Wooden floor warping

[DIY67]

Well, I'm gutted because we only has this 100% hardwood Woodpecker floor laid in the kitchen (stated on the box for kitchens and living rooms) by our fitter in early Summer and already it has warped twice!. There is always a little movement here and there but this end got so bad a few weeks after the job was finished the fitter came back and adjusted the ends to give more space and re aligned. It was like a springboard. As you can see by the kickboard and the piece of wood I have laid across it has started again. There is absolutely no water getting anywhere on it (there was a little initially before the first warping from the sink drainer which was identified and stopped)

I am hoping it will settle again as I think the humidity outside and time of year + cooking could be affecting it but why only this area ? The floor is concrete with the old lino on it left underneath (for extra cushioning and insulation) with new under floor matting before the wood was laid. It's just so depressing to have it start to go like this so soon, especially as we paid decent money to have it laid.

Best I can do is get the dehumidifier in there.

 

[foxhole]

You can’t believe the labels , kitchen is not suitable for hardwood flooring.
My old office had £100k or oak flooring destroyed by a simple dishwasher leak .

 

[Mr Chibs]

Is this solid wood or engineered?

Do you know if there is an expansion gap at the wall? If you're not sure, perhaps pull up a section of the beading next to the wall.
If there is no gap, this could explain why its warping.

 

[DIY67]

It's solid wood. I did the beading but don't remember much of a gap. Besides, he came back and adjusted last time and it evened out agan flat. Just can't understand why it it happening again. It can't endlessly keep expanding. At the other end it has caused the skirting board to ping away at the top but the floor hasn't warped. I can live with it if it fluctuates but it is annoying.

 

[Mr Chibs]

I would have thought if you had a leak and it was buggering up the floor, you'd have spotted this by now.

Looking at your images, I think it's still too tight to the skirting. Wood moves more across the plank than it will lengthwise.

You should have a suitable expansion gap on all walls (8mm at a guess), especially the walls across the width of the planks. Wood being a natural product will contract and expand through the year.

Was the flooring brought in to the house and left to acclimitised or was it installed straight away.

 

[dazlight]

Take all the scotia off and plinths off. Check that you have a 10mm gap everywhere. No wood can be touching any legs or skirting.

 

[aveatry]

Take all the scotia off and plinths off. Check that you have a 10mm gap everywhere. No wood can be touching any legs or skirting.

Yes this. It appears to be very badly fitted with not enough expansion room in some areas and also there are points with no gap at all by the look of it. Full oak may not of been the best choice for the room either as it expands more than engineered oak for which the backing stabilises the oak
The humidity should not be an issue if it was layed properly with the correct gaps but also
The floor is concrete with the old lino on it left underneath (for extra cushioning and insulation) with new under floor matting before the wood was laid.
That may of also been a mistake to leave the original covering, what underlay was used for the oak. Although I dont think that will have an efect on the expansion.
I have a personal pet hate with the scotia / beading method as you spend a small fortune on the floor and then its finished of with badly-fitted bead.
I would take off all of your skirting board and the last plank and refit the last plank to be under the skirting board after its refitted, also if there is plaster to the floor behind the skirt then take that bottom inch off to allow room for the floor, you then dont have to worry about the floor being too short for the skirt to cover it as it will be well under.
Its also important to leave the planks in the intended room to first acclimatise.
I am not floor fitter just DIY but fitted the whole of my downstairs ( accept the kitchen ) and used engineered oak

 

[DIY67]

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Was the flooring brought in to the house and left to acclimitised or was it installed straight away.

A few days or so but not for that reason as the kitchen had to be finished first.

 

[blup]

Engineered flooring probably better for kitchen. Had kahrs down for 20 years

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Looking at your images, I think it's still too tight to the skirting. Wood moves more across the plank than it will lengthwise.

It looks to me, as if the skirting etc., is undercut, to let it slide under. It still needs space to expand under, before it hits a solid surface. Lack of adequate space, means it has to expand by lifting mid-span, as you seem to be experiencing.

 

[DIY67]

Thanks all. I shall monitor it and perhaps adjust the skirting if it gets worse. So far can live with it.

 

[aveatry]

Thanks all. I shall monitor it and perhaps adjust the skirting if it gets worse. So far can live with it.

It looks pretty bad to me - are you sure you are ok living with it

Its got to be like this

 

[foxhole]

Kitchen humidity will be constantly changing along with the expansion, contraction of the timber.

 

[DIY67]

It states on the box

It looks pretty bad to me - are you sure you are ok living with it
View attachment 362319

Its got to be like this
View attachment 362321

Well I'm not on the floor looking sideways at it so you don't see it. The box states it's for Kitchens and living rooms. The fitter did just what you said and took some off the end plank when it warped last time. So on that basis why is it going again ? The other end of the kitchen is fine which is fitted pretty much the same.

 

[aveatry]

It states on the box

Well I'm not on the floor looking sideways at it so you don't see it. The box states it's for Kitchens and living rooms. The fitter did just what you said and took some off the end plank when it warped last time. So on that basis why is it going again ? The other end of the kitchen is fine which is fitted pretty much the same.

It looks to me like the top part in the picture here has a gap but the bottom part near the architrave does not. But the gap at the op is not enough anyway.

Then this picture it looks like it gos under on the short corner but then touches on the end and looks like it is up against the skirt on the left with the water marks. Unless this is what it was like and now there is a gap, or it only looks like its touching but is in fact going under the skirt. But looking at the undisturbed layers of paint on the skirt they do not look like they have been taken off to put the floor under them.