Bulge in solid oak floor

davidm20

Have a solid wooden floor down for nearly a year. 2 days ago it suddenly developed a bulge in the middle (room is 22 ft * 9 ft)

99% sure it not water damage, home heating is off and has been for a long time, could something that sudden be to do with outside temp. I didn't think it was that warm.

Any other reason for it? Is there anything that i can do?

David

trotter_inc

I put down a wooden floor 2 years ago and it was only this week when a "bulge" appeared so it can happen anytime really, I think mine happened because the room was quite warm recently, its a south-facing room and the door was closed for a long period of time.

I'm not going to give you advice on fixing it as Im not a pro - but for mine Im going to check that the door saddle isnt too tight against the flooring.

I hope someone else can help you out here.

misschipp

Hi David,

Without actually seeing the floor and it's environs it's difficult to diagnose the cause. Did you check if there is an expansion gap all around the walls? Usually hidden beneath the skirting board. The flooring must be at least 10mm from any solid structure i.e. a wall, or even a fire hearth can cause problems. The wood moves back and forth the room as it expands and contracts and needs a gap to facilitate the movement, if not the wood has nowhere to go, thus causing a bulge. If you can give us a bit more information maybe we can see what has caused this.

Jac

trotter_inc

Good suggestions from misschipp, once I removed my trimming/moulding I could easily see that the floor had really expanded a good bit.

davidm20

Thanks guys,,

There was an expansion gap left and as you say it is hidden under the skirting. I'm not sure how much of a gap there was... The guy putting it down knew what he was at, but I fear because of the width of the room the gap he left may not have been enough.

I've set the heat timer in the room to come on for an hour or 2 in the mornings when I'm not there. It was a stab in the dark. Good or bad idea?
I don't want to but i might have a look under the skirting at the weekend if there is no change. I'm fairly brutish when it comes to that sort of stuff so don't really want to. Problem is i'm nosy too so I want a look.. The 2 of those charateristics are a deadly combination:D

Thanks again
Dave

trotter_inc

davidm20 wrote: »

Thanks guys,,

There was an expansion gap left and as you say it is hidden under the skirting. I'm not sure how much of a gap there was... The guy putting it down knew what he was at, but I fear because of the width of the room the gap he left may not have been enough.

I've set the heat timer in the room to come on for an hour or 2 in the mornings when I'm not there. It was a stab in the dark. Good or bad idea?
I don't want to but i might have a look under the skirting at the weekend if there is no change. I'm fairly brutish when it comes to that sort of stuff so don't really want to. Problem is i'm nosy too so I want a look.. The 2 of those charateristics are a deadly combination:D

Thanks again
Dave

Taking off the skirting can be quite messy, you could end up cracking them and having to replace them all! Just be careful :eek: