Retailers and installation
contractors hear the complaint regularly
concerning hollow sounds. Hollow means hollow,
indicating a void under the wood flooring.
For purposes of this topic we must isolate the
subject to glue down floors on a concrete
sub-floor, a subject were most familiar with here
in the south.
Hollow sounds do not always equal a bad
installation or a problem to deal with in the
future. Small areas of hollow sound reflection,
with tapping of the floor, may be as simple as
small area glue voids or slight imperfections in
the concrete surface. These small areas will not
take away from the performance of the wood
flooring as they seldom allow movement. Movement,
in the flooring industry, is referred to as
deflection.
Up and down movement of the wood flooring
(deflection) can be a problem. Movement in larger
areas causes excessive pressure against the
tongues of the flooring causing broken tongues
which, in turn, will remove years of wood flooring
performance.
Hollow sounds in wood flooring are directly
related to the flatness of the sub-floor the
flooring is adhered to. Should the installer not
perform his duties to bring the slab surface to a
specified flatness condition of the manufacturer,
hollow sounds and movement of the wood flooring
will result in poor performance of the new floor.
The industry associations require the sub-floors
be flat, clean, and dry and the sub-floor flatness
be within 3/16 in 10 radius and 1/8 difference
in 6 radius. The purpose of this specification is
to minimize undulations in the concrete surface
that result in hollow sounds and deflection.
Concerning sub-floor flatness, always follow
manufacturer specifications. The wider the plank,
the more stringent the sub-floor flatness
requirement becomes. The wider planks require more
support and the wider the plank, the less likely
the plank will conform to the undulations in the
sub-floor surface.
Hollow sounds do not equate to a flooring failure.
Deflection in the wood flooring may equate to a
flooring failure, and requires attention and
repairs. There are several ways to repair this
problem without removing the floor. The most
successful repairs are performed using the drill
and Inject method. A 3/32 hole is drilled; a
syringe filled with specially formulated adhesive
is then injected into the hole, filling the low
spot in the sub-floor. |
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Contributed By: Ray Darrah |
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Location: Tampa, Florida |
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Primary Business: Hardwood
Floor Inspections |
| Bio
Page:
See Ray's Bio Page |
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Website:
Flooring Expert.com |
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Phone: (813) 426-3632 |
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