oak sloid floor lifting

[tommymca79]

i had an oak solid floor professionaly fitted a year ago and now it is starting too lift / buckle( 2 inches), over 3 boards. there is no gap all round room as it has expanded

The shop is blaming the fitter, the fitter blaming my house, myself and the shop, how can I rectify the situation.. I can't create a gap without removing and installing a stone fireplace with granite hearth ata cost off £300.

has the shop any legal responsiblity or is it the fitter or do I have too cover all costs myself

thanks

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo and welcome tommymca79


was the fitter provided by the shop as part off the price !!

or was he recomended by the shop!!!

did you find the fitter your self

 

[tommymca79]

was recomendd by the shop,, they provided a list off approved installers

 

[big-all]

you paid him direct!!

you need to give him reasonable time and oppertunity to rectify the problem

if he is disputing this tell him you will get an independant expert opinion for which he will have to pay if its down to a faulty fit

 

[tommymca79]

i contacted the joiner 1 week ago and he was to come at the weekend , which he never, over the phone he was making excuses like damp, moisture etc,

I have since had two joiners out who have blamed bad workmanship,, and said its a ''nitemare job'' too rectify it, Tomorrow im going too citizens advice am just looking a bit off advice b4 hand

 

[Petest67]

You need to check the moisture content of the floor and the humidity level of the area. Wood will only expand if the moisture level increases.
Its normal this time of the year when central heating goes on for humidity levels to drop and the wood to shrink.
Have you had any work done in the area since the flooring was installed (plastering, plumbing,etc)?
Do you have underfloor heating?
Is there a void below the floor and if so are all the air bricks clear?
Has the problem only recently occured?
How was the flooring installed (glued, nailed or floated)?
Was the flooring acclimatised and a log kept of moisture content?
What type of floor is the flooring installed to?
Wood is a living product and does expand and contract and you need to regulate the amount of humidity (if too high open a couple of windows to circulate air, if too low put a bowl of water on a shelf or window sill or put a damp towel on a radiator).

 

[tommymca79]

there has been no new work,

floor was floated in the living room and glued in the hall

floor was left in th house for 10 days prior too fitting

it s fitted too an concrete floor

floor was installed may 08

 

[WoodYouLike]

How wide did the fitter leave the expansion gaps and did he fill it - hope not - with cork?

Most times the lift looks worse than it is: 2 inch could be create by one single point being stuck. When that is released - cutting away just a tiny bit of the edge of the board against the wall/skirtingboard the whole 2 inch normally comes down.

Other question: is the lift in the neighbourhood of your fireplace? Reading your words on that subject suggests the stone fireplace was installed later and is resting ontop of the floor?

 

[Chri5]

As WYL mentioned, and you suggested.

Is the fire hearth and components resting on the floor

If so the weight will prevent the floor from moving with the seasonal changes of heat and humidity and could explain the reasons behind the problem.

Any chance of some photos of the floor rise, the edge to wall expansion gaps and the fire / floor area ?

 

[Petest67]

How old is the house and concrete slab that the floor is installed on top of?Was the RH of the concrete tested before installation?
Was an underlay with a built in DPM used or was a seperate DPM sheet laid on top of the concrete before the flooring was installed?
If an underlay was used without a DPM (damp proof membrane) and the concrete slab still contained moisture then it will rise to the top of the slab to evaporate and be absorbed by the flooring causing it to expand. Thats why its important to check the moisture levels before commencing work.

 

[WoodYouLike]

and the concrete slab still contained moisture then it will rise to the top of the slab to evaporate and be absorbed by the flooring causing it to expand.

If that would have been the case the floor would have lifted within a week's time. IMHO something is blocking the normal expansion of the floor, which could indeed be the heavy fireplace or a doorpost not correctly undercut.

Lifting/cupping of floors don't always immediately indicate moist problems, eliminate other - obvious - causes first. If none are obvious you have to check for moist problems indeed. And these can come from the weirdest places ever, like a very slowly dripping pipe upstairs, taking months to 'travel' down and now effecting the wood floor down stairs.

 

[tommymca79]

//www.diynot.com/network/tommymca79/albums/

click above link too check out pictures

 

[WoodYouLike]

checked out link, no pictures I'm afraid.

 

[tommymca79]

checked out link, no pictures I'm afraid.

SORRY BOUT THAT, TAKE A LOOK NOW PICTURES UPLOADED

 

[WoodYouLike]

I'll refrain from mentioning something about the quality of the boards - very many short ones! - and advice you to definitely check if that board near the radiator-pipe still has room to move - it is known to snap the pipe!