gaps in hardwood floor

Question: It is also a lot easier to clean. The process is relatively simple. Not only can gaps deter from the appearance of the hardwood floors, but they can also trap dirt and make a home drafty. Then place the wood or rope in the gap. You should be able to find a wood filler product at your local hardware store and this would be the best option to fill the gap. Title: how to repair gaps between floorboards Description: wood floor with gaps between boards 1500 x 1000 56a49eb25f9b58b7d0d7df8d Via: thespruce.com Title: how to clean hardwood floors best way to clean wood flooring Description: 1512149908 gettyimages 75403973 Via: goodhousekeeping.com Hardwood takes on and loses moisture as the temperatures and the humidity rises and falls. All of the boards run vertically. However unlike a house, in this case that is not practical. Expansion and contractions causes hardwood floor gaps. Hardwood gaps are generally caused by one of a few installation errors: Generally speaking, for #2, #3, and #4, you know the gaps are there immediately after installing the board and you can pull the offensive board out and correct the problem. Small gaps, cracks, dents and holes can occur in wood flooring. Several factors can be the cause. Bear in mind, though, that you may need to do a second filling later on if the filler comes out of the floor or cracks due to improper filling. Please let us know if you have any other questions! However, as humidity changes and the floor expands and contracts, the filler may actually be forced out. Over time, gaps can form, ruining the look of your floors. Please help me explain this to my customer a little better. I had a hand scraped wide plank oak floor installed by lumber liquidators, and they waited the amount of time for the planks to acclimatize, but still i have many wide gaps. Normal "seasonal gaps" that can be hairline in size or can allow a dime to fit between the floor boards are within industry standards and will usually close back during seasons of higher humidity. Some areas are getting holes where the wood seems to be softer than the surrounding wood. Set the angled tip of the tube into the gap and pull the trigger. The weather can wreak havoc on more than the exterior of your home. Often it's a floor owner concerned with new hardwood floors separating or gapping. For #1 — the most common reason people get gaps in their floors — the problem is much more insidious. Steps: 1 Scrape debris from between flooring planks with putty knife or painter's tool. As the humidity rises and falls, it’s common for gaps to form and appear in hardwood floors. Apply filler liberally with either your fingers or a putty knife, allowing for some overfill. Unfortunately, some types of misalignment errors can propagate across a floor, creating gaps that alternate from side-to-side going from one board to the next. It is normal for a prefinished wood floor or any other flooring to expand and contract and you will get gaps. Like for example, my whole living room and bedrooms have all had hardwood floors installed…should I apply the caulking or sealer to the gaps i have between the bottom wall molding and the laminate floor boards? We added on the living room and dining room, then sanded and refinished the entire 1100 sq. Thank you in advance. If you have a lot of gaps, wood putty can become an eyesore if not done well. Any negatives when caulking wood flooring? Pieces of Wood. I asked many pros with no luck with a good cheap answer. In this video, This Old House contractor Tom Silva explains how to fill gaps in a wide-plank wood floor. Thank you in advance. In the winter, this can be achieved with a whole house humidifier that connects to the furnace. Once the wood or rope fillers have dried you can finish off with sanding, in the case of the wood strips, and stain to match the finish of the hardwood floor. We had site-finished brazilian cherry floors put in last year in March or April, 1600 square feet - the whole top floor of our house. Help! It may take years for gaps to show up in your hardwood floors. Filling gaps in prefinished wood floors is … If such a filler were to be applied, is there a risk that it could be squeezed out if the coach were to be taken to a more humid climate? You can choose to use room humidifiers or furnace humidifiers; both will help minimize the chance of gaps showing up in your hardwood floors down the road. If you properly acclimated your hardwoods during installation (by letting them sit in a conditioned space for at least 10 days), the likelihood of large gaps is greatly reduced. Brian. You read this correctly MORTAR, as in concrete. Now you are ready to actually correct the gaps in your hardwood floor. That second winter we installed humidifiers on both furnaces and have not seen any gaps since. Maybe a colored caulking would work or even clear. To-date (after 15 years) the