Gaps in Wooden Floors: Causes & Effective Solutions

Gaps in wooden floors are a condition where the floorboards no longer fit together tightly, creating gaps (gaps) between the locking edges.

According to the European Producers of Laminate Flooring Association (EPLF), 30-40% of laminate flooring users experience gaps within 2-3 years of installation.

Treating gaps and gaps in wooden floors early helps prevent warping, mold, termites and dirt accumulation. The main causes of this condition include: incorrect installation, poor quality flooring, the effects of temperature, humidity and prolonged flooding.

To effectively fix gaps and gaps in wooden floors, it is necessary to maintain stable temperature and humidity and to disassemble and reinstall the floor according to the correct technique.

In particular, it is necessary to prevent gaps in wooden floors from the beginning by taking the following measures: let the floor adapt to the environment 48 hours before installation, leave an expansion space of 12-18mm, lay foam underlay, cut the floor with T-strap when the length exceeds 7m, ensure the cement floor is dry and flat and avoid letting the floor soak in water for a long time.

Keep reading for the details!

Why Should We Treat Gaps and Grooves in Wooden Floors Early?

Treating gaps and gaps in wooden floors early helps prevent warping, reduces the risk of mold, termites and prevents dust accumulation.

Avoid dangerous warping

When the wooden floor has gaps for a long time, the boards will easily shift and warp. This not only makes the floor lose its uniform beauty but also poses a risk of slipping and tripping when moving.

Especially in areas with high traffic frequency, this situation becomes even more dangerous, affecting the safety of family members.

According to research by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA, 2023), approximately 67% of home accidents involving wood floors stem from defects such as gaps and warping.

Reduce the risk of mold and termites

Gaps in wooden floors are “ideal spots” for mold and termites to thrive. When the humidity in the air increases, water can seep into the gaps, creating a favorable environment for mold and termites to grow. As a result, wooden floors can become hollow, weak, and lose their inherent durability. Timely repair will help protect the floor structure and maintain long-term quality of use.

Prevents dirt from accumulating in the gaps

The gaps between floorboards are ideal places for dirt, sand, hair, and other small debris to accumulate. Cleaning these gaps can be difficult, especially when they are deep and narrow. Over time, dirt can cause odors and create conditions for bacteria and insects to grow.

Early treatment of gaps not only saves cleaning effort but also keeps the living space clean and airy.

What Causes Gaps and Grooves in Wooden Floors?

The main causes of gaps and gaps in wooden floors are improper installation, poor quality of floorboards, the effects of temperature, humidity and long-term flooding.

Installation not according to recommended techniques

Failure to leave adequate expansion space (usually 12 – 18mm) between the floor and the wall results in the planks not having enough room to expand and contract. When temperature or humidity changes, the floor expands and pushes the locking groove out of place, creating an unwanted gap.

Substandard flooring quality

Poor quality flooring is often designed with a loose, weak and brittle locking system. When the locking system is not secure, the boards can easily slip out of place, leading to gaps and grooves during use.

Effects of temperature and humidity changes

Wooden floors have natural expansion and contraction properties under the influence of temperature and humidity. When the temperature changes suddenly (especially above 40 – 50℃) or humidity increases, the floorboards will expand and contract continuously. This process can cause the joints to be pushed out, leading to gaps on the floor surface.

Floor flooded for a long time

Water seeps into the cracks and causes the floor to expand. As the water evaporates, the boards will contract unevenly, creating gaps between the boards. This often happens in kitchens, bathrooms, or areas near water sources.

How to Fix Gaps and Grooves in Wooden Floors Effectively?

The effective way to fix gaps and gaps in wooden floors is to maintain stable temperature and humidity or to remove and reinstall the floor properly.

According to the book 'Wooden Floor Maintenance and Longevity' by Professor Robert Anderson (2023), timely treatment of wooden floor gaps can extend the life of the floor by 40-50% compared to no maintenance.

Adjust temperature and humidity

Wood floors tend to shrink or expand as the temperature and humidity in the room change. Therefore, maintaining a stable environment is a simple but highly effective solution.

Doing:

• Maintain room temperature between 25 – 30℃, especially on days when the weather is too hot or too cold.
• Use air conditioners, dehumidifiers or ventilation fans to control room humidity, especially during the rainy season or when the air is humid.
• Plant more trees in the house to regulate natural humidity, create a balanced living space and minimize the expansion of wooden floors.

Dismantle and reinstall the floor properly

If the gap or gap occurs over a large area or the boards are moved too much, the optimal solution is to remove and reinstall the entire floor.

Doing:

• Remove the panels with gaps, making sure not to break or damage the locking groove.
• Clean and inspect floor surface to remove obstructions such as dirt and standing water.
• Reinstall the floor according to technical standards, leaving an expansion gap (usually 12 - 18mm) between the floor and the wall.
• Use a professional wood floor repair service if you cannot install it yourself, to ensure the floor is installed correctly and does not have gaps later.

Note: Do not use glue to fill the gap yourself, as this does not fix the root cause and may cause permanent damage to the locking groove.

How to Prevent Gaps in Wooden Floors?

To prevent gaps between wooden floors, let the floor adapt to the environment for 48 hours before installation, leave a 12-18mm expansion gap, lay foam underlay, cut the floor with a T-strap if the floor is longer than 7m, ensure the cement floor is dry and flat, and avoid letting the floor soak in water for a long time.

Allow the wood floor to acclimate to the environment 48 hours before installation.

Before installation, the wooden floor needs to be “rested” in the installation environment for about 48 hours. This allows the floor to adapt to the local temperature and humidity, minimizing shrinkage or expansion after installation.

