Warping new pine floor

[romanr]

As part of a loft conversion I decided to add Pine Floor Boards (169x20). These were just clear pine boards that cost £2.36 per metre (approx £14 sq m).

The floor already had a kind of cork tongue and groove slab type of floor and the floorboards were laid directly ontop.

Because of my concern with gaps the pine floorboards are floating - just being held down by the skirting - idea was to even out gaps once shrunk.

Some started warping straight away (were only in house for 4 days before laying) and many others have followed. It's only been 3 weeks and one floorboard has split and quite a few have warped quite badly e.g. they rock when walked on.

Any advice on what course of action I should take would be most welcomed.

 

[foxhole]

Flooring should have been secured to prevent movement.

 

[romanr]

Flooring should have been secured to prevent movement.

Thanks for your comment foxhole

Does anyone know what would be the best thing to do at this stage to rectify/reduce the problem.

There isn't any furniture in the room yet so I could detatch skirting and then turn planks over or I could sand/plane the edges that have curled or is it possible they may straighten a little during the drying process and best therefore to leave alone until end of summer.

Any experienced advice cordially welcomed

 

[AronSearle]

or is it possible they may straighten a little during the drying process

They have probably warped because they have dried out.

fixing them down may have helped restrain some or maybe most of the movement, however it sounds like you bought the cheap crap pine floorboards that are meant to be carpeted over as opposed to a finished floor.

 

[romanr]

Well I'm new to this forum and so far not impressed at all

Two comments and both totally unhelpful

Anyone out there experienced enough in floorboard laying that can add value to my thread ?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

No good getting upset, maybe post in the right section of the forum ie the flooring section and you'll get a better response!

 

[romanr]

No good getting upset, maybe post in the right section of the forum ie the flooring section and you'll get a better response!

Well that's three unhelpful posts.

Not sure which is worse

 

[romanr]

No good getting upset, maybe post in the right section of the forum ie the flooring section and you'll get a better response!

Actually thanks for highlighting there is another section this would fit in better.

Prefered if you didn't assume that I'm upset

I'm just giving as good as I get

 

[ladylola]

Any advice on what course of action I should take would be most welcomed.

Go and buy some more lenghts of the same timber (6 or 12 say or however many are badly split or warped) and stack them in the same room and just leave them there for the next few months and forget about your floor. Come the end of september or october take up your floor and relay it. The timber should by then be aclimatised to the enviroment and you can cramp them up and fix properly using the second lot of boards to replace the damaged ones.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

No good getting upset, maybe post in the right section of the forum ie the flooring section and you'll get a better response!

Actually thanks for highlighting there is another section this would fit in better.

Prefered if you didn't assume that I'm upset

I'm just giving as good as I get

You need to get used to forums laddy!

 

[AronSearle]

Well I'm new to this forum and so far not impressed at all

Two comments and both totally unhelpful

Anyone out there experienced enough in floorboard laying that can add value to my thread ?

Don't be churlish.

As I said "however it sounds like you bought the cheap crap pine floorboards that are meant to be carpeted over as opposed to a finished floor."

Buy decent flooring, and properly fix it down.

The flooring your purchased was probably conditioned to about 16%ish as that's good enough to carpet over.

You can't really pre-condition it by laying it in the room as it will still warp, as opposed to properly dried timber (10-12%) moisture content, that will only marginally move in room conditioning.


You want people to tell you how to fix your current floor, the answer is it's buggered.

You could possibly sand them flat to get rid of the warp, but then that only really works for small amounts of warp, and wouldn't likely solve your flooring issues.

 

[romanr]

You want people to tell you how to fix your current floor, the answer is it's b*****r.

Actually I want people to treat me as they would want to be treated themselves - so looking for constructive coodial responses.

Cocky useless comments I could get from a boozer, hence why I practice sobriety.

 

[romanr]

Any advice on what course of action I should take would be most welcomed.

Go and buy some more lenghts of the same timber (6 or 12 say or however many are badly split or warped) and stack them in the same room and just leave them there for the next few months and forget about your floor. Come the end of september or october take up your floor and relay it. The timber should by then be aclimatised to the enviroment and you can cramp them up and fix properly using the second lot of boards to replace the damaged ones.

Might just do that

My father in-law (retired Danish builder in Denmark) says some may straighten a little during further drying process and maybe I'm imagining it but I rekon I'm seeing signs of this.

I think replacing the worst and sanding the ok-ish may well be the best way to go.

Thanks for the advice

 

[AronSearle]

Cocky useless comments I could get from a boozer, hence why I practice sobriety.

My original response was neither cocky or useless, so please, don't be a nob end about this.

If you want a decent floor, you are best buying something decent, the boards you purchased are primarily designed to be underfloor, not decorative floor (I suspect from the price).

some may straighten a little during further drying process and maybe I'm imagining it but I rekon I'm seeing signs of this.

It's 90% more likely that they were 12-16% moisture content on purchase, and have since dried (causing the warping).

Splitting is indicative of drying, so the warping is caused by drying = further drying isn't going to fix it.

At least where I am the weather is quite muggy at present, so they are likely picking moisture up again, come winter when you wack your central heating on, they may dry even more than they have, and cup further than they have.

It "may" be that they have picked up moisture, causing the warping, but going by the information given that seems unlikely.

You can get a cheap nasty timber moisture meter for as little as 8 pounds on ebay, knowing the moisture content will then help better advise.

I think replacing the worst and sanding the ok-ish may well be the best way to go.

The problem with sanding is twofold.

1. if they dry more, they will still "rock", "this can be remidied by proper fixings", if they are not fully dry, they will cup again, if you then sand them again = see 2.
2. if you sand them, then they pick up moisture again, they will crown (a cup where the middle stands proud).

 

[romanr]

My original response was neither cocky or useless, so please, don't be a nob end about this.

But you steared clear from constructive & coodial.