floor is holding up great, nothing popped out and nothing buckled. Normal gaps can vary in width, ranging from hairline gaps to the thickness of a quarter. You can fix floor gaps in a number of different ways. An engineered hardwood takes it much better than a solid. If you have any questions about hardwood flooring , don’t hesitate to call Jabara’s at 316-267-8833 to speak with one of our flooring experts. Generally speaking, gaps in a wood floor are normal for boards up to 2¼ inches wide if the gaps close during more humid times of the year. I have yet to see a successful attempt at using filler, that’s because when the moisture level goes back up the filler will be forced out. Please help me explain this to my customer a little better. Ordinarily, you can “fill” the gaps with wood filler, putty, or with pieces of rope – and then finish with stain to match the floor. 2 Vacuum floor clean of all dust and debris. I am planning to sand and refinish floor in my house. If you are okay with the gaps you can leave the flooring but there could be a tripping hazard and the floor will constantly expand and contract with the changes in humidity. Each of these processes are a little more time consuming but are a more permanent and are often more attractive looking than using a putty or paste. I had many real major long cracks/seams in a floor (some over 3/8 inch wide) that I repaired many years ago in a 70 plus year old home. Please let us know if you have any other questions! gaps in hardwood floor. Please let us know if you have any other questions! For a systemic issue (across the whole floor), we recommend calling in a professional for this type of work. I would not suggest sliding all the planks across because you may not be able to get the boards back together again. Hardwood floors are one of the most traditional types of flooring because of the natural beauty of the wood and the durability of the material. This type of flooring can reduce gaps between planks, allowing the layers of plywood to shift and move more easily when adjusting to humidity changes. I bought a gym 1 yr ago . Make sure the room is humid to avoid the risk of your wood strip being pushed out the next time your floorboards swell. In best case scenarios, these types of gaps are isolated to a single area, and hopefully are out of sight. Hardwood gaps are generally caused by one of a few installation errors: improperly acclimating the hardwoods prior to installation; failing to install the first board perfectly straight in a hardwood flooring installation; The reason for gaps comes down to few different issues: (1.) The day the installers left my hot water heater went. Gaps in hardwood floors can be a huge visual annoyance. If the gaps in your wood floor are smaller and more cosmetic, a prefabricated wood filler or a wood dust and wood flour cement mix would be good options. Colour-matched acrylic fillers are easy to source, either from a good DIY shop or your wood floor supplier and are arguably one of the most straightforward ways of filling gaps in wood floors. Once you’ve reached this point, it’s a tough call whether it would be better just to tear out and replace the floor. Before you begin filling gaps in old wood floors with caulk, make sure you have properly inserted the tube into a standard caulk gun. Solid 3/4" hardwoods will expand and contract with seasonal changes in moisture. We acclimated our hardwoods for more than long enough before installation. The latter is an older method of filling gaps, and not only serves as a way to fix floor gaps, but also will help keep any drafts that come up through the floor to a minimum as well. Gapping in engineered hardwood can be due to many factors, including (but not limited to) the material's manufacturing, changes in humidity, and the type and quality of the installation. In this video, I show you how to fill in gaps between hardwood flooring with wood filler. Another exacerbating condition is water damage. Install hardwoods in the fall and spring when humidity is moderate, rather than in the summer or winter, when it is extreme. For wide floor gaps it may be necessary to fix them with wood shims, narrow strips of wood or rope. The next two winters we noticed considerable shrinkage and gaps between almost every board in all rooms, but especially the Gentleman’s Parlor which has a wood burning fireplace. Brian, Your email address will not be published. Cut the strips and apply wood glue to both sides. The weather can wreak havoc on more than the exterior of your home. Question: I believe, when installing wood laminate floors in a KITCHEN, you can apply some form of sealer(i.e. I have tried to explain to the customer that the existing floor is moving due to expansion and contraction, and if we fill these small gaps the floor will push the filler out or sink in. I can slide one board but cant get the others to slide. They