The difference a proper seam roller makes is insane

Did a job in Springfield last month where the homeowner had a seam that kept popping up after a year. Went back with my heavy-duty 75-pound roller and it's been perfect for 3 weeks now. What's your go-to method for stubborn seams?

4 comments

4 Comments

viola_garcia562mo ago

David's friend has the right idea about pressure, but wood doesn't really have memory like that. It's more about the adhesive needing to cure fully under weight. That's why a 75-pound roller for a few minutes beats sitting on it for an hour.

uma6592mo ago

That "popping up after a year" part is the worst. My go-to method is a lot of weight and a lot of patience, which mostly means me sitting on the floor for an hour looking ridiculous. I figure if my body weight didn't fix it the first time, maybe my stubbornness will. A heavy roller like yours is the real answer, though.

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david_palmer2mo ago

A friend who does woodworking told me the real trick is to get the board flat and then keep weight on it for a long time, like days. The heavy roller works because it applies that constant pressure. Your stubbornness sitting on it is basically the same idea, just with less force spread out. The wood has memory and wants to go back, so it needs a long convincing session. Makes total sense why it pops back up after a year if the pressure wasn't enough or long enough.

ben_fisher3h ago

Hang on, I gotta push back a little here. Is it really the worst, or is it just the most frustrating? Because I've had boards stay flat for years after I just slapped some glue and a few screws in them. That popping up after a year makes me think the floor itself is moving or the subfloor wasn't prepped right, not that the wood somehow remembered it was supposed to curl. Seems like blaming the wood for what's probably a bigger problem underneath.