Hard Floors Question

[jeff0514]

I had a bamboo floor installed in the last year. The original installer laid a board that had a noticeable flaw/crack in it, which I didn't notice until it was too late. I complained about it, so the place I purchased the flooring from sent another installer to rip out that board to replace it. Unfortunately, after they removed that board, they couldn't get any of the others to fit. They were all too wide. So they trimmed the board down so it would fit temporarily until another extra board shrunk down enough to fit. We've let the extra boards set on the main level where the flooring is installed for probably the last 8-9 months. The installer has stopped back periodically to check whether the extra boards have shrunk enough to install, but each time, including today, none of the boards had apparently shrunk enough. So he doesn't think he'll ever be able to replace the board. The board that needs replaced is almost in the middle of the house, so he says he'd have to tear and replace everything to the other side of the house. He has proposed getting a kit to fill in the edges of the board they shaved the edges off to make it fit. Apparently some sort of wax sealant that you heat up? Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone has any other solutions besides tearing everything out and starting again? It doesn't look terrible, but I'd like to have it look perfect given what I spent on the materials and installation.

Secondly, this installer has pointed out how the previous installer nailed down the end/starting boards. He claims he glues those boards down instead of nailing them down. What's the right way to lay a floor? Nail down the first board or glue it down? Again, this is a strand woven bamboo floor.

I'm just ticked that I had so many issues with how the floor was installed given how much I spent on it.

[JY07]

gluing the first row down sounds like a pain in the *** and a waste of time (waiting for it to dry)

[3TrueFans]

Paging CyclonePride to the flooring aisle.

[ISUCubswin]

Ship it to China and have the Panda's eat some of the bamboo until it's short enough

[ISUAgronomist]

Paging CyclonePride to the flooring aisle.

+1

[Clonefan94]

I had a bamboo floor installed in the last year. The original installer laid a board that had a noticeable flaw/crack in it, which I didn't notice until it was too late. I complained about it, so the place I purchased the flooring from sent another installer to rip out that board to replace it. Unfortunately, after they removed that board, they couldn't get any of the others to fit. They were all too wide. So they trimmed the board down so it would fit temporarily until another extra board shrunk down enough to fit. We've let the extra boards set on the main level where the flooring is installed for probably the last 8-9 months. The installer has stopped back periodically to check whether the extra boards have shrunk enough to install, but each time, including today, none of the boards had apparently shrunk enough. So he doesn't think he'll ever be able to replace the board. The board that needs replaced is almost in the middle of the house, so he says he'd have to tear and replace everything to the other side of the house. He has proposed getting a kit to fill in the edges of the board they shaved the edges off to make it fit. Apparently some sort of wax sealant that you heat up? Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone has any other solutions besides tearing everything out and starting again? It doesn't look terrible, but I'd like to have it look perfect given what I spent on the materials and installation.

Secondly, this installer has pointed out how the previous installer nailed down the end/starting boards. He claims he glues those boards down instead of nailing them down. What's the right way to lay a floor? Nail down the first board or glue it down? Again, this is a strand woven bamboo floor.

I'm just ticked that I had so many issues with how the floor was installed given how much I spent on it.

I've never heard of gluing over top of a floor you could nail. I suppose it would look nicer, but you should have your quarter round cover that nailing up anyways. Nailing allows for some expansion and contraction that gluing doesn't. Although they glue to slabs, so I don't see the big deal either way.

As for replacing the board, why can't they just cut it to the desired size needed? I don't know much about bamboo, but is there something that prevents you from cutting it along the length of the board? Just doesn't seem that difficult to rip it to the size needed and then put it in place.

[JP4CY]

So what happened to the "original" installer? Has the flooring place offered to pay for new flooring?

[Clonehomer]

gluing the first row down sounds like a pain in the *** and a waste of time (waiting for it to dry)

With the flooring nailers being angled, you can't get one in without hitting the wall. So either glue it in or nail it by hand. It's much easier to get it straight with adhesive.

[Clonefan94]

With the flooring nailers being angled, you can't get one in without hitting the wall. So either glue it in or nail it by hand. It's much easier to get it straight with adhesive.

Either pre-drill - which I would recommend when hand nailing hardwood anyways or just do what I did and grab your pneumatic finish nailer. I would think any professional floor guy would have this tool.

Gluing is an option, not saying that it isn't. It just sees like an incredible waste of time waiting for that starter row to set up.

[jeff0514]

They did trim the board to fit temporarily. It just doesn't look as clean of a fit. In hindsight I would have lived with the flaw in the original board. I just can't believe they didn't check the widths of the potential replacement boards before taking the original one out.

[jeff0514]

The original installer also did a sloppy job on trim so the current installer replaced all the trim.

[Cyclonepride]

I had a bamboo floor installed in the last year. The original installer laid a board that had a noticeable flaw/crack in it, which I didn't notice until it was too late. I complained about it, so the place I purchased the flooring from sent another installer to rip out that board to replace it. Unfortunately, after they removed that board, they couldn't get any of the others to fit. They were all too wide. So they trimmed the board down so it would fit temporarily until another extra board shrunk down enough to fit. We've let the extra boards set on the main level where the flooring is installed for probably the last 8-9 months. The installer has stopped back periodically to check whether the extra boards have shrunk enough to install, but each time, including today, none of the boards had apparently shrunk enough. So he doesn't think he'll ever be able to replace the board. The board that needs replaced is almost in the middle of the house, so he says he'd have to tear and replace everything to the other side of the house. He has proposed getting a kit to fill in the edges of the board they shaved the edges off to make it fit. Apparently some sort of wax sealant that you heat up? Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone has any other solutions besides tearing everything out and starting again? It doesn't look terrible, but I'd like to have it look perfect given what I spent on the materials and installation.

Secondly, this installer has pointed out how the previous installer nailed down the end/starting boards. He claims he glues those boards down instead of nailing them down. What's the right way to lay a floor? Nail down the first board or glue it down? Again, this is a strand woven bamboo floor.

I'm just ticked that I had so many issues with how the floor was installed given how much I spent on it.

Paging CyclonePride to the flooring aisle.

Gluing or nailing the starter row really doesn't make a whole lot of difference with your scenario. Glue is usually impractical unless you have time to let it set up before moving on to the next step. The only thing (in my opinion) it saves is face nails in the starter row.

Are you trying to patch this with the exact same material from the original install? If so, it sounds like your floor may have expanded just a bit (due to acclimation to your particular humidity level), causing this spot in the floor to be just a bit narrow (softer material can sometimes actually compress due to the pressure of expansion). Sounds like they're probably worried about where in the expansion cycle your are.

Either way, my solution would be to shave exactly what you need off the board to replace (back cutting a bit if necessary to allow it to tip down (tongue into groove) and in). Assuming your material has a slight bevel, this can be remade using a 45 degree router bit. I would seal this raw edge with some form of urethane to protect it.

As far as wax sealant, I'm really not sure what's up with that. Are they suggesting that to seal the gap between boards? Because the rest of your floor does not have that seal, as the boards need to move around freely. Anyway, hope that helps.

[jeff0514]

And maybe I should have mentioned that when I said that he nailed down the first row he nailed through the top of the board and not on the side with a nailer like the rest the boards were nailed.

[jeff0514]

They already trimmed a board to fit, although they probably could have done it a little more carefully. They filled in the gaps with putty. This was supposed to be temporary until the other replacement boards shrunk. He said the sealant is some sort of kit sold at the wood smiths store that would give it a better finished look than the putty.

[jeff0514]

And they did not try to replicate the bevel as you suggested. Just trimmed it, placed it in, and filled it with putty.