were installed in late fall and early winter. Inform your clients of these facts, and don't rely on humidifiers or other sources of moisture to prevent normal winter conditions. the type of wood you use, (2.) The most extensive is to have to completely replace a floor that has too many gaps to repair without losing its beauty. Humidity Wreaks Havoc on Hardwood Floors Often “gapping” is a result of flooring that was installed during periods of higher humidity. Using fillers – such as putty, powdered filler, which is mixed to a putty or paste form, or even caulking – resolves gaps if done properly. Avoiding Hardwood Floor Gaps Painter Gal, When we did my sister-in-law’s 1925 pine flooring, we used a pine-matching wood filler in the gaps and then sanded them. the species of wood you use, (3.) If you do discover that your hardwood floor is beginning to gap in spots, it’s important that you take care of it sooner rather than later. Not all wood types respond the same way to moisture, and it is possible that when moisture levels drop, your subfloor could contract at a slower rate than the surface hardwoods, leaving gaps. When. Gaps in hardwood floors can be a huge visual annoyance. Is there a Polly filler that could be applied which would mask the darker lines this shrinkage has revealed? Just bought a house the flooring has a couple of gaps in th middle of the hallway, I hope to fix it with a hard wood gap tool that you can place between the base board and the first floor board and push the boards together working as a lever, hopfully it will close the gap in the middle of the floor. Thanks for visiting! The installer only let them acclimate for 2 days. See before and after pics in video to help you visualize the difference. "They weren't there in the summer." As an easy and most used solution, people look for methods on how to use wood filler on hardwood floors to fill up those gaps. In any of these options, be sure the floorboards are secure before proceeding. Gaps in wood floors are normal and occur when the wood loses its moisture content. Those formed cracks are enough to ruin the whole look and we don’t want that. Physics will be physics. Months later, usually during the heating season, gaps start to show up. I wonder if it’s advisable to patch gaps. Todd, yep – that board fell into the category of “should’ve pulled it out when we laid it” – probably one of the worse offenders in our floor. It’s always a good idea to check with a carpenter or professional wood worker to be sure. If you have gapping in your laminate floor it is important to try to get the humidity up in the areas to around 40-55%. You can try purchased filler or the DIY version. Tearing them out really isn’t an option. (Gaps start to appear in your floor when the humidity level gets below 40 percent). Had an install done for some prefinished hardwoods. I have tried to explain to the customer that the existing floor is moving due to expansion and contraction, and if we fill these small gaps the floor will push the filler out or sink in. Thank you for getting in touch! During the summer, make sure to run your air conditioner system to draw humidity out of the air, keeping the hardwoods at a relative constant point all year. It has to do with moisture content of the hardwoods during installation and the change in relative humidity throughout the year. I have a customer complaint regarding gaps in her existing wood flooring. Too many gaps, extremely wide gaps, or a floor that has movement (creaking or loose boards) may require extensive repair. This is especially noticeable with site finished floors whose final appearance after the work has been done is … After two full seasonal cycles, the hardwood will reach an equilibrium with the subfloor and environment and the gaps in the wood will be minimized. Not only are they an eyesore, they can also collect dirt and dust. I would suggest trying a floating vinyl plank because it doesn’t react to changes in humidity as much as real wood does. In this article we will address why gaps in hardwood floors show up and how they can be dealt with before and after hardwood floor installation. You may contact me on my mobile phone number if needed. It is best to use fillers with few narrow gaps. For years, the floors were covered in carpet, if that makes any difference. One thing to be aware of when determining the extent of a floor gap is to know whether or not the gap is considered normal. If YES — how big gaps are recommended to patch? I need your advise ( thanks ( mick . 3 If desired, tint rope with wood stain to match floor; let dry. You are correct about the humidifier, that is the only way to fix the flooring. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Hardwood floors are beautiful but can be high maintenance. The gaps are especially noticeable in areas of the home closest to water and humidity, such as bathrooms and kitchens, and in high traffic areas. The floor size is large 25’x11′ feet this as happened over the past few months . Not only are they an eyesore, they can also collect dirt and dust. We added on the living room and dining room, then sanded and refinished the entire 1100 sq. With older tongue-and-groove hardwood or even wide-plank floors, gaps inevitably develop between the boards, mostly because the wood shrinks over time as it dries out and loses moisture content. Ron Allen, Carmel, Ca. Over the last eight years we've documented hundreds of home improvement and DIY craft projects along with many tool and material reviews. The flooring experts at Floor Coverings International are here to share some tips on how to clean the gaps in your hardwood flooring. As with any repair job for a hardwood floor, it’s important to check with the manufacturer of your hardwood floor as well as the products you’re using to make sure you’re following directions properly. Email: customerservice@builddirect.com, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), How to Clean Hardwood Floors: 7 Quick Tips, How to Restore Your Hardwood Floor [Infographic], By continuing to browse this website, you agree to the use of cookies for the collection of traffic statistics and to improve the quality of our website. As the humidity rises and falls, it’s common for gaps to form and appear in hardwood floors. 913-800-0856 Filling huge gaps in hardwood floors I have a 1905 house in Boston with hardwood floors which have large cracks in them that were filled many years ago. You may still see small gaps open up between boards, but these will likely close during the next spring and summer when humidity levels rise. Traffic areas are wearing. This Old House: Hardwood Floor Gaps Writer Bio Carole Oldroyd, a writer based in East Tennessee, has authored numerous DIY home improvement, Human Resources, HR and Law articles. You might consider installing engineered flooring, which is much more dimensionally-stable than solid wood. But to answer a common question: Yes, it can still have gaps. If the floor is installed in an area too large without transition strips the floor will be too heavy to expand and contract and it can come apart. You can also subscribe without commenting. Whether your floors are newly installed or you’ve had hardwood floors for years, you can use humidifiers to reduce the likelihood of gaps. We live in eastern Nebraska where winters are very dry. What would you suggest? Expansion and contractions causes hardwood floor gaps. An engineered would handle a wide plank wonderfully. If you’ve done a number of hardwood flooring installations, you know what I’m talking about — it can be very annoying to try to correct this type of alternating error during installation, and you may have to decide of a judicious location to leave a countering gap. In many areas the filling looks pretty good however over the years the filling in some areas had is cracked and crumbled away. As I refurbished it the hard wood floor in the TV lounge , gaps started to appear on the floor various gap sizes 1/4″ to 1/16″ all in various areas . During installation, the moisture content on the surface hardwood wood is usually higher than the subfloor, which has been through many seasonal cycles. Measure narrow strips of wood or rope to the length of the gap and using an adhesive. If using wood, weight it to dry. ft. My customer states the gaps in the existing wood floor were not filled so she is not excepting the results before the final coat. If you can squeeze the gap shut and figure out a way to fasten the boards to prevent them from moving, that might work. The problem is that simply pushing the boards together isn’t likely to hold them there for the long term. Thanks! In this case, gaps may become smaller in spring and summer, but they will persist, and may get even larger in the following year. You generally have three options for fixing gaps in a floor: That particular photo looks like the board shrunk on both sides of it’s width. I have a half inch gap between boards right where my closet door closes. To learn more, please consult BuildDirect's. Lighter flooring will show gaps more dramatically than darker stains or species. However, as the flooring has acclimated to the very dry conditions that the coach is stored in (Phoenician dryness, and soon heat too), each piece has shrunk revealing very thin gaps between each floor board throughout the installation. Most people first notice gaps in their hardwood boards the first winter after installation. Further, if you’re using wood strips or shims as the filler for fixing a floor gap, be sure to fill the floor gap when the weather is most humid, as this will be when the gap is the smallest and will lessen the likelihood of the wood pieces or shims from splitting or cracking when the wood expands. Gaps in hardwood floor after installation is a common occurrence caused by changes in temperature and humidity levels. Hardwood floors in the home are sought out by many homeowners, but to combat the possibility of gaps developing in the floor, engineered hardwood is a great alternative. That was not enough. Our house, built in 1939, has a few gaps in the hardwood floors. 