New engineered wooden floor - now gaps appearing

[Eilers]

Hi All,

Hope someone out there can provide me with some know how before the guy who laid my floor returns to look at the gaps now appearing.

I had the floor laid one week ago - apart from how he finished it -( running it up to tiles and putting metal trim -made to look like cheap plastic wood!-with some type of brown silicone oozing out of it each time someone walks on it ! ) more on that in a later question - I need to know are gaps normal? There is inconsistency - some boards are separated with gaps and some are not thereby making the gaps far more obvious !

I don't want the guy to blind me with science - so any help in understanding this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cajar]

maybe post a picture?

 

[Inky Pete]

How long was the wood left in the room to acclimatise before it was laid?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Did he install the floor floating and glued the T&G correctly: every board and the whole length of the groove/tongue?

 

[Eilers]

Hi Many Thanks - he did not climatise the wood - I did ask and he said that was not necessary ( I got the look which said " ah sure what does she know")

I am not sure if he glued the full length of the boards. I will try and load a photo. The thing which is most annoying is the inconsistency - gaps in parts - no gaps in other parts - which then make the gaps jump out.

 

[Inky Pete]

he did not climatise the wood - I did ask and he said that was not necessary

He's wrong.

Just Google "acclimatising engineered wood" and you'll see.

Google results

 

[Eilers]

Thanks Lads - I appreciate the help and advice - I will let you know how I get on tomorrow. It's all a headache now !!!

 

[Eilers]

Hi Lads,

Update - fitter came back today to look at his work. He was all prepared to take off the skirting and "tap" the boards and gaps closed !!!

Obviously this was not an acceptable solution - not sure how you can tap something to close gaps once it has been glued ?

So we have agreed the floor is coming back up - the new floor boards are now sitting in the spare room climatsing . Although he still insists that this is unnecessary ! The boards are in boxes - but no manufacturer instructions on the box - I have been told not to open the boxes as it will impact the wood ! Can't believe the contradiction !!

Any advice of what I should be looking for when he returns? he says gaps are normal ??? If any gap is normal what does it measure and do you see them along the length of the board or at the ends ( hope that doesn't sound daft)

Many many thanks for all the help/advice / information up to now - it is what made the difference today.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Make sure your fitter reads this: The correct way of glueing T&G's