Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - parkay floors buckling

Help! I installed wood parkay floors last winter, but now that it's really hot, they are buckling right up the middle of the floor. They were installed using adhesive. What can I do?

Wood expands with heat and humidity. Did you leave a gap around the perimeter to take up the expansion? :confused:

Apparently there was not enough of a gap, so the warm weather is causing the parkay tiles to expand and buckle. What can I do now to fix the problem ? Please be specific. Thanks.

Joan:

You'll have to cut in an expansion area around the perimeter to allow the parquet to "breathe." Quite frankly if a better adhesive was used this problem would never have happened.

Are the tiles butted directly to the baseboard? Is is possible to remove the tiles around the perimeter? If they can be removed without too much trouble, you can trim them and reinstall.

Thank you for your help so far. Yes, the tiles are directly butted to the baseboard. Could I remove the baseboard and move it up on the wall a bit so the parkay could expand beneath the baseboard? How do I push the parkay tiles back down where they have buckled without breaking them? Thanks again.Joan

Joan - As long as the tiles are butted to the baseboard instead of under the baseboard, you can remove the baseboard mouldings. Raising the bb and reattaching will give the tiles some "breathing room".

I'd be cautious at doing anything to the buckeled tiles while the weather is hot and humid. After the expansion space is created by moving the bb, the tiles may spread and flatten on their own. Some cool dry weather will help also.

Thanks again. Your solution sounds doable. What is the best way to remove the baseboard without breaking it? The wood is old and the last time I tried to remove it, it cracked.

Very carefully!!!!

Use a razor to cut the paint loose from the baseboard

then slide a putty knife down in between to loosen them - up try to pry away bb with the putty knife as much as possible.

Then slide a pry/small crowbar into the opening - you may need to pound it in gently with a hammer

Use the prybar to pull the baseboard away enough to get the claw of your hammer into the opening

put the claw in the opening and move the pry bar down about 4-6 inches and loosen the opening up there until you can get the claw in

kepp doing this along the length of the bb until it is all loosened - then kinda winggle on it until it come out.

that's how I always do it.

take your time and it can be done.

Good luck

Grace