The planks run diagonal to the floor joists. If the hardwood flooring is installed parallel to the direction of the plank subfloor the new wood floors could pull apart leaving open gaps or develop waviness later if the underlayment planks expand/contract or the edges cup upwards. I live in central Oregon (high desert) with very low humidity (average 12%). Prior to the flooring being installed the wood planks need to be at, or close to the same moisture content as both the subfloor and the environment the flooring is going to be installed in. I had a side gap in one of my planks, and worse still, the plank was adjacent to a wall. It’s also the subfloor that can hold in the most moisture. With older tongue-and-groove hardwood or even wide-plank floors, gaps inevitably develop between the boards, mostly because the wood shrinks over time as it dries out and loses moisture content. For best results, leave a ¼ inch to 3/8-inch gap between the flooring and each wall. There are many colors available. These gaps allow the flooring to expand as the temperature in your home changes. I am prepping an old plank subfloor from the 60's for a new layer of 3/8" plywood. Months later, usually during the heating season, those gaps start to show up. Gaps? December 9, 2019 at 8:11 am. I also asked if there was a "spec" for such a thing and they also said "no". There are many diy-ers which are eager to install the laminate flooring and neglect the preparation steps, and ending up with gaps in the flooring. Make sure the shade of putty you choose matches the floor as closely as possible. When dealing with small gaps less than 1/8th of an inch on the end of a plank or along the edge of a plank, the application of vinyl putty can provide an effective fix. It is essentially a wax product that looks like a crayon. Is there anything special that I should do when I put down the backerboard? I have plank subfloor 3/4" thick laid on diagonal with small gaps between boards. Several factors can be the cause. February 19, 2019 at 10:41 … Often it's a floor owner concerned with new hardwood floors separating or gapping. The planks are 7" wide and 3/4" thick, tongue and groove with 1/4" gaps. OSB provides a reliable, sturdy foundation for squeak-free, straight floor systems—provided a few simple installation best practices are followed. Excessive movement, shrinkage or expansion of subfloor panels. As such, the floor does not have much structural integrity. Pulled up the mid-50s linoleum that covered every square inch of floor, refinished, now have pretty beautiful wide-plank floors. Unlocking. The gap is always hidden by a piece of trim molding, like a quarter-round or a transition. Planks sometimes separate due to movement of your’e subfloor and may reflect gaps directly associated with the sub floor movement.Now on the other hand in Winter season shrinkage may be concentrated into only a few gaps on individual boards. Below the kitchen is my basement. You can cut the planks with a knife, and you must still provide an expansion gap to prevent buckling. Fortunately, there is a pretty easy way to fix gaps in vinyl tile or planks. Laminate flooring plank joints not remaining locked together. The home was built in the 1960s and the subfloor consists of 3/4" thick tongue and groove planks running diagonal to the joists. Steps: 1 Scrape debris from between flooring planks with putty knife or painter's tool. If you are installing vinyl planks over a concrete subfloor, you first need to level or sand any deformities. I am going to take up the hardwood floor to get down to the plank subfloor. Gaps can also develop if the subfloor has humps that occur under the joints between boards. I am planning on using 1/4" HardieBacker with a layer of thinset underneath. Other joints between these larger gaps generally remain tight throughout the floor. The boards tend to fall away along the slope of the floor, causing the gaps to open between them. Also, you should check for subfloor deformities with a level or straight pipe. Hardwood Floor Gaps & Cracks. When installing the planks along walls, insert shims, which are tiny devices that will leave a slight gap between the flooring and the wall. Reply. For small but noticeable gaps in my luxury vinyl plank flooring I successfully used Mohawk's "Fil-Stik," which I bought online. This may also be a case where the cost of repairing nears that of replacing. Subfloor preparation is crucial since all uneven spots need to be leveled crucial since all uneven spots need be! A lot of layers. can cut the planks with putty knife or 's... 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