Gaps in floorboards

wildrover444

hi we live in a 3 bed semi detached and have wooden flooring downstairs. leaving in it for the last 3 years.the floors were put down bout ten years ago.over the last few years more and more gaps have appeared.some gaps small and some a couple of inches. i was wondering is there anything i can do to fix this problems or do i have to get a new flooring put down.any help would be appreciated. not sure what type of wood flooring it is.

North West

Hi wildrover444
What type of flooring is it ?
Is it nailed or glued or quick click?

North West

Joey the lips

This is a common problem with floorboards. You can do one of 2 thing..

If the gaps are bad lift the floorboards side shift them to the right or left and infill the remaining space with another floor board. You usually do this that the new floor board is in a space like under the bed or something like that.


Althernativly... Use wood filler if they are not bad... However imo this is not reliable....

gsxr1

you should give us pics.

I would think since its downstairs you have a semi solid with not enough glue in the joints and and a bad fitting.


Is this so?

wildrover444

hi guys .not sure what type of floor it is.we only bought our house bout 3 years ago and it was put down bout 10 years ago .looks glued,heres pics
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqpprl0&zw
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqpps21&zw
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.3&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqpps72&zw
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.4&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqppsa3&zw
Havent put up pics b4 so hopefully u can see these,cheers

gsxr1

wildrover444 wrote: »

hi guys .not sure what type of floor it is.we only bought our house bout 3 years ago and it was put down bout 10 years ago .looks glued,heres pics
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqpprl0&zw
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqpps21&zw
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.3&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqpps72&zw
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5bee6e9ed&view=att&th=12cfdfb293051ce7&attid=0.4&disp=inline&realattid=f_ghvqppsa3&zw
Havent put up pics b4 so hopefully u can see these,cheers

upload the pics onto imageshack.us

copy and paste the code beside direct link after the upload is complete

wildrover444

ok will try again

http://img594.imageshack.us/i/sdc11498u.jpg/
http://img338.imageshack.us/i/sdc11499l.jpg/
http://img530.imageshack.us/i/sdc11500e.jpg/
http://img217.imageshack.us/i/sdc11501j.jpg/

Buford T Justice

Looks like a laminate floor to me. It doesn't look to be in that great of a shape to be honest. Maybe you might want to consider replacing it?

That aside, the best you can do really is shove them together from one end to the other, and try to put something in where the gap is at the side.

gsxr1

have to agree with fingers. I cant see a locking joint in those ends. It looks like they where just butted together from off cuts.

You need a new floor .

slimjimmc

You could try putting a bit of wood glue on the ends and push/kick the boards tightly together, they might not come apart so easily the next time.

Laminate flooring is a melamine board with a wood effect printed on top, it's not actually wood but the wood glue should still bond.

paddy147

Did Stevie Wonder put that floor down???:eek:

wildrover444

i might try to push them together especially the big gaps.might leave small gaps alone for time being. looks like il have to consider a new floor over the next year.not sure how much a new floor would cost. Stevie wonder would have probably done a better job!!.although im sure when alot of the housing estates were been built during the boom years,quality materials were not top of there priorities .thanks for the info guys.

BostonB

I assume this is an early laminate floor, the tyre that was glued together, and doesn't have locking joints. Over time the glue dries out and it starts to seperate. We have one like that, and no matter what you do, it will do that eventually. Ours is a lot worse, down about 10yrs. My plan is just replace it with the newer type of flooring which locks together without glue.

North West

Hi Wildrover 444

It's the older type laminate glue togrther flooring. Were those gaps always there ?. You could try floor clamps. Available at most flooring supplies. They are two pieces of metal with a strong strap between them and a small rachet winder on one side might pull the boards together.

If you have boards left cut to size of openings and take of bottom groove then glue piece into position ?

wildrover444

North West wrote: »

Hi Wildrover 444

It's the older type laminate glue togrther flooring. Were those gaps always there ?. You could try floor clamps. Available at most flooring supplies. They are two pieces of metal with a strong strap between them and a small rachet winder on one side might pull the boards together.

If you have boards left cut to size of openings and take of bottom groove then glue piece into position ?

no the gaps were not always there.only appeared in the last couple of years. will see if i can get those clamps,cheers