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Carpentry & Joinery

Wooden floor swelling

Anonymous user 14 March 2024 - 2.36 PM

The wooden floor in our living room has been swelling over the last few weeks. It started as a tiny patch in the middle becoming bouncy. Now it has spread across six planks and is about 1m in length between the fireplace and window, and doesn’t seem to be stopping. It is visably higher, maybe 2cm. The centre part where it started isn’t bouncy any more - it’s kind of stuck up high. If you step on the parts that are bouncy it feels like air is moving around underneath. It has lifted the trim around one side of the fireplace and I can see under this that there is still a 1cm expansion gap. As far as we know there’s no pipework under and there’s no obvious signs of moisture. We’ve been running a dehumidifer in the room anyway. It’s our first summer in the house, but the previous owners said this has never happened in 15 years. Does any one have an idea about what’s going on? And what would be the best sort of tradesperson to loolk at this?

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7 Answers

Anonymous user

Laminate flooring should have 10 to 12 mm expansion gap all around, if the correct gap it's not achieved then the floor will start bumping up , so you need to chek all around for the correct expansion. If the expansion gap its OK then the subfloor could have damp as probably no dpc membrane was installed and all the moisture affects your laminate flooring now .
Answered10 September 2023
2
ADR Property Maintenance
Rating: 5 out of 55592 reviews
Boston
really the only way for certain to find out what is happening is to lift the floor boards, it could be water ingress causing the swelling , it could be insects building there nest/ hive but without lifting the floor boards you wont know., there should be air vents for the under floor void, check to make sure they are not blocked or for signs of insects, once you are aware of what is happening then you can decide on the best type of tradesman to fix it. good luck Alex
Answered10 September 2023
0
Paul Tucker
Rating: 5 out of 5556 reviews
Chelmsford
One reason might be because the floor may have been originally laid without enough space between flooring and wall or if laid without removing the skirting flooring and skirting. When laying the flooring a 8mm gap should be left which allows the flooring to expand according to the temperature in the room. So without this gap and with high temperatures the flooring expands, can't expand towards the wall so buckles in the centre of the room. I would recommend a new floor. Pay a little more and have the skirtings removed and put back after the flooring is installed. There is new flooring on the market that isn't wood base, more like plastic (one company is Karndean), hard wearing, won't expand but more expensive. Hope this helps!
Answered10 September 2023
0
D A Carpentry
Rating: 5 out of 5557 reviews
Hampton
Impossible to say without more information and seeing the floor. If it’s been down for 15 years and has only just started, that’s extremely unusual. If it’s been fitted with ‘trim’ around the edge though, it’s a cheap/diy installation (the proper way to do it is to remove the skirting boards and put them back down on top of the flooring!). So the problem could be anything to bad sub-floor, to floor being screwed/nailed down in places (preventing expansion movement) to no expansion gap in places (again preventing expansion movement). All of that said though, flooring contracts in the summer as it dries with heat and shrinks… so it’s very odd! You need a wood floor installer or carpenter who specialises in floor restoration/installation to have a look and recommend a solutiom
Answered10 September 2023
0

Anonymous user

Hello, How long has the floor been there? If the floor has been forever there, then you most likely have a leak/severe damp that you floor is drinking from. If new laminate floor, then expansion gaps around the room are insufficient and need clearing.
Answered10 September 2023
0
Mark-William: Lanahan
Rating: 5 out of 5558 reviews
Ringwood
Sounds like new boards were laid without allowing for expansion. The floor has taken up moisture since being laid, expanded up rather than out as it was fitted too tightly?
Answered12 September 2023
0
Enjay joinery & construction ltd
Rating: 5 out of 5552 reviews
Ormskirk
I’ve had similar we found out that if it’s a wooden floor and you have heavy furniture ie bookcases ,sideboard the furniture can hinder the movement of the floor , so flooring companies want about heavy furniture
Answered14 September 2023
0