Why is my hardwood floor separating?

Mark Philben — Globe Correspondent

April 13, 2022 10:20 am

Q. My hardwood flooring have been down for about 20 many years. This past summer we experienced mold and mildew under the residence. We experienced a business spray the flooring joists and exchange the insulation. They closed off the vents. We experienced new ductwork finished. They advised us what variety of dehumidifier to order and to depart it on all the time. We have. Could any of the get the job done we experienced performed have brought about the flooring to independent? In 1 location there is a 1-inch hole! Thank you in advance for your recommendations.

J.B.

A. I would say the dehumidifier is causing the flooring to dry out, which would develop gaps. This appears like a tough a person: You want to continue to keep the crawl place below the flooring dry more than enough to reduce mold, but not so dry that the wood floor dries out far too much. My initial assumed is that the dehumidifier really should be hooked up to a humidistat, and my next is that working a dehumidifier all the time looks excessive. A humidistat will regulate the sum of dry air/humidity and preserve things in stability. A session with an HVAC organization would aid.

 

Q. The wooden siding on my 60-calendar year-previous property is in fantastic condition for the most part, so I was cheered by your recent remark that wooden tends to make a “good seal’’ (“Ask the Remodeler: April showers loom. Assistance your gutters do their career,’’ Address, March 20). You also stated blown-in cellulose insulation would do a great deal towards power performance. I have been thinking of this, but you were being responding to a author concerned that the inside lath walls may buckle all through the insulating approach. Must I be concerned about these kinds of a probability? And how disruptive would the process be in any other case? Would I have to have to substitute locations of clapboard, for illustration?

M.J., Lowell

A. A couple of items right here: A property that is only 60 decades outdated should really have some insulation in the walls, despite the fact that it is likely previous and nothing like today’s merchandise. It is also hard to say how a great deal has settled and whether or not there are voids in the partitions and ceilings. The ideal way to commence, as I have talked about to a number of viewers, is with a qualified electrical power audit from Mass Preserve or a further services service provider. These are not costly and will give you the steering you require as to where you could require insulation. A 60-yr-old household will not have lath and plaster walls it will be wallboard or possibly wire lath, both equally of which keep up perfectly when insulation is blown in. A professional insulator will be in a position to take away and reinstall two rows of clapboards for each floor to insulate as needed from the outside.