Hardwood Floor Has Gaps

The wood shrinks because it loses moisture and gaps.

Hardwood floor has gaps.

What about gaps in hardwood floors that are old. They weren t there in the summer solid 3 4 hardwoods will expand and contract with seasonal changes in moisture. Engineered hardwood flooring is designed to minimize gaps due to expansion and contraction of the wood. For larger gaps that don t close up call in a professional contractor who can repair floors properly.

Another exacerbating condition is water damage. Yes it can still have gaps. If you don t have. Tearing them out really isn t an option.

Before you begin filling gaps in old wood floors with caulk make sure you have properly inserted the tube into a standard caulk gun. Adding filler is not a good idea. Often it s a floor owner concerned with new hardwood floors separating or gapping. Avoiding hardwood floor gaps.

For normal gaps no repairs are needed. See how to make your own wood filler and fix hardwood floor gaps. Now you are ready to actually correct the gaps in your hardwood floor. Set the angled tip of the tube into the gap and pull the trigger.

My husband does plan to do that. Hardwood takes on and loses moisture as the temperatures and the humidity rises and falls. This is especially noticeable with site finished floors whose final appearance after the work has been done is near flawless. Try to avoid gaps in the first place.

Almost every wood floor will show some separation between boards particularly in the winter months when homes are heated and the air is dry. Our house built in 1939 has a few gaps in the hardwood floors. Have the installer perform a humidity level test because either very high or very low humidity can cause bowing splitting and warping. The best times to repair hardwood floors are april and october.

See before and after pics in video to help you visualize the difference. Drag the tube along the length of the affected area releasing pressure. For years the floors were covered in carpet if that makes any difference. Before installing hardwood floors it is important to acclimate the product to your home.

Whether your floors are newly installed or you ve had hardwood floors for years you can use humidifiers to reduce the likelihood of gaps. Expansion and contractions causes hardwood floor gaps. But to answer a common question. It may take years for gaps to show up in your hardwood floors.

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. We haven t refinished the floors yet. Water logged wood will first swell then shrink as it dries out.