Solid Wood Floor problem

kc66

We got a solid walnut floor last January. The wood was left in the room for 3 or 4 weeks before it was laid. The guy who put it down left gaps around the edges to allow for further expansion. It was nailed down.
A few months ago I noticed it rising in places. The guy came back and cut a further gap around the edge. In the last few weeks it is getting a lot worse. Is this normal after being laid so long (6 months)?
Considering the fact that it was nailed down, would cutting more off the edges help? Or is it screwed?

wasim21k

that what expected i was asking to every one as if each plunk is nail to floor what is the point for leaving the gap? each plunk is nail and there is not change for wood to expand in gap left for this purpose i m still confused about this solid wood floor either glue plunk with each other or to floor or nail them any expert can you please through light on this issue

Hotwheels

Has there been background heat in the house/room since it was laid? If there is moisture present in the house the floor would absorb it and swell even when its finished...
In a large room its advisable to put in a row of washers between boards to give an extra 2-3mm expansion every few boards,(they are removed as you go) depending on the type of wood used in the floor...

Is the floor up/downstairs? and whats it fixed to?
Throw up a few pictures if you can do so...

kc66

Will try putting up pics over the weekend.
It is in the living room. Not that big, around 3.5m wide, 5m long. He nailed down battens across the width of the room. Then the boards were nailed to the battens, running the length of the room. The boards are roughly 4" wide.
It has now risen slightly in places, especially at the edge that was laid last.
I dont think there is much moisture present. The concrete floor it was on was tested for moisture before hand and it was fine.
There was probably more heat in the room back in January/Feb because the radiators were constantly on. It hasnt been a particularly hot Summer and the radiators haven't been on at all.

GreeBo

is there any damp proofing/underlay on the floor?

kc66

No

GreeBo

sounds like it could be sucking up damp from the concrete floor so...

kc66

Yer man checked the conrete floor with some device that measures dampness in concrete (As far as I know thats what it does). He said it was ok.
Maybe you're right though.

IRISH RAIL

why did he nail it??
did he put underlay down?
you should leave a 3mm gap all around which should be covered by the skirting board.
the boards are probably t+g and should be glued together, that should be more than enough to hold it down.
did you spill something on it?

Keeks

IRISH RAIL wrote:

why did he nail it??
did he put underlay down?
you should leave a 3mm gap all around which should be covered by the skirting board.
the boards are probably t+g and should be glued together, that should be more than enough to hold it down.
did you spill something on it?

Probably because it is a solid floor and not a "floating" or laminated floor.

dannyhandy

sounds like your floor was badly fitting in the first place. did he leave expansion joints through out the floor or just around the edges?

IRISH RAIL

i was presuming it went on a concrete floor sorry if i was wrong

kc66

It is a concrete floor.
Expansion joints were only left around the edges.

hjsimpson

If its dampness from the concrete floor thats causing the problem each board will be individually cupped or dished....check it with a straight edge.
If its an expansion problem, which I think it is, the floor will be bellying up over a few boards.As the floor is nailed down there should have been expansion gaps left throughout the floor as well as at the edges.
Consider the floor expands by say 2% in different types of humidity.....On the width of 3.5 m this is 70mm ....and im sure he didnt leave an edge gap of 35mm!

(This is why floating a solid floor is a problem because this expansion HAS to be left at the edges)

wasim21k

well for solid wood floor u need 15mm gap on each side. and then you have to put floor down considering each room individual (i mean you have to leave gap in door about 20mm between two rooms.

davidoco

kc66 wrote:

He nailed down battens across the width of the room. Then the boards were nailed to the battens, running the length of the room. The boards are roughly 4" wide.

You wouldn't expect 4" wide boards nailed down to belly up in one spot on their own. Was the heating on in January? The boards sealed in their packets wouldn't be much good and would need a slit cut in the ends of the boxes/packets.

I also pray to God that he put down a moisture barrier, for the sake of €30 euro a sheet of 1000g plastic laid over or under the battens is specified in every packet of solid wood I've ever opened or looked at.

Don’t worry too much about it until later in the year and if you have the same bulging say around Christmas then you have a problem with the boards being fitted too close together.

kc66

There was no sheet put down. I saw the builder yesterday and he took a look at it. He said there was no way there would be much moisture in the ground to cause it. I actually think its not as bad in the last week as it was.
If you put a glass down on the joint between boards it will rock a bit. It is not just in one spot, its around a few areas of the room. I pulled back the skirting and there is now no gap at the edge so it has expanded since the guy that laid it cut some of the edges away.
Heating was on every evening and night back when the floor was laid. The boards were all taken out of the packaging.