Gaps between floor boards can be unsightly, and frustrating.
With few exceptions, all wood floors should be tight at the time of installation. A quality installer should always ensure that boards are nailed or glued tightly together.
Download our flooring gaps infographic.
Exceptions where gaps are expected can include:
Working with rustic or tavern grade flooring material
Leaving room for expansion as required by the flooring product and environment
Matching up to previously installed products.
The first thing to understand about gaps that develop after installation is they are always a result of a change in the floor’s moisture content.
Usually, the environment in which the floor is installed is drier than the floor itself. Wood adapts to match its dry environment by losing moisture and shrinking in size. Gaps are the most visually apparent result of this process. There are two kinds of gaps:
Seasonal gaps
All wood floors can be expected to experience seasonal gaps due to changes in temperature and relative humidity. When conditions get dry, wood will tend to shrink causing gaps to appear between boards.
The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) defines normal, seasonal gaps as: “gaps that appear between individual boards and open and close with changes in humidity”1.
Acclimation to the average living conditions of the home, and maintaining your home at those conditions (usually between 35-55% relative humidity) will keep your wood floors in the optimal environment to minimize shrinking or expanding. A whole home humidifier is a great way to help maintain a consistent environment in your home.
Abnormal gaps
Gaps that are not normal are defined by the NWFA as “gaps in the floor that remain with seasonal change”2.
Abnormal gaps may be the result of an installation error, not acclimating the floor properly prior to installation, or severely dry conditions that have caused the boards to gap excessively.
Are gaps covered by manufacturer’s warranties?
Seasonal gaps are considered normal and temporary and are not covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
Most abnormal gaps are the result of an installation error, poor job site conditions, poor acclimation, or severely dry environmental conditions. These are all examples of things that a flooring manufacturer cannot control, and are not covered by warranty.
1,2 “Problems, Causes, and Cures of Hardwood Floors.” 2nd Edition. National Wood Flooring Association Technical Publication No. C200. 2011. www.nwfa.org
What can be done to fix gapped floors?
We have several resources that may help you or your customer understand what causes gaps, and how they may be fixed or prevented.
After six weeks of acclimation, a moisture reading of 6.5% after installation, I saw gaps in my new Sappy Ipe ... Read More
Before filing a claim request…
These instructions will ensure the long-term success of your solid wood floor.
These instructions will ensure the long-term success of your engineered wood floor.
Every box of solid wood flooring has important instructions on the seam side that must be followed.
Every box of solid wood flooring has important instructions on the seam side that must be followed.
We include important STOP labels on every pallet we ship out, as well as on the seam side of each box of our prefinished wood flooring. These instructions must be followed to ensure the long-term success of your flooring. Following these instructions will help ensure that your floor’s warranty is not voided.
Important things to consider before filing a claim
Installation is considered acceptance for all wood floors, and most issues that could have been caught or prevented prior to installation are not covered by warranty.
In order to properly diagnose and fix gaps, a record of flooring and jobsite moisture content and temperature both now and at the time of installation must be presented.
Prefinished floors include special labels and instructions on every box to indicate the importance of inspecting and approving the floor prior to installation, what environmental conditions to keep the floor within, and how to properly acclimate before installing.
Our Installation Guide and Warranty explain the proper way to install our flooring and what is and is not covered by warranty.
Filing a claim request
If you believe your issue is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, you may begin the claim process by filling out our claim request form.