new wood floor problem

Gene Miller

Member
Messages
101
Location
Boca Raton FLorida
A friend installed a new wood floor which is starting to come loose in one area and tent up. The floor is solid Brazilian cherry and glued down to a concrete floor. How do we fix it? :dunno:
 
Well, it seems someone didn't follow the rules.... Acclimate the wood to the structure for at least a couple of weeks, and float the floor over concrete with a vapor barrier in between. My suggestion is to start all over. It is obvious that the adhesive is not strong enough to bond to the concrete (swelling and shrinking wood is much stronger) May take a while but gentle lifting and removal is the answer, Clean the goo from off the backs and then let it lay inside for a while longer. Put down the proper vapor barrier and foam pad and then restart allowing for the movement that a Florida Cllimate that changes twice a day will provide. I would suggest glueing the Tongue & grooves and letting the floor float freely, Leave a space between the floor and wall and cover with a wide toe strip.
 
The wood was in the house for about a month before they installed it. They didn't use a vapor barrior over the concrete. They glued it direct because that's what the salesman told them to do. The recent cold snap was what popped it loose, or better said the cold front caused the wood to move. Isn't there a way to reglue just that area? Just a thought, but could he run a screw through into the concrete and then use a plug to cover the hole.
 
I have seen various theories on wood floor installed directly on concrete, where moisture wicked up from the concrete and warped the wood. There are also varied opinions about using a vapor barrier between the wood and concrete. If you lay down the barrier, then nail/screw through it....you are opening up a route for moisture to again wick up and penetrate the wood...:doh:

I would talk to the manufacturer of the flooring directly, get their recommendations and assurance of warranty protection, if the wood is installed per their instructions, including replacement if the problem occurs again.

Good luck.
 
Was the concrete tested for moister level? This will make a huge difference in what type of flooring can be installed and what needs to be used to hold it down.
 
They didn't use a vapor barrior over the concrete. They glued it direct because that's what the salesman told them to do.

If it was installed per their instruction, this should be a warranty issue. I am sorry for what I think you may end up going through on this one. Best of luck.
 
The recent cold snap was what popped it loose, or better said the cold front caused the wood to move.

I don't buy that.I know Florida is along ways from Maine, but wood movement is wood movement,and whether it was a cold morning with a heater running, or a hot, humid day in the summer after a cool night, temperature change is going to happen.

The companies that cater to homeowners know this and do extensive testing on the proper way to get the product to stay in place despite these changes. I think some short cuts were taken, with the gap between the wall and the flooring being the biggest error by the sounds.

The wood expanded, probably from wicking moisture up from the concrete slab, had no where to go, and buckled. I have seen this before, but this was in a caboose, and the darn thing pounded down the rails at 60 mph, so its hard to blame the flooring material.

I'm afraid a total restart is in order here. You could do some goofy things like adding a screw here and there, but ultimately you will just end up chasing the pop ups all over the floor. Better to start over and do it exactly as the instructions say,and not the salesman.
 
Top