bavarianbrit Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 I bought very expensive oak engineered flooring to have laid in my house 6 years ago, the first layer ********, 2nd layer did almost the same ****. Now the boards have slid along to show gaps 5mm on the short ends. Need it all lifted and laid by an experienced layer, seems according to youtube that they should have been pva glued in the grooves and both the ***** did not do that. Seems you cannot get good help today but there are hundreds of white van chancers out there. Rant over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaymo Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 It’s a real minefield as to the quality. Just putting down around 100m2 of the stuff. There needs to be an expansion gap but here’s the tricky part- follow the manufacturers instructions as to the required gap. It will be of the ‘floating’ variety. It will expand and will shrink too- its wood. Engineered laminate isn’t the same as a composite construction. Gluing the joint will not allow this expansion, this will cause bowing and buckling. For info, I’m no floor expert 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 How is it laid - is it the floor (laid directly on joists) or is it a floating floor - if the latter what is the floor made up of that it is laid on?? Also, how thick is the finished surface of the engineered flooring as you will find that the underneath part is generally quite inert due to its composition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 This type of flooring would be either a glueing or a 'click-fit' system. It should have been stored in the area to be laid for at least 24hrs, and then laid to the manufacturer's instructions. It would then be covered by their guarantee, subject to terms and conditions of course, but after 6 years I doubt that you could have any sort of recourse for that. When I lay this flooring, and laminates, I always leave lots of the paper slips that come in each pack, underneath the flooring and above the 'underlay'. This then shows all details of the flooring if it has to be lifted for whatever reason 👍 Did you keep any of the paper slips from your flooring ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) Perhaps first thing you should do is check whether your particular floor needed to be glued before slagging workmen off!!! From the manufacturer not youtube!! Edited October 25, 2020 by millrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultrastu Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 From an expert floor layer .(thats me ) You .NEVER EVER . Fix a board down and also together .one or the other . So if its nailed down .glueing it together would be asking for a failure. Glueing down and also together is the same . Its either glued together and floating or the planks are fixed down individually . also after 6 years I'd be looking at damp issues in your house not the flooring ,thats just a barometer for the other factors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bavarianbrit Posted October 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 No damp issues there, it was a laid onto a new suspended floor of t&g OSB sheets with an underlay on top. The youtube video was posted by a claimed flooring expert company. I am slagging off the workmen as after their two attempts to lay it and then 6 years of having tenants in this house with no carpeting/mats on it and with the movement of the boards as I see it how can it be anything other than bad workmanship? I will get a tool made up (a small angle iron piece with rebar welded to it) so I can drop the angle into the gap and tap it along to close the gaps up then cut a sliver of a leftover board to tap into the leftover larger gap. I did my apprenticeship as a patternmaker/modelmaker so I do understand wood very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, bavarianbrit said: No damp issues there, it was a laid onto a new suspended floor of t&g OSB sheets with an underlay on top. The youtube video was posted by a claimed flooring expert company. I am slagging off the workmen as after their two attempts to lay it and then 6 years of having tenants in this house with no carpeting/mats on it and with the movement of the boards as I see it how can it be anything other than bad workmanship? I will get a tool made up (a small angle iron piece with rebar welded to it) so I can drop the angle into the gap and tap it along to close the gaps up then cut a sliver of a leftover board to tap into the leftover larger gap. I did my apprenticeship as a patternmaker/modelmaker so I do understand wood very well. It sounds like you are very frustrated,,,, but with all due respect, it also sounds like your method of 'fixing' the issue is a botch up and will look like one. A couple of questions for you if I may.... How many of the end joints have opened up ? Do these joints have a method of holding together, and has this part failed ? How do you think that they opened up, seeing as the friction/grab along the long joints should hold it together ? Have the skirting boards been fitted over the flooring ? If yes, could you not take some off and use a pull bar [which is the correct tool to use] and packers [for the opposite ends of the boards to hold them in position, adjacent boards also] to ease the boards back together ? It obviously seems like it was a "click together type", no glueing involved. Any fixing instructions left from the original packs ? I have seen something like this before,,,, but this was with a thin laminate flooring with an improper underlay which, when the board ends were trodden on, would depress and the joint would come apart. Shouldn't be this in your case as it is a quality 'thicker' floor. Sorry for so many questions, but I'm only trying to help 😉 I do quite a bit of flooring replacement work for domestic insurance claims, so have to get things right or it's a call-back, something I've never had 👍 Edited October 26, 2020 by JKD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bavarianbrit Posted October 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 5 minutes ago, JKD said: It sounds like you are very frustrated,,,, but with all due respect, it also sounds like your method of 'fixing' the issue is a botch up and will look like one. A couple of questions for you if I may.... How many of the end joints have opened up ? Do these joints have a method of holding together, and has this part failed ? How do you think that they opened up, seeing as the friction/grab along the long joints should hold it together ? Have the skirting boards been fitted over the flooring ? If yes, could you not take some off and use a pull bar [which is the correct tool to use] and packers [for the opposite ends of the boards to hold them in position, adjacent boards also] to ease the boards back together ? It obviously seems like it was a "click together type", no glueing involved. Any fixing instructions left from the original packs ? Sorry for so many questions, but I'm only trying to help 😉 I do quite a bit of flooring replacement work for domestic insurance claims, so have to get things right or it's a call-back, something I've never had 👍 Wanna job in Dover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 2 minutes ago, bavarianbrit said: Wanna job in Dover? Hahaha,,,, sound like a nightmare TBH. Sometimes it's easier to lift it up and start again. The issue with that is that every piece needs to go back EXACTLY in the place it was laid, depending on if it was laid in a random pattern or in line joints. I could pop down to have a look, and would gladly do so, as I need to visit Margate soon and Dover isn't too far from there. The issue with that is timescale,,,, I'm still recovering from an emergency operation on my bowels, so still trying to get my strength back before I go for any long drives etc 😕 ps. I edited my above lengthy reply to add some more info,,,, "I have seen",,,, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bavarianbrit Posted October 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 Well thanks, do get well soon. I do not want to stress your health. I guess we will move in and have it done after covid passes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 7 minutes ago, bavarianbrit said: Well thanks, do get well soon. I do not want to stress your health. I guess we will move in and have it done after covid passes. Cheers for the sentiments, appreciate it. It really wouldn't be a problem popping down to do a better assessment. In a couple of weeks maybe ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 Did you lay skirtings on top or lay up to skirting and bead. If the latter it may be an idea to try the clamps you can get with the ratchet straps to pull them together https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-flooring-clamp-4m/932FT?tc=KC6&ds_kid=92700058021678445&ds_rl=1249407&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=Cj0KCQjw59n8BRD2ARIsAAmgPmL0Cqgv9KAdOOfxE9twNSf6K-w-xSIgfVN_V12DM9zcw6osjx07TkkaAvsXEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bavarianbrit Posted October 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 Skirtings were laid on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 13 minutes ago, bavarianbrit said: Skirtings were laid on top. might still be easier to drop them off - trying to get something into the gaps to force it could easily damage the top layer of the flooring - then you would be up the Suwannee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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