Engineered oak floor bowing

[Dan1983]

Afternoon all,

wonder if anyone has any advice.

we have engineered oak floor in our lounge which also has bifold windows.

When the house was built last year I noticed a small amount of bowing in the center under the bifold but didn’t think much of it.

With the recent warm spell it has risen up again and one of the corner planks seems to be lifting/ coming away.

Being told the floor was installed as per instructions with 15mm expansion gap all the way around.

 

Is this our fault for having the bifold door?

Only options we have are:

1/ leave it as is and hope it does not get worse.

2/ Been told skirting can be removed at our cost and larger expansion gap cut in. (Room would need redecorating)

 

Also thinking about getting UV film applied the the doors to see if it helps 

 

Thanks for any pointers 

[Dan1983]

 

[RichardL]

1 year in - is the original contractor on the hook on any sort of guarantee?

[Canski]

Jeez that looks bad on the video. I take it that the bifolds were retrofitted ?

[Dan1983]

House still under years warranty with builder although we did supply the flooring from Ambience.

currently in discussion with the builder so ok at the moment.

 

Worse in the hotter weather but it still has some bounce on it in the winter.

 

No bifolds we’re installed at time of the new build.

 

Being told a larger expansion gap can be made ideally but we would have to pay for this and then with skirting coming off the room would need re painting no doubt.

 

They followed the install instructions so not sure if there is anything we can do really 

Edited June 13, 2023 by Dan1983

[Dave Jones]

take it on the chin. 

 

some flooring is worse than others for expansion. You supplied it so ball stops with you really.

 

Not a massive job, remove skirting, trim it back and put new skirting on - repaint.

 

Get some karndean next time!!

[ProDave]

Is this a structural floor (spanning between joists) or thinner planks overlaid over some other structural flooring?

 

It doesn't look like an expansion gap issue to me.  

[Dan1983]

It’s on concrete Dave with UFH.

Was fine when first laid .

If

it was just the bow I wouldn’t mind too much but it’s the plank further back that’s a worry as must of snapped the tongue and groove type click system for it to push up as it has.

 

Was going to get Karndean but internet designer talked us out of it!

Guessing it won’t be just paint skirting though it will take chunks out of the walls at the same time

Edited June 13, 2023 by Dan1983

[Temp]

7 hours ago, Dan1983 said:

Afternoon all,

wonder if anyone has any advice.

we have engineered oak floor in our lounge which also has bifold windows.

When the house was built last year I noticed a small amount of bowing in the center under the bifold but didn’t think much of it.

With the recent warm spell it has risen up again and one of the corner planks seems to be lifting/ coming away.

Being told the floor was installed as per instructions with 15mm expansion gap all the way around.

 

Is this our fault for having the bifold door?

Only options we have are:

1/ leave it as is and hope it does not get worse.

2/ Been told skirting can be removed at our cost and larger expansion gap cut in. (Room would need redecorating)

 

Also thinking about getting UV film applied the the doors to see if it helps 

 

Thanks for any pointers 

 

I'm not sure how that can happen unless the T&G has failed?

 

[Temp]

My guess is high humidity has caused them to expand and bow upwards. If the boards were stuck down its possible the sun has softened the glue near the window and the expansion has caused them to pop up. 

 

 

[Dan1983]

Boards are not stuck down for info 

[Thorfun]

12 hours ago, Temp said:

My guess is high humidity has caused them to expand and bow upwards. If the boards were stuck down its possible the sun has softened the glue near the window and the expansion has caused them to pop up. 

 

 

I spoke to someone in a new build the other day and their entire downstairs engineered wood had to be redone as it was laid too soon after the screed. so could the concrete slab in the OPs case still have too high a moisture content and cause this?

[Temp]

9 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

I spoke to someone in a new build the other day and their entire downstairs engineered wood had to be redone as it was laid too soon after the screed. so could the concrete slab in the OPs case still have too high a moisture content and cause this?

 

Possibly.

 

What time of year was it laid? The air is more humid in summer than winter so if it was laid tight in winter it will be under lot of stress come summer. That and a very hot floor due to sunlight would be my guess.

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by Temp

[Dan1983]

Screed went down in November and floor was laid in April I think.

Although don’t think heating was commissioned at this point.