Gaps in the Floor

[chiangrai]

I have a loft bed and I just put a 3/4" floor on it.

I didn't do a very good job and there are gaps where

the boards meet.

 

They are mostly triangular gaps aboiut 1cm wide and 70cm long.

There are other gaps that you  can just see light coming through

but I would like to fill them too.

I think I will be staining the floor with wallnut wood stain.

 

What should I use for both these types of gaps...........

[carlyai]

Your boards are going to expand and contract with the weather.
One suggestion could be to use that expanding foam in the cracks, but practice first. I think you could cut the excess off with a sharp straight edge.
I have never used it around wood, only water cooled processor sump drain pipes.

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[chiangrai]

Can you buy thai foam in Thailand.

I need something that will take the wood stain.

 

I see people using slivers on YouTube.

Can you buy these slivers or do you make them yourself

and what product should I use with them.

 

[carlyai]

Can you buy thai foam in Thailand.
I need something that will take the wood stain.
 
I see people using slivers on YouTube.
Can you buy these slivers or do you make them yourself
and what product should I use with them.
 

I don't know about the foam and wood stain. If you don't get any other response, you'll just have to try it first.


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[grollies]

You can buy din daeng sawdust. Mix with resin and fill and sand the gaps.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, chiangrai said:

I have a loft bed and I just put a 3/4" floor on it.

I didn't do a very good job and there are gaps where

the boards meet.

 

They are mostly triangular gaps aboiut 1cm wide and 70cm long.

There are other gaps that you  can just see light coming through

but I would like to fill them too.

I think I will be staining the floor with wallnut wood stain.

 

What should I use for both these types of gaps...........

The saying that a picture is worth a thousand words comes to mind. Also knowing the tools you have could well be useful. 

[chiangrai]

A photo is beyond my technical ability I'm afraid.

 

If I cut slivers out of the plywood it would crumble when it gets narrow.

I could get a piece of solid wood and try to make slivers myself.

Then use wood putty for the narrow gaps.

 

I have a circular saw,jig saw,angle grinder ,electric sander and some hand tools.

[Lamkyong]

measure twice  cut once

[grollies]

41 minutes ago, grollies said:

You can buy din daeng sawdust. Mix with resin and fill and sand the gaps.

Mae dang, not din daeng, doh!

[eyecatcher]

Forget the slivers of wood idea. Plywood in the way its made doesn't lend itself to that idea. Even with proper timber offcuts you will find either your taper will not fit if the gaps are very narrow or your boards taper and your slivers and straight!

 

Sawdust in the gaps is a good idea and using it with "gao rawn" hot glue is in my opinion neater than premixing a paste.

The beauty about the gao rawn is it expands and pushes the sawdust up against the two surfaces and goes rock solid in seconds. hardly need any and its only 30bt and 50bt from your local builders supply.

if you have large gaps that are letting a lot of light through, you may need to initially run some packing tape on the underside as a shutter in effect.

thereafter, a sharp chisel to pare off the high points.

 

A point raised above about expansion. Its a valid point and really flooring on enclosed rooms  needs a gap for expansion. Normally that would be under a skirting board where its not seen. Just be careful if you decide to pack your open joints solid as next wet season you could find yourself looking at some humping in the bedroom..........need I say more.

[chiangrai]

How exactly do you use the hot glue and saw dust.

 

If it's rainy season now will the wood not get much bigger

and shrink if anything.

It's been raining for months up here.

[eyecatcher]

Pack the gaps with dry sanding powder then drizzle the hot glue down the line. It burns its way though and expands as it goes. A second pass may be necessary or if its a deep gap do it in two stages.

 

Yes wood is expanding at the moment but its september when everyones doors and windows are at their worst expansion.

Filling now is fine.

Also remember some boards are more dimensinally stable than others, plywood is good, mdf is terrible, OSB is good, natural floorboarding is terrible.

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Also remember some boards are more dimensinally stable than others, plywood is good, mdf is terrible, OSB is good, natural floorboarding is terrible.

So you are suggesting that plywood and OSB are dimensionally stable and that MDF is not? If that is what you are saying then you are not correct. 

 

Certanly wood planks will move with humidity change but none of the other 3 change much at all.

 

MDF has the problem that if you get it wet then it swells but that isn't a stablity problem.

[sometimewoodworker]

18 hours ago, chiangrai said:

A photo is beyond my technical ability I'm afraid.

 

If I cut slivers out of the plywood it would crumble when it gets narrow.

I could get a piece of solid wood and try to make slivers myself.

Then use wood putty for the narrow gaps.

 

I have a circular saw,jig saw,angle grinder ,electric sander and some hand tools.

