WoodFlooringGuy.com

In December we noticed between the seams of the hardwood floor you can see gaps/lighter color. Even on the new hardwood that they installed.

Why is leaving a home unoccupied so detrimental to hardwood floors?

We had a laminate floor fitted 6 months ago, and some edges in the center are raising slightly. Also, there are slight divisions becoming apparent in some areas. Is this expected or should I complain to the fitters?

The contractor suggested we fill the gaps with fiberglass and re-sand after staining: is this practical? I’ve see you suggest a different kind of wood filler, but not fiberglass. Would fiberglass be a good solution? Another contractor suggested to use the same filler as I have today (probably just sawdust and glue), as he says the wood has already shrunk to the max, and it won’t come out… Can I trust him?

After 3-4 months I noted each plank developing a ridge lengthwise, and today it is quite pronounced. It can be felt underfoot. I have called the manufacturer. The rep came and did tests. He said it may be from the air being too dry although my barometer said 30%. I have a humidifier, but do not have it on now. The problem is worsening although rep said it will be better in summer, but not so far. The manufacturer rep said he would get back to me, but it has been over a month so I doubt it. The installer has referred to manufacturer. What can I do as I do not want a floor with these ridges and warranty is out end of June?

We just had new floors installed in a 1 year old home, on the entire first floor, with a crawl space underneath. This is a redo job since the original floor had to be ripped up, because of major cupping due to moisture in the subfloor. Now we have new, prefinished floors (on a dry subfloor), but in various locations we hear a “popping” or “cracking” sound. Any ideas, before we go back to the installer?

We put in hardwood flooring 7 years ago, 460 sq. feet. Not too long after, I felt the floor was not standing up. I called the company [makers of the wood], and they did send someone in. He said they would only replace a few boards. We didn’t bother– we we’re unable to at the time.

We just installed N**** Floor Planks and parquet in our basement. We stained the wood and put dead flat finish as topcoat. It was 99% done, when some hairline cracks appeared, there were around 10 at first, but as the days progressed it multiplied. We sanded those parts and re-applied the top coat, but a day later, the cracks resurface and expanded? Is there a remedy? I am based in the Philippines.

Our landlord just installed new oak floors in several rooms. They are beautiful. But ever since their installation, we have VERY dry air in the house and cannot get past the choking feeling in the air, despite running a humidifier as much as possible. How long will this last (it’s awful during this flu season)? Any recommendations to help the floor to “settle in”?

However, the problem is, the finish is “chipping” off. There are scratches, yes, but they just look like regular scratches, and then there are spots where the finish has chipped off, and the wood is the same pale color it was the day I put it in, instead of the dark orange I stained it. These are actually shaped like chips you would see in fingernail polish, etc. Unfortunately, they are all over the whole floor.

I just installed engineered Brazilian cherry throughout my 11-yr old house (5-1/4″ wide, 3/8″ thick). We are going thru our first Texan winter (close to freezing) and the floor is popping like chestnuts in an open fire. I got down on my knees and found hairline cracks developing on my floors. Did I just lose my floors?

I did bring in a professional hardwood floor sander/refinisher to finish the floor. It was only after the sanding and two coats of oil-based urethane were applied that I noticed and became concerned about the gaps between hardwood strips. I obviously had not checked closely before the refinishing began, so my mistake. I can only guess that being in this part of the province during the heating season, the humidity level was so low that the hardwood shrank appreciably.

Our solid oak floors (installed in March 2006) are cupping. We were told to run a dehumidifier which we are doing, but we can’t see or feel any difference.

I’m having a problem with my wood floor popping when the furnace comes on and run for 30 minutes or more. I am getting this very loud popping in the flooring, is that a natural occurrence when the weather out side changes or is that something I need too be concern about?

If we install 3/4″ x 8″ t&g solid wood, wormy red oak (finished in place) floors in the non-conventional, non-recommended fashion of fully adhering the boards over a structural concrete slab, using Sika’s T55 adhesive… and if we have no moisture drive problems from the slab and also have a well functioning humidity control system in place in the home, how likely is it that we will still experience cupping of the wood floors?

I am looking at a gymnasium floor which is less than one year old. This is a very nice floor, but it has been flooded from below because someone failed to install a pressure cap on a drain pipe underneath the new hardwood floor. This happened three months ago, and all I see is the large area (50’ x 55’) which has obvious cupping.

We bought a home that is 12 yr. old this past February. The dining room, living room, and family room already had red oak hardwood flooring (solid). The kitchen and foyer had tile. Before we moved in we had the tile taken out and hardwood installed to match existing (hardwood sat in the house for awhile before installation). We also put it in the upstairs hallway. The newly installed hardwood is now cupping while the existing is flat. This makes me think it is not a humidity issue or else it would all be cupping – right? I live in VA which is pretty humid and would appreciate any insight you could give.

My hickory 4-inch-board floors were installed in December 2005 in a brand new home. The boards are not laying completely flat. They have like a wavy appearance and you can feel the waves with your hands. I noticed this probably a month or so after installation. I have been waiting, thinking they might flatten out in time. Also, I hear loud “cracking sounds” coming from the flooring from time to time. Could you tell me what caused this and if there is anything that can be done about it?

I am trying to find help on our laminate flooring. We installed it as instructed about 3-4 years ago, left the space on the side, etc. About 1 year later it started snapping. Now it is so bad I cannot stand it! It even snaps now throughout the winter, so it is not the humidity. I want to take it apart and reinstall, but how do I get it apart without destroying it? I have contacted the company that made it and home depot where we bought it and nobody wants to help. This is a beautiful floor and it cost us a good penny.

How seriously do we need to take the humidity issue? (Of course, no-one told us about this when we were looking at hardwood as an option.) We mercifully don’t have a leaky condo. Do we really have to forgo fresh air?