HELP THE FLOORS ARE LIFTING,

[HarrySingh]

Hi Guys. Looking for some advice/ help.

OK So we just bought a house... Love it... But....

the Guy who sold it fitted new hard wood flooring... (looks to be good quality stuff too... )
But its lifting ( not sure if that’s the correct term) in the middle of the hall... Suspect it to be Lack of Gap around the edges of the room....Pulled the Skirting board off.....and YES a few boards are hard up against the wall.

I tried to remove a small section under the stairs... but its all Glue together. i.e the boards are glued to each other.... So trying to remove them is not going to be easy.....

Looking at getting the Bosh Multi tool. to cut the boards at the wall to increase the Gap...

any one any experience of this... or have a better idea

Thanks Harry Singh

 

[crazydaze]

You have identified the issue and indeed need to cut the boards back whilst they are place as you can't lift them. I believe the pro's would use a Fein tool but anything that allows you to cut at a right angle will work, just make sure there are no hidden cables etc.

If the boards are against the door frame, cut the bottom of the frame out so the board can expand underneath the door frame.

No matter how good the floor looks, I'd be wary that a good fitter did'nt install the floor if it has been fitted too or has expanded against the outside walls.

 

[HarrySingh]

Cheers Mate...

Was hoping you would say CUT while in place.

I was at B&Q, the old mad ther told me he had a similar problem.
and sorted it with a Angle Grinder with a Wood cutting blade.

I have looked around the rest of the house and notticed that there are Gaps left under the skirting boards there.

I think the fitter rused this the hall... or he has not left enough gap.

but will keep alook out incase there are any other issues

Harry Singh

 

[JohnD]

how certain are you that there is no water leak under the floor?

 

[HarrySingh]

Hi John

Yeah i thought that too... so got under the floors Via a Service hatch in the utility room.... Very Dark and Dusty... the floors are dry no water leak... also crawled around the rest of the floor to check radiator pipes etc....

there is no pipes in the hall other than the radiator... and that Bone dry....

I do want to check the humitity just incase.

Harry Singh

 

[mac391]

Hi Harry,
Maybe a bit late but,,, a Bosch multi tool is the same as a Fein just their own version. I use it all the time, great for what you need doing but blades are expensive.
It will take time for the floor to sit back flat, if you have a timber sub-floor you can put a couple of screws in and fill them, if concrete then add some weight to the high spot.

 

[HarrySingh]

Mac391

thanks mate
will look at the Fein. have seen it in the shops.

and good call on the weights... not to keen to screw them down tho.

Harry

 

[mac391]

Putting screws in does sound a bit drastic but it solves the problem instantly.. If you countersink the hole then fill with a wax stick.
They come in lots of different shades to match your wood, you can even mix a few coulors to produce a filler that looks like a knot in the wood and simply applied by spatula or chisel etc.

You can buy them B&Q (larger stores)

If i used this technique on your floor you would never find it !!

You will also find now the weather is getting colder, if you turn your central heating on it will actually help your floor to contract (shrink) and the problem might just go away, only to re-emerge next spring when the heating is off and your floor gathers moisture to expand once again..

You still need to trim the edges to create an expansion gap..

Good luck