Doing:

• Deliver the wood flooring to the job site and unpack the wood at least 48 hours before installation.
• Place the floorboard in a well-ventilated area, avoiding contact with water or high humidity.

Leave a gap between the floor and the wall

Leaving a gap of 12 – 18mm (depending on the thickness of the floorboard) is a mandatory requirement when installing wooden floors. This gap allows the floor to expand naturally when the temperature and humidity change, avoiding pressure on the locking system.

Doing:

• Place shims (usually plastic) around the edge of the wall when installing the floor.
• Ensure a minimum gap of 12 – 18mm to allow room for the board to expand.

Lay foam underlay on wooden floor if floor does not have integrated rubber base

Foam underlayment is not only a soundproof and heat-insulating layer, but also prevents moisture from the cement floor from penetrating the wooden floor. For wooden floors that do not have a built-in rubber base, laying foam underlayment is necessary.

Doing:

• Use 2 – 5mm thick foam lining depending on floor type and surface.
• Cover the entire floor surface with foam before installing the flooring.

note: Do not use foam that is too thick because it can create elasticity, causing the locking groove to break or the floor to make noise when moving.

Interrupt the floor with a T-bracket if the floor length or width exceeds 7m.

When the area of ​​wooden floor installation is too large (length or width over 7m), it is necessary to interrupt the floor with T-brackets to create stability. The T-brackets will act as an “expansion point” for the floorboards, avoiding uneven expansion and contraction.

Doing:

• Use T-slots to divide the floor surface into smaller sections (under 7m).
• Place T-shaped strips in room doors, walkways or transitional areas between spaces.

Make sure the cement floor is dry and flat before installing the floor.

A damp, uneven concrete floor will cause many problems during the installation and use of wooden floors. Moisture seeping from the floor can cause the floorboards to swell, warp and appear gaps.

Doing:

• Make sure the moisture content of the cement floor does not exceed 2% before installing the wooden floor.
• Level the floor with self-leveling cement, ensuring the difference does not exceed 2mm per 1000mm.

Avoid leaving the floor wet for too long.

Wooden floors are very sensitive to water. When soaked in water for a long time, the wooden floor will blister, swell and cause gaps in the joints. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid leaving water on the floor surface for a long time.

Doing:

• Avoid mopping the floor with too much water, instead use a damp cloth wrung out.
• If there is a spill, wipe it up immediately and use a fan or dehumidifier to dry the space.

Wood Flooring FAQ

Which wood flooring is suitable for people with allergies?

People with allergies should choose wooden floors that are resistant to dirt, mold and easy to clean. Industrial wooden floors covered with Melamine or Laminate, which is dust-proof and antibacterial, are the optimal choice. See more details in the article: Types of flooring that are safe for people with allergies to grasp the advantages and disadvantages of each type of floor and tips to choose the right floor for your needs.

Is laminate flooring more prone to gaps than natural wood flooring?

Yes, laminate flooring is more prone to gaps if installed incorrectly or without proper expansion. However, high-end laminate flooring with a locking system will certainly have less of this problem. See more Price list of popular types of laminate flooring nowadays.

What color should the walls of a wooden stilt house be painted to create a harmonious space?

Choose neutral colors or light tones such as white, light gray, beige, pastel blue or light yellow. These tones create balance, help highlight the wood grain and bring a cool, modern feeling to the space.

How to optimize costs when installing wooden floors?

To optimize costs when installing wooden floors, you need to:

• Choose the right flooring: Cheap laminate flooring from reputable brands. 
• Accurate area calculation: Avoid material waste.
• Choose a full-package construction unit: Reduce transportation and installation costs.
• Buy during promotions: 5-10% discount on holidays and Tet.

For more details, please refer to the article: How much does it cost to install wooden flooring per square meter? Experience in optimizing costs.

Which unit has experience and reputation in designing and constructing beautiful wooden floors in HCM?

If you are looking for a unit specializing in designing and constructing beautiful and quality wooden floors in Ho Chi Minh City, SmartDecor is a reliable choice. With more than 10 years of experience in the field of interior design and construction, SmartDecor has completed thousands of large and small projects, bringing satisfaction to customers in terms of quality and aesthetics.

Why choose SmartDecor?

• Extensive experience, high reputation: With more than 10 years of operation in the industry, SmartDecor has constructed thousands of wooden flooring projects for houses, apartments, offices, showrooms... The products achieve high level of completion, meeting strict requirements for aesthetics and durability.
• Professional and creative staff: SmartDecor's team of architects and technicians are all experienced, dedicated and always updated with the latest interior trends. The creativity and professionalism of the team helps each construction project have its own style, sophistication and class.
• Comprehensive service from design to construction: SmartDecor provides a "full package" service from consulting, design, production to installation. With its own factory, SmartDecor is proactive in raw material sources, shortens completion time and optimizes costs for customers.
• Commitment to 5 golden criteria
  1. Space optimization: Makes space neater and more spacious.
  2. Personalized aesthetics: Each design has its own unique style.
  3. Quality products: Beautiful, durable, waterproof and scratch resistant wooden floors.
  4. Durable over time: Using high quality materials, with outstanding durability.
  5. Harmonious Feng Shui: Interior design in accordance with Feng Shui brings luck to the homeowner.
• Good price and warranty policy
  • Competitive prices thanks to our own factory, no intermediaries.
  • 1 year warranty policy, 3 year maintenance for wooden floor construction projects.
  • 50% reduction in design costs for projects with construction contracts.

Contact SmartDecor now for consultation and receive preferential quotes for your project!