Engineered Wood Flooring: Understanding and Preventing Gaps
Engineered wood flooring is designed to minimize the problems associated with solid hardwood flooring, including gaps between planks. However, gaps can still occur due to factors such as humidity, installation practices, and material flaws.
Humidity and Engineered Wood Flooring
Wood naturally expands and contracts with changes in humidity. When humidity levels are high, wood swells. When humidity levels are low, wood shrinks.
Traditional hardwood flooring is cut parallel to the grain, which makes it more susceptible to expansion and contraction across the grain. This can lead to gaps between planks.
Engineered wood flooring, on the other hand, is constructed with a plywood core that has layers of wood grain oriented perpendicular to each other. This cross-graining helps to minimize overall expansion and contraction, making engineered wood flooring more dimensionally stable.
However, the plywood core of engineered wood flooring does not completely eliminate the potential for gaps due to humidity changes. To prevent gaps, it is important to maintain ideal humidity levels in your home year-round. This can be achieved by running an air conditioner in the summer to lower humidity and a humidifier in the winter to raise humidity.
Installation and Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring can be installed using three main methods: nailing, gluing, or floating.
- Nailing: Nailed-down engineered wood flooring is attached to the subfloor using nails. This method is relatively easy to install, but it can be difficult to correct gaps between planks if they occur.
- Gluing: Glued-down engineered wood flooring is attached to the subfloor using adhesive. This method provides a strong bond between the flooring and the subfloor, but it can be difficult to correct gaps between planks if they occur.
- Floating: Floating engineered wood flooring is attached to itself using a click-together system. This method is relatively easy to install and allows for easy correction of gaps between planks.
Regardless of the installation method, it is important to ensure that the planks are fitted tightly together during installation. Any gaps that occur during installation are likely to remain, although they may shrink slightly during periods of high humidity.
Material Flaws and Engineered Wood Flooring
Even though engineered wood flooring is constructed to minimize the effect of natural flaws in wood, it is still a wood product and can therefore be subject to some flaws. These flaws can include:
- Warped planks: Warped planks can occur due to uneven moisture content in the wood.
- Knots: Knots are natural imperfections in the wood that can weaken the plank and make it more susceptible to cracking.
- Splits: Splits are cracks in the wood that can occur during the manufacturing process or due to stress on the plank.
While gap-related flaws are rare in engineered wood flooring, it is important to inspect each plank before installation. If you find any flaws, return the entire carton of flooring.
Troubleshooting Gaps in Engineered Wood Flooring
If you do encounter gaps in your engineered wood flooring, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem:
- Fill the gaps with sawdust and resin: This is the most common method for filling gaps in engineered wood flooring. The consistency of the mixture should be like a thick putty. Spread the mixture into the gaps and allow it to dry.
- Replace the affected planks: If the gaps are large or cannot be filled with sawdust and resin, you may need to replace the affected planks.
- Contact a professional: If you are unable to fix the gaps yourself, contact a professional flooring installer.
Preventing Gaps in Engineered Wood Flooring
The best way to prevent gaps in engineered wood flooring is to take the following precautions:
- Acclimate the flooring before installation: Allow the flooring to sit in the room where it will be installed for several days before installing it. This will allow the wood to adjust to the ambient humidity and temperature in the room.
- Install the flooring properly: Ensure that the planks are fitted tightly together during installation.
- Maintain ideal humidity levels in your home: Keep the humidity levels in your home between 30% and 50% to minimize expansion and contraction of the wood.
- Avoid water spills: Clean up any water spills on engineered wood flooring immediately to prevent the water from seeping into the joints between the planks.
By following these tips, you can help to prevent gaps in your engineered wood flooring and enjoy a beautiful and durable floor for years to come.
