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18th January 2021, 03:45 PM #1SENIOR MEMBER
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I should've known better - a cautionary tale of wood movement
My laundry reno has been 'in progress' for awhile and I'd finally had some time to stick into it over the holiday period. One of the things I decided to do was use a wooden panel instead of tiles as a backsplash on one end of the countertop. So far so good. To fix the panel to the wall, I thought, hmm, screws - won't need many, it's only decorative. And then I could cap them with a dowel. But then while fixing the moulding on top of the tile, I thought - I've got the No Nails and my pin nailer out already right there... that should do it right? And it'd be less work too!
Oh it did 'it' alright. And I really did know better - the countertop is 36mm spotted gum and still flat after months, it's fixed to the cabinets with a screw and washer arrangement allowing for movement.
The first photo doesn't look so bad.
panel 1.jpg
The second photo tells the real story.
panel 2.jpg
All of that movement from the moisture in the glue over one night. I then had the joy of scraping all the glue off the wall while bemoaning my laziness. So now I'm repairing the torn gyprock and will then have to skim over again and paint. And I hate plastering to boot!
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18th January 2021 03:45 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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18th January 2021, 04:56 PM #2SENIOR MEMBER
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scrapping something off is the most heroic and unrecognised part of a job...
SCM L'Invincibile si X, SCM L'Invincibile S7, SCM TI 145EP, SCM Sandya Win 630, Masterwood OMB1V, Meber 600, Delta RJ42, Nederman S750, Chicago Pneumatics CPRS10500, Ceccato CDX12
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19th January 2021, 07:09 AM #3Senior Member
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I find the failure posts much more useful in many cases than the success ones as I learn more.
thanks for sharing
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19th January 2021, 09:12 AM #4
Banana!
Oh no!
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28th March 2021, 07:15 PM #5GOLD MEMBER
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I'm quite amazed by that as I'm a fairly heavy construction adhesive user and have never had that happen to timber, and my motto is why use one tube when you can use 5!
There definitely wasn't anything else at play to cause it?
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7th April 2021, 05:28 PM #6SENIOR MEMBER
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Sorry I missed your reply! It could have been some dodgy board joining (who's responsible for that shoddy job! ) I had to redo sections of the original benchtop as the polyurethane glue failed - likely due to user incompetence, I cast no asperstions on the glue itself. That said I've found titebond 2 to be the ducks nuts with spotted gum, haven't had an issue across a number of glue ups. So I can't remember if this cutoff was from the original problem glue up or successful attempt #2.
If it was glued up properly would it still have curled up at the edges and had this issue? I leave it to more experienced people to answer but I did try and measure the 'curl' and it was several millimetres if you count both sides, so not a miniscule amount of movement. The two differences between the front and back faces were that the front was oiled and the back had glue. The back looked and felt moist around all of the glue areas. I'd applied a lot so it was quite moist.
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8th April 2021, 11:42 AM #7
I'm assuming that the finish was applied either before or quite shortly after fixing the panel?
Perhaps it wouldn't have moved as much if you'd let the glue set first, then finished. Mind you, "not as much" isn't the same as "won't" and from the amount of movement I'd guess you'd still be disappointed in the result.
Also, you mentioned pinning it? Along the front edge only? I suspect that would be the bigger mistake. With little possibility for lateral expansion; trapped between pins and wall it can only buckle out.
- Andy Mc
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8th April 2021, 12:45 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
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Hi Alkahestic,
I question did you seal both faces the same(3 coats face side 3 coats wall side or how ever many you choose to do) as this can have a lot to do with finished boards moving. Moisture can get to one face more than the other if not and will result in cupping one way or the other.
Regards Rod.Rod Gilbert.
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9th April 2021, 02:01 PM #9SENIOR MEMBER
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I used Osmo on one face only because I don't think the glue would've adhered to an Osmo'd surface. Which is likely part of the problems, a film forming finish I could scuff but apply to both sides would likely have been a better choice. The panel was pinned in multiple spots.
In hindsight, it seems like I created a perfect storm of problems - goes back to the old "good - fast - cheap" options. This was a relatively cheap job since it was offcuts and pretty fast but certainly not good.
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9th April 2021, 03:19 PM #10GOLD MEMBER
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Even if you didn't seal both sides that sort of movement is somewhat unusual unless there was an excess of moisture in the air.
Or is it possible the timber had been stored outside and maybe had a higher moisture level and bringing it inside and gluing it caused one side to dry more?
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21st April 2021, 04:08 PM #11wood butcher
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You did also say "laundry"? Also known as a low temp sauna with the washing and the drying... Another element to the perfect storm.
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