I installed about 800 square feet of 9″ wide white pine flooring this past summer, and I am experiencing what I believe to be excessive shrinkage. Some of the planks have shrunk so bad that the tongue is no longer in the groove! I had installed 100 square feet in one of the bedrooms three years ago and there was hardly any shrinkage in that room at all. I am looking for any potential solutions to get the flooring to expand back to the original width or at least somewhat close. Any and all advice would be most appreciated.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
This series of connected-barn-style structures have been rebuilt and updated for a modern feel.
Featured Video
How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post CornersHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I thought this would be a good place to ask this question, a lot of east coasters on this site! Wide plank, especially white pine is not a common choice here in the midwest, I know it is more popular out east.
Moisture content (MC) is very critical. The plank flooring should ideally be stickered in the rooms they will be installed in until the MC is equivalent to the existing subfloor. Ideally wood flooring should be installed during spring or fall when ambient humidity levels are lowest. Also a slip sheet such as red rosin paper or ideally 15# felt paper (which is also a vapor barrier) should be laid down between the subfloor and finished flooring. The basement or crawl space should also be dry and possibly dehumidified during the summer if necessary. And finally you might also add humidification (relatively easy if you have a forced air heating system) in the dry winter months to keep the floor from contracting. I have applied all of the above in the past and have had very little movement with wide plank pine flooring in the notheast with very extreme temperature and humidity swings. Good luck.
"I installed about 800 square
"I installed about 800 square feet of 9" wide white pine flooring this past summer"
There's your problem.
It's not going to "expand back", though likely the problem will improve somewhat when it gets warmer again.
I let it acclimate for at least two weeks prior to installation, the ac being on the whole time, steady 72. It was good untill the heat went on, late November.
Pete
What was the moisture content of the wood prior to putting it down?
What is under the floor you installed? both the type of subfloor and basement/crawl?
What is under the floor that didn't move?
What is the humidity of the house currently?
The floor is on 3/4" 1x8
The floor is on 3/4" 1x8 which I screwed and made sure it was tight, 2x8 joists, 24' on center. This house was built around 1922 so I went with what was there. Not sure of the moisture content, maybe thats where I made my mistake. Basement is dry, one small section is a crawl but it is dry also. I will check the humidity.
Humidifier?
What climate is this?
Pete
Moisture content is important. While you don't want to put down something that's too wet, you also don't want to install something that's too far away from the MC of the subfloor either.
Any slip sheet or felt paper between them?