Laid Real-Wood floor 3 days ago and had to rip up again

[semorgan]

3 days ago I laid Glued Tongue and Groove real-wood flooring in the bathroom and have now had to rip the lot up again

The boards when glued did not meet together properly, therefore there where gaps and no matter how hard I whacked it with a ‘block and mallet’ they would not meet, allowing dirt to go into the gaps. Regardless I continued as I thought this was normal for real wood flooring

After completing the floor, I went on to install a new towel rail which leaked. I repaired the leak, mopped up feeling delighted with the job

The next morning I woke to find the area around the leak had ‘tented’

I attempted to walk over it to resolve, lightly tapped with wood block/mallet to no avail, so I decided (as the gaps were bothering me anyway) to rip it up, right-off my loses and start again

So today, I am about to start again, but what went wrong

This is what I did …

The original floor was old ‘floor boards’. I nailed down, hoovered, laid and screwed down new Wickes 6mm MDF rigid boarding, hoovering again afterwards

Laid down ‘Floormaker’ laminate foam underlay (from a roll)

Place first row of boards leaving 10-12 mm expansion gap

Glued using Wickes interior/exterior weatherproof wood adhesive

Tap boards in with Block/Mallet and using the floor ‘puller’

Placed 10 mm Cork strip around edges (for expansion gap)

-------------
Somebody down the local mentioned they used a SPECIAL ADHESIVE but I cannot find a ‘special adhesive’ in either Wickes, B&Q or Homebase. Is this Wickes interior/exterior weatherproof wood adhesive not good enough

Would this ‘tent’ affect from the leak have disappeared if left alone

How do you get around the gap between the boards (I just ran single strip of glue along the tongue only)

Any advice would be grateful before I start again

 

[big-all]

are you gluing together three rows first and letting the glue go off[several hours] are your gaps slightly wedge shape if so there is a good chance you wall isnt dead strate you must have a strate edge to work to

this why i always recomend click type flooring

 

[lordlucan]

My heart goes out to you semorgan

This may not make your day any better but I've learnt a lot from those posts before I go ahead with shower room

I have just one question to add ..

I (as well as you) do not have a specific glue/adhesive for real wood flooring for the shower room.

This for big-all/masona I guess, I have also a tube of strong wood glue, is this OK to use

Thanks

 

[masona]

Yes, strong wood glue are okay, the one I use is a rapid wood glue which speed up the glueing progess.

The laminated flooring instruction which I don't agree with, they say put the glue on the groove side and I don't because you will create a air-lock so you won't be able to get a perfect joint unless you keep banging away then this is when you start to see floor movement because of the air trapped.

The best way I find is to glue the tounge side upper & lower and it does close up nicely with no air-lock problem.

 

[lordlucan]

Cheers masona

doing this tommorow now

Thanks again

 

[WoodYouLike]

Hello

One of your problems could be caused by using 10mm cork strip in the expansion gap: when the floor expans, the cork will only contract to max. half its size. Leave the cork out, specially in wet areas as bathrooms to gain maximum expansion gaps.

Normal PVAC glue is perfect for installing floating floors. Try to glue in the botom part of the groove, to avoid spillage ont the surface when you install the board.

Installing three rows first and letting them 'set' is sound advice.


Regards
______________________________

Moderator

Email address removed, these can be shown in your profile