Maple hardwood floors: WARNED about gaps & buckling

One of the contractors, whom I think is honest, is warning me again using Maple for my hardwood floors. He says that he's see no end of expansion in the summer and contraction in the winter issues.

Basically, large gaps in winter. And if put in during the winter: significant buckling during the summer. "except if you use 'engineered maple' which is a thin veneer which only allows refinishing once".

I have no idea. Can anyone shed any light on this?

THANKS!!!!!!!!

Reply to
Thomas G. Marshall
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Listen to the man. Maple is not the most stable of woods, and it's going to move quite a bit in response to changes in temperature and humidity. If this is a problem in your area and you *must* have Maple I would suggest following the man's advice and considering engineered flooring instead.

Reply to
Steve Turner

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

Maple makes a beautiful floor, but does take longer to stabilize ... up to a few years in some climates.

Acclimation, in the environment it's going to be installed in prior to installation, is VERY important with maple; it performs better in an environment that doesn't change much in RH; when finishing you don't want to just throw stain on it as it blotches ... much better to use a clear topcoat; and you better expect seasonal changes to cause gaps during periods of low RH.

IME as a builder, if maple flooring buckles, it has been installed improperly by not taking into account its inherent dimensional instability ... gaps, you will most certainly have to live with even when properly installed. You may also find you have to hide larger expansion gaps around the perimeter with thicker baseboard and shoe molding, which can be an additional, unplanned for expense.

Simply put, unstained maple makes a beautiful floor providing you know what to expect and are willing to live with its vagaries for a couple of years or so, or longer ...

Just my experience ... YMMV.

Reply to
Swingman

There are thousands of basketball courts all over the country which don't seem to have such problems.

Unless it's very wide plank and/or one of the softer maples I can't imagine it being an issue if it's installed properly (which includes acclimatization, house already in climate-control stage, etc.).

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Reply to
dpb

I have seen buckled basketball courts. I remember the one in our grade school would come up at least a foot, in one corner, each summer. It took them a few years to get it fixed.

Reply to
keithw86

We have an "Engeneered" Maple floor in our master bathroom. Absolutely no problems in the last 6 years EXCEPT where the water drips down behind the WC from the shower curtain, if the curtain gets pushed outside the tub when getting out of the tub. You may want to consider an Engeneered Maple hard wood floor.

The veneer is about 1/8" thick.

Reply to
Leon

Central Florida...

Summers are hot. Growing hair causes profuse sweating Winters are dry enough that my skin cracks

I put solid, 3/4" x 2 1/2" maple in my wife's office room (12'x16') about ten years ago. No gaps, no buckling, no problems.

Reply to
dadiOH

...

For every one w/ a problem I'll bet there are hundreds that haven't had any.

As far as personal experience I know of six elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools here alone that have never had any problems in from 20 to 80 years.

More than likely there was a specific problem w/ that installation that caused a problem of that magnitude and I'd certainly not expect anything like that in a residential installation.

It's not like there _can't_ be an issue but I'd ask for evidence they're particularly trouble-prone before I made any issue over it as a material. If they had been such it's unlikely they would have continued as the floor of choice for so long for such facilities where costs are an issue.

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Reply to
dpb

I put down 3000 sq feet a few years ago. The 2 1/4 inch wide stuff is great. However, the 4 inch stuff does expand and contract with the season. No buckling, just compression that makes each board thicker at the edges than at the center (Poisson effect). It looks bad when you view it from the side when light comes in along the board length. When viewed from straight down it looks and feels ok. I did leave expansion room at the edges, but the rooms are too wide. In addition, it can't expand because the staples hold each board in place. It can't buckle because the staples hold it down. It's really a shame because I acclimated the wood before putting it down and I put 30# felt paper under it as a vapor barrier. Any ideas? Will it ever stop?

Len

Len

Reply to
l-lopez

The point is that it is not unheard of.

I wouldn't "expect" it anywhere, but it does happen.

Cost isn't all that much of an issue in this application, since there isn't much choice. However, it it were a constant problem the cost wouldn't matter; it simply wouldn't be used. I would agree that if it's installed properly, there is unlikely to be a problem but it

*can* happen. I'd still use it if it's what I wanted.
Reply to
keithw86

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: ...

Did I _EVER_ say "never"???? :(

(Hint--no, never...) I simply pointed out there are oodles of maple floors and by far the majority of them don't have such issues so it would seem the OP's installer's premise is flawed.

See above... :(

Isn't that what I just got through saying????

Ditto... :(

plonk.

Reply to
dpb

I'm seeing lots of problems:yes vs problems:no, but I'm not seeing anyone talk about local climates. Hardwood floors in CA are seldom a problem cuz it rare gets below freezing in most of the state. I'm sure that's not the case in MN or ME.

nb

Reply to
notbob

I'm in NH and we have solid red oak floors (sorry, not maple) that do not have gaps in the winter, or buckle in the summer. Of course, we also have partial humidity control inside the house :-)

Reply to
DJ Delorie

Do you have any access to birch flooring? Looks a lot like maple, is usually cheaper and my experience somewhat more stable than maple. There are literally thousands upon thousands of homes around here with birch floors. (Great Lakes area where we know a bit about humidity, although nothing compared to some of the Gulf-bordering states.)

Reply to
Angela Sekeris

"A bit more stable" ? Do you have any (at all) of the buckling/gap results with birch?

The contractor is suggesting oak, but that's just a look I am deathly tired of.

Reply to
Thomas G. Marshall

I am also in NH, on the coast. Been here for 2 years with maple floors. No problem, other then then wondering if I can pull out the birdseye pieces and use them in my boxes....

Go for it.

-Jim

Reply to
jtpryan

And even more bowling alleys.

scott

Reply to
Scott Lurndal
T

Your contractor might be honest .. but wrong. I grew up in a house in Chicago that my Grandfather built in 1911, and the Maple floors in there look as good today as ever. They have been sanded & refinished once that I know of. Get an installer that knows his stuff .. sounds like your contractor is unskiilled.uninformed with respect to this topic.

Reply to
"<<<

If bowling alley lanes are NOT warped, how do you explain all my gutter-balls? Eh?

Reply to
HeyBub

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