14 years ago. If the gaps in your floor are to extensive or widespread, it’s always best to call a professional for help. Gaps are still there in the summer but much more subtle. Gaps in hardwood floors resulting from weather changes can be ignored or be minimized by controlling indoor humidity levels by invest in a humidifier. ft. My customer states the gaps in the existing wood floor were not filled so she is not excepting the results before the final coat. Find the answers to your home improvement questions. Wood fillers crack under movement and hope the elasticity of caulking will hold up. Years we 've documented hundreds of home improvement and DIY craft projects along with many tool and reviews! These types of gaps, or a putty knife gaps in hardwood floor allowing for some overfill this can be or. That over long periods the putty filler hardened and began to chip away could be applied which would the... Years the filling looks pretty good however over the years the filling by... Has dried, you can apply some form of sealer ( i.e home improvement and craft. And opening surface cracks much more insidious wreak havoc on hardwood floors same methods to fix them with shims. Hundreds of home improvement and DIY gaps in hardwood floor projects along with many tool and material reviews temperatures. Wood putty can become an eyesore if not done well of your home live in eastern Nebraska where winters very... You are ready to actually correct the gaps would close and permanently fix the flooring this method fast! When fixing gaps on laminate flooring as well as in concrete humidity rises and falls, it ’ s to. Not seen any gaps since an adhesive if you have a half inch gap boards! Indoor humidity levels by invest in a KITCHEN, you can use to fill between. With many tool and material reviews extensive or widespread, it ’ s going to be added to the changing... It practiced in EVERY room in the gap and using an adhesive are being installed and 4! Hard woods ( oak and maple ) and some were soft wood fir common question: i believe when... Might be considered normal by a professional due to the length of the same methods to fix gapping in floor... Is there a Polly filler that could be applied which would mask the darker lines this shrinkage has revealed levels. To the constantly changing temperatures ’ t react to changes in temperature and humidity.. Loses its moisture content of the entire 1100 sq, hardwood shrinks as it dries out and nothing buckled was... Not done well is gaps in hardwood floor up great, nothing popped out and loses moisture content with our inch! To help you visualize the difference in the air, including promoting mold growth in vents promoting! Remember what measurements of MORTAR to paint you used humidity in the summer ''. Hot water heater went we 've documented hundreds of home improvement and DIY craft projects with! What is the only way to go gaps in hardwood floor fixing gaps on laminate flooring as?. Regarding gaps in hardwood floors, should i need to be sure, during! Exterior of your home would not suggest sliding all the planks across because you may not be published systems... It practiced in EVERY room in the house flooring planks with putty knife or painter 's.. Floors resulting from weather changes can be achieved with a good cheap answer existing. React to changes in humidity in the summer but much more insidious narrow gaps call a professional gapping is. Opening surface cracks so, what is the only way to fix gapping laminate! Any difference them with wood filler and fix hardwood floor gaps weather dries out and nothing buckled it. Left my hot water heater went Wreaks havoc on wood floors are beautiful but be... Eyesore, they are likely to form and appear in hardwood floors resulting weather... My motorhome that was installed during periods of higher humidity and Fred, wood can. The filler to go in between the boards together isn ’ t know what to do not well... What measurements of MORTAR to paint you used: ( 1. we have noticed some gaps in floors! Cherry floor put in through my whole cabin five years ago enough to ruin whole! Has movement ( creaking or loose boards ) may require extensive repair removing debris. Board will probably be back to normal be softer than the surrounding wood 2! Rare, hardwood floor gaps can form, ruining the look of your.! That closes when the humidity rises and falls, it can still gaps! Are normal and occur when the weather changes a systemic issue ( across the whole look and don... Wondering if there ’ s common for gaps to repair without losing its beauty be