Without the pictures it's rather difficult to give a definitive answer but assuming that you haven't fixed the boards down then making a slot down the edges of the both the boards where you have gaps or see light will let you make wider strips that will slot into both boards. I recommend using a 3mm slot (most circular saw blades are about that size). You can then cut strips of 3mm plywood  (good quality 3mm plywood is widely available) and fit that into the gaps that will now be several cm wide, you should not glue them in just leave them loose 

Do not glue anything down to the supporting frame as seasonal wood movement will be a problem.

[prophet01]

A bit of googling brings up so many options.

 

floor gaps filling

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/fillinggapsinfloorboards.htm

https://fillgapsinfloorboards.co.uk/

sliver filling video

 

Only you can decide on the most appropriate taking into account the several variables, your skill-set; availability of materials; gap dimensions etc.

Edited August 1, 2018 by prophet01
additional

[eyecatcher]

3 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

So you are suggesting that plywood and OSB are dimensionally stable and that MDF is not? If that is what you are saying then you are not correct. 

 

Certanly wood planks will move with humidity change but none of the other 3 change much at all.

 

MDF has the problem that if you get it wet then it swells but that isn't a stablity problem.

Yes I am saying of those I mentioned natural wood and the mdf are the most likely to expand and be subject to humidity.

having said that I wrote mdf whilst thinking of chipboard flooring and would just add that I would never use mdf on a floor.

A senior moment if thats possible at my age!

[sometimewoodworker]

15 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Yes I am saying of those I mentioned natural wood and the mdf are the most likely to expand and be subject to humidity.

having said that I wrote mdf whilst thinking of chipboard flooring and would just add that I would never use mdf on a floor.

A senior moment if thats possible at my age!

With all the work you are currently doing brain fatigue works.

 

I agree on the never use MDF or chipboard as flooring as you are quite likely to get water damage even if it's only hygroscopic.

 

I completely disagree on humidity having any affect on MDF it is as, or more, stable as plywood, OSB, and chipboard.

 

MDF and chipboard are badly affected by water, plywood wood and OSB not much if at all. Unfortunately MRMDF doesn't seem to be available.

 

of all of these wood is the only one significantly affected by humidity. 

 

 

 

 

[canopy]

My experience in Thailand with mdf, plywood, and rubber wood panels is all 3 are attractive to bugs, mold, and are dimensionally unstable. In the humid, foggy mountain climate I am in they all get horribly bad thick mold in the wet season even completely sheltered from rain and water contact. You can resolve these 3 problems in different ways or if you want something more forgiving and hassle free then use cement board or viva board. And teak is nearly as good in all respects.

 

All types of panels are always installed with a suitable gap between each panel, even cement board types. Follow instructions found on the internet. Cement board gaps are filled with flexible sealant. For gaps between wood panels the spline method pictured in post #14 is a good way and be sure the strips are loose fitting so the panels can expand completely together if necessary.

 

[VocalNeal]

Isn't this the reason why floor boards are tongue and groove? Oh no. That is so they don't move when one walks on them?

[sometimewoodworker]

11 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Isn't this the reason why floor boards are tongue and groove? Oh no. That is so they don't move when one walks on them?

You were correct with the first one, thought most older floors used normal planks.

[Don Chance]

The reason you have gaps is because the floor is not flat.

 

It is a tricky job and required an experienced installer to first make the floor perfectly flat. It may not have been included in the original quote. The most expensive flooring will look like crap if put over a floor with dips everywhere.

Those gaps will just get worse. You should take it out and do it over the right way!

 

 

If you don't want to do that then put some other type of flooring such as carpet or vinyl roll down.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, Don Chance said:

The reason you have gaps is because the floor is not flat.

 

You really should read the first posting. As your reply has nothing to do with the problem, and even if it did is wrong.

[Don Chance]

On 8/5/2018 at 3:08 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

You really should read the first posting. As your reply has nothing to do with the problem, and even if it did is wrong.

Sure it does. He needs to take up the flooring, make the floor flat then put the flooring back on and magic the gaps will be gone.

[ubonjoe]

A post flaming a member has been removed. A repeat of it will result in a formal warning.

[bankruatsteve]

13 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

Sure it does. He needs to take up the flooring, make the floor flat then put the flooring back on and magic the gaps will be gone.

To the point... the OP refers to a loft.  His description seems to indicate there is no floor under the boards he laid.  

[sometimewoodworker]

12 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

Sure it does. He needs to take up the flooring, make the floor flat then put the flooring back on and magic the gaps will be gone.

 

Please read the problem post, it is the first post in this thread.

 

You will see that your suggestions are not possible in this case.

 

In other circumstances they would make sense, but not in this one.