professional installer will make certain the boards are acclimatized to the environment prior to installation.

In the context of hardwood floors, acclimation is the process of allowing the boards to adjust to the relative level of humidity in the air. It is more important for solid wood floors than with engineered boards. There is more wood involved the former, so moisture absorption will cause more expansion and contraction. Engineered wood floors are more stable.

Homeowners planning to install their own floors should use a moisture tester to measure the level of moisture present at the installation site. The boards should not be delivered until the level is stable. Following delivery, they should be allowed to remain uninstalled until they reach the proper moisture content level.

Also, if the homeowner is painting the room into which the hardwoods will be installed, delivery should be postponed until the paint has dried. Otherwise, the wood will absorb some of the moisture, causing it to expand.

Once hardwood floors have been installed, small gaps will develop between the boards. This should be an expectation, since there is no way to completely prevent the absorption and release of moisture from them. One way to reduce the effect is to use a portable air humidifier. It will pull moisture from the air, making less available for the wood to absorb. A humidifier can help to regulate the relative humidity in the environment, minimizing variances.

The most common approach to correcting gaps is to apply a filler material in them. The problem is, this "solution" works poorly unless the homeowner maintains the level of humidity in the air throughout the year. Otherwise, the wood boards will expand as the level of moisture in the air rises, pushing the filler outward. For small gaps, the effect will be less pronounced, but still noticeable.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to correct gaps that appear in hardwood floors. The solution is to expect small gaps, and take precautions prior to installation to prevent larger ones from developing down the road.