Bowing Hardwood Floors

3/11/2011 at 10:08:47 AM

Hey Velle- rip out the old hardwood first. inspect the sub floor to determine if this is the cause of the bowed flooring. The 'bow' may be previous water/moisture damage so the subfloor could be fine.

3/12/2011 at 11:28:10 AM

Hi ,Stewart here of Sct Floorcoverings-Mississauga ont.(416-295-0906) their are a few reasons why the floor is bowing-the floorboards or Laths might need screwing down tight to the joists,or their has been water damage to the floorboards at some point in the homes 45 year History,or the floorjoists were not sistered with 2x8 inch wood blocks at the time of construction causing them over time to twist with the settling of the house foundation,or the nails in the old hardwood flooring have worked loose over time,or the joists were not set level with each other at the time of construction,or their is debris between the joistes and the floorboards.

4/5/2011 at 9:50:10 AM

To level the floors, it is best to be able to see from the basement what the joists look like, many times joists are installed incorrectly with the crown of the board facing upwards, over years this causes humps in the floors. You may need to realign some of the joists as they have twisted over the years, due to shifts in the house, drying of the wood itself, or just poor original construction. Have a look; pull the joists in with blocking, and screw down your planks or subfloor well before installing a new floor.

I always use full spread adhesives when installing hardwood, nails come loose when the wood expands and contracts. Full spread adhesives hold the every bit of the surface, and expand and contract with the wood. No squeaks, no pulling away. Try Sikabond T-55, it is a great adhesive.