http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna ... m_id=95393

So I just started this job and was wundering qhat you guys think about this one.

The wood linked above came is a white generic box, no Armstrong printing on the outside. Through an internet company. Looks great, a 3/16 surface layer. But like 60% of the longer planks are bow'd, even lots of the midsized ones. And inside the boxes came literature from Robbins which is just for installation of their solid hardwood. Says nuthing about engineered or gluedown requirements.

Something seems fishy about this stuff, besides it sucks trying to get them bowed planks together.

Gotten that stuff before too, just a plain white box, you cut the box open and the planks spring out . I think it's always been one of Armstrong lines. No ,I got some Mannington like that too.
Dont know if this is true, but from a pretty reliable source.... The material is put aside during sorting. For one reason or another it doesnt make 1st quality, it's not persay seconds, but somewhere inbetween. Like generally it's flawed in some way other than performance, but not easily detected , ( probably sold as 1st quality ). Maybe the flaw in some of the stuff is the bow? If true...Drag for the installer, someone else made extra money, and installers eat it.

Thats what I was thinking Howard. I got the HO to get a humidifier with only a few minor objections and wimpering. lol

Went together better today so maybe I might make money on this one. Least I am working. I am used to seeing Armstrong etc in fancy boxes with the name and logo all over it. Not this crap. Course she saved like 5 bucks off retail, thankyou 1Aflooring.com

I was thrown for a loop with that literature in there for solid. Actually found some for engineered today....whew, I almost didn't know what to do without them.

Ya notice Ken and others in the know are oddly quiet on this topic?

First thing that came to mind... Ken knows the scoop on that stuff !

There's a lot of stuff I do not know, but I'm sure Valenza is made overseas. Those guys that package that stuff probably can't read English. Maybe they tossed in the wrong literature?

Kevin is one that really knows that stuff.

As far as bowed? Could be it's been sitting around too long somewhere. Five years ago it was flying off the shelf. Today..well you know the rest of the story.

I do know that thicker stuff when bowed can be a scary thought. Will it stay down...how much bow?

typically when you get a lot of lift and bow in a thick eng. plank like valenza its because the plys are not balanced that well. The core plys expand and contract at a diffent rate in relation to the wear layer and violia! Also can be that the diffrent plys used were diffrent mc when laminated together. Aclimation will minimize but if its a glue down install then get the clamps out and put the bad stuff to the side and return anything over 5% for new material. Armstrong takes forever to complete a claim but the LEGIT ones that I have had no problem gettting replacement material. Time and labor may be a diffrent story but thats when it will come down to how "good" a customer you are and what they have to loose in the long run. The old man was national complaints manager in the mid 80s, i have seen more than one clamed honored that was strickly to keep the relationship going. Nowadays things are way diffrent but overall most manufactures are struggling and claims have shot through the roof so it way harder to get anything done unless you have a cut and dry issue.

Kevin, Do you know what's up with those white generic boxes? Do you think that stuff is 1st quality? Maybe the printer was on strike

Any thing to save on production cost. It cost extra to print on the boxes.
A printed sticker on the ends is cheaper.

It was made in August 2007. Three different manufacturing dates. Using lots of weight, boxes. Not sure what I'll do when finishing up. Hire some fat girls...uh err ppl to sit on it.

Bow is anywhere from a 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch in every box. But its sticking. So far I've only found 2 small hollow spots.

the generic boxes allows the parent company to sell under all three or more "brand" names with out any hassle. Also the stuff you see with the nice labels was probally made here in the good ol USA, the plain white stuff is typically an import. With imports there QC is all over the place, most start out very strict then after a few runns start slipping more and more letting more garbage into the run than they should.

Thanks Kevin, your a great asset to this site especially when it comes to manufacturing issues. I always appreciate your input.

The home owner finally got a humidifier from HD that holds 10.5 gallons of water. That seems to be helping cus the rh went down to 19% a couple days into the job.

You know how ppl are about getting a humidifier, like pulling teeth.