Hardwood Floor Problems - Avoid Common Causes

Claims typically submitted by consumers are largely a result of installation failure or influenced by environmental conditions. By avoiding the common mistakes below I feel Buckled wood floor confident no warranty issues will arise. I also suggest taking a few moments to read the story on state of the industry.

Manufacturers will not honor any warranty claims under the following circumstances:

Buckling, Cupping, Crowning and Tenting of Hardwood Floors

This usually occurs when no acclimation period is followed or insuring environmental conditions (before, during and after) have been addressed. Other reasons can include failure to do proper moisture testing. Both are extremely important to achieve a problem free installation. Other reasons these problems can occur is the lack of expansion hardwood floors need.

Creaking, Popping, Squishy, Bouncy, or Sea Saw Effects

These problems are always associated with lack of proper floor preparation, improper subfloors or out of tolerance subfloors.

▪ See floor preparation on concrete.
▪ See floor preparation on wood subfloors.

Gapping. Boards Not Tight

Hardwood flooring undergoes changes with seasons or Hardwood floor gaps relative humidity within the home. In most cases it is common to see shrinkage of solid hardwood during dry winter heating months. To avoid gapping, the use of a humidification system is recommended. Gapping can also be a result of installer inability or attention to keeping a floor tight during the installation.

Scratching, Dents, Dings

No manufacturer finish warranties cover scratching, dents, dings or any type of damage inflicted. Finish warranties only cover normal wear to bare wood only.

Dull Finish Appearances

All manufacturer requirements pertaining to floor care must be followed. Gloss reduction is not considered a defect. Damage caused by other cleaning products are not considered a warranty claim. Don't be mislead by consumer products that claim their products can be used with hardwood floors. Always do your research. I do not advocate the use of wet swiffers or steam Color Change Problem vacuums.

Fading, Color & Color Changes

All hardwood flooring will undergo color changes over time when exposed to light (direct or indirect) Fading will also occur under the right circumstances. Differences in color from one board to the next is natural as no two pieces of hardwood flooring are alike. When installing it is suggested to work from 3-4 cartons (or more) or bundles at a time to insure a consistent color mix of hardwood.

Character Hardwoods

Today character hardwoods are the rage with the trendy crowd. This creates a an additional need to mix or rack out floors with more attention in distribution. Chances are good you may find some boxes or cartons with little character or color variation, while some may contain more. I’m not advocating going through the entire job piece by piece, but creating the need to be aware.

Excellent example. Imagination Big Sur

More Sorting - Better Mix

It's also required when taking delivery or when the flooring is brought to the premises, to scatter the bundles or cartons as much as possible. By way of explanation, when the installers load their vehicles with your flooring, it's taken from a pallet put together at the manufacturing source. This is just another method of mixing up the material even further, rather than just using three to four boxes or bundles at a time.

Visible Defects

Hardwood installed with visible defects will not be covered. It is the responsibility of the installer to look for flaws prior to installation. This includes finish irregularities and overall quality of the flooring. Manufacturers cannot be held responsible for products that were installed with defects.

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