Parquet continues to be among the preferred flooring choices, despite its sometimes prohibitive price. Being natural and durable, such flooring is seen as an investment. Plus, solid or laminated wood planks personalizes the home, making it warm, pleasant and welcoming. But if the flooring isn't fitted correctly, the initial joy can turn into a nightmare. The surface can become badly swollen, the slats can even pop out and the whole look of the room is affected. What causes this behaviour and how it can be prevented is explained below.
Almost always when we talk about wood, moisture is to blame
Since we are talking about wood, the first thing to think about when problems arise is water and humidity. They affect the wood, causing dimensional variations and changes in properties. In the case of parquet, it can be environmental humidity or uncontrolled water leakage. Flooring is made of wood dried to a moisture content of 8-12%. The slats tend to absorb excess moisture, swell, increase in volume and begin to push into each other. The swelling occurs to relieve the pressure build-up which becomes far too great.
Excess moisture occurs from wet operations in a newly constructed or renovated home. Raising walls, plastering and painting them, pouring screed are all wet processes that take time for water to escape. If the installation of flooring is rushed and the water has not been removed, it is absorbed into the wood. As a result, the wood will swell.
Moisture is also dangerous for old flooring. Varnish or oil protection is effective in keeping water from cleaning the floor away from the wood, but it is not a barrier to water from a burst pipe, a broken radiator or air conditioning. A large amount of water that sits for a longer period of time manages to seep in and thus creates conditions for the floor to swell.
How to do the fitting to avoid swelling of the floor
The first thing to bear in mind is that wood naturally exchanges moisture with the environment which leads to swelling and shrinkage him. That's why the installation of the flooring must be done with expansion joints, i.e. a small space in the wall, covered by skirting boards, allowing growth in volume without any other consequences. Specialists recommend that this space should be 10-15 mm or 3 mm for every metre of room in that direction.
The flooring must be acclimatised before installation. That is, the slats must be brought into the space where they will be installed and left for a period to balance their humidity with that of the environment. For laminated wood it is recommended 3-5 days and for solid wood 7-14 days. The bundles should be unpacked and the boards should be rolled up as much as possible, not in compact piles. The humidity inside should be 40-60% and the space heated (18-24°C).
The floor is not installed before the screed and walls are dry. Ventilation must be provided inside to promote drying.
The flooring can be mounted on concrete screed or on chipboard, OSB, plywood or an old wooden floor. The important thing is that they are dry. The humidity of the substrate must not exceed 10-12%. If the flooring replaces an old floor, the backing must be level, clean and free of adhesive or other residue.
If underfloor heating is desired, the flooring must be specially made for such use. Beech wood is not recommended, but oak, mahogany or walnut parquet may be used. Find here more information about using this type of heating.
If you find that your floor has swollen, the safest thing to do is to contact a specialist
When such a problem occurs, the cause must be identified immediately and eliminated. Sometimes the situation can be complicated and it is therefore best to seek professional help. General recommendations are:
- finding the source that generates additional moisture and removing it. Control all sources that could generate leakage;
- using a dehumidifier. Warning! It will only help if it is a minor problem. If it is a leak that is not repaired, the dehumidifier will help for a while, but the problem will return;
- creation of expansion joints, if they do not exist. Reposition the slats to make room for the wall;
- ventilating the room after removing the cause to ensure drying;
- if the swelling does not go away after removing the cause and after a few days of ventilation and temperature for drying, the raised items are removed and the screed is checked. If it has very high moisture it may not have been dried properly from the start. In this case the flooring is removed completely, the screed is left to dry, then the cleaned wooden elements with moisture content between 8 and 12% are put in place.
How to maintain wood flooring for maximum durability over time
In order to have a long life, the floor must be protected and maintained. Varnishes or oils are used for protection. Varnishes are tougher and have longer protection, but if cracks appear, the floor should be scraped and lacquered again. If it is not refinished, the water used for cleaning or the water brought to the shoes will penetrate under the film and damage the wood. Oil is less resistant over time and therefore regular refinishing is recommended. For better resistance a layer of wax can be applied over the oil layer.
The flooring should not be washed with a lot of water or cleaned with abrasive substances that can remove the finish. Special cleaning materials should be used. These also contain waxes which will give extra protection.
Dragging furniture or heavy objects or wearing footwear that may scratch the floor should be avoided. It is also advisable to control air humidity, avoid large temperature fluctuations and avoid maintaining a very high ambient temperature.
I hope you find the information useful. As usual, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them in the space below. I'm sure I'll reply.
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