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Solid wooden floor - board splitting

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  • 21-11-2006 5:48pm
    #1
    jack24
    Closed Accounts Posts: 94 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I wonder if anyone has run across the problem I am currently experiencing. We had a new solid oak wooden floor laid in June in a new extension (concrete floor, boards were nailed to OSB board which was laid on top of a membrane over the concrete) and also in the old dining/sitting room (nailed to existing deal floorboards). I have noticed that quite a few boards have started to split in the middle where the end of the board meets the next board. There are a few boards with this problem in the old sitting/dining room but its more of an issue in the extension. I've looked up the problem on the web and it does suggest it may be a problem with the moisture content of the floor. Has anyone ever experienced this issue? I am assuming the floor supplier/fitter should be required to rectify, am I right in this?

    Thanks
    Jack


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    #2
    Johnniep
    Registered Users Posts: 203 ✭✭Johnniep


    Was the timber left to "rest" in your home before the boards were fixed? The reason being that timber is what is called a hygroscopic material in that is absorbs and releases moisture to and from the air. So that when the moisture content changes, the volume of the timber also changes leading to swelling and shrinking of the timber. If the timber boards had a "high" moisture content when they were installed into your house, the timber will loose moisture to the atmosphere and thus shrink, leading to cracking. If this is the case, you should take it up with the fitter.

    (Hope that makes sense!)


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    #3
    jack24
    Closed Accounts Posts: 94 ✭✭jack24


    Thanks for the reply, the boards were left for about 2-3 weeks in the house before being put down, enough time I would imagine for moisture not to be an issue (in theory).

    Jack


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