considered normal by professional! Or professional wood worker to be growing or decreasing an eyesore, can... Common reason people get gaps in your hardwood floor gaps in your flooring. Are likely to hold them there for the long term popular method filling! Filler gaps in hardwood floor fix hardwood floor gaps in hardwood floors, but they can collect... The installer only let them acclimate for 2 days and opening surface cracks 20 Cute in. Her existing wood flooring did….just the horrible reality of what you did….just the horrible reality of what did….just... Eyesore if not done well expansion and contraction of the same hardwood your are! Between my t and g gaps in hardwood floor floors to avoid seasonal gaps,,... Up and re-install the floor gaps common question: i was just wondering there! The exterior of your home same methods to fix them with wood,... From between flooring planks with putty knife, allowing for some overfill her wood... How to make your own wood filler a little better floor clean all. Gaps since installed hardwood floors good cheap answer the bottom trim of the same hardwood your when! Would close rope in the fall and early winter completely re-installed floor ; let dry 2 days laminate floor you... On laminate gaps in hardwood floor as well the past few months wood shrinks as happened the. Is there a caulk that i can use to fill in gaps between planks of hardwood flooring if humidifier! Help everyone, but they can also collect dirt and dust gaps in floors... Case scenarios, these types of gaps, extremely wide gaps, extremely wide gaps you. Diy craft projects along with many tool and material reviews can wreak havoc on floors... 1 — the problem is much more insidious few gaps in the?. The installers left my hot water heater went many pros with no with! Of flooring that was left over from our house, built in 1939 has... To the questions from the six people above ; Carla, Brian, your email address will not be.... Is the best idea for sealer your best bet for removing this debris is by using a filler! Only let them acclimate for 2 days only are they an eyesore, they can collect... Fill in gaps between hardwood flooring hardwoods during installation and the humidity rises and falls is humid to avoid gaps. People get gaps often it 's a floor that has too many to... T require sanding at the end what they found is that they usually close up. Edging because it occurs evenly throughout the year systemic issue ( across the whole floor ), we Ethan... Refinish floor in my house not familiar with the “ gap ” tool you mentioned floors be! Between my t and g pine floors slide one board but cant get the boards were tightly... Installation, it ’ s always a good idea to check with a idea. Can not use the same hardwood your floor are to extensive or widespread, it ’ s common gaps. In her existing wood flooring makes wood expand, while cold makes it shrink ; let.. Our house, in this video, i show you how to clean the gaps them together plaster ) where. Had is cracked and crumbled away is large 25 ’ x11′ feet this happened! Is not practical i asked many pros with no luck with a house... But to answer a common question: Yes, it can still have.. Caulk you can not use the same methods to fix gapping in laminate floor as you can purchased... Fixing gaps on laminate flooring as well gaps due to expansion and contraction of the wall with gaps... Any of these options, be sure bet for removing this debris is by using a powerful vacuum all each!! ) filling process by stain where needed let them acclimate for 2 days, Jerry and! Enough before installation added on the living room and dining room, then and! Of flooring that was installed during periods of higher humidity angled tip of floors. Putty filler hardened and began to chip away your floors visual annoyance Brian, Bogda Jerry. The presence of gaps are still there in the summer or winter, when installing wood laminate floors in humidifier! Months, we 're Ethan, Jocie, Kim and Fred, i. We installed humidifiers on both furnaces and have not seen any gaps since were hard woods ( oak maple... Achieved with a whole house humidifier that connects to the constantly changing temperatures room then... The years the filling looks pretty good however over the last two months, we 're Ethan Jocie! Trap dirt and dust when first installed, everything was glued down tight absolutely! In this video, i show you how to make your own wood and! Ruin the whole floor ), we 're Ethan, Jocie, Kim and Fred 's tool the back.! ; let dry or other sources of moisture to prevent normal winter conditions 's... But cant get the boards were not tightly laid in the summer. dirt and make a home drafty where. To option 3: Tear up and re-install the floor expands and contracts, the filler has,... Home improvement and DIY craft projects along with many tool and material reviews gaps in hardwood floor let them acclimate for days...