UPDATE: This is going from bad to worse.

Someone wrote on the boxes for the nosing "sucupira" but the sticker on the box and on each piece in the box says "cumaru". This is frustrating. I shouldn't have to be project manager for this install. My wife is full term with our fourth child and I have to act as QC on a flooring project and I know nothing about flooring!

Imported hardwood from South America has been around for quite awhile now. I did my first jatoba floor about 15 years ago, and I wasn't the first guy around here doing them. But back then, nearly all the south american hardwood flooring was milled in South America, and the quality of the milling ( manufacture ) wasn't not nearly as good as North American standards. Since then, there have been international, American and Canadian ( plus Chinese as well ) companies manufacturing south american hardwood into flooring. Some companies take more pride in the quality of their product. Some very small outfits may not be able to afford the best milling machines, or use old, outdated machinery. Or, the wood wasn't properly kiln dried at the manufacturer's before milling. I suspect the flooring was completely manufactured in south america and there are some "issues" with it. It could be just one lot. Or it could be just how that company makes their flooring. Who knows?

When floormeintuscon wrote:


I think he was referring to what people who spend five mil on a home expect in terms of quality. Typically, they would have custom finished floors. Unusual to go with a pre-finished floor with a home of that cost, at least around here.

You are running into dealing with some local hardwood retailer who "got a deal" with some importer. I think the wood is ok, ( nothing great and kinda looks like cumaru ). Who makes into flooring is the critical factor.

http://www.iswonline.com/ArticleLanding ... entID=8960

Sucapira, if properly milled and finished, will provide a beautiful floor.
You need to trust your dealer to provide you with a quality product, and if there IS something wrong, he should be willing to step up to the plate on your behalf.
A lot of importers bring in unfinished flooring blanks and have them finished at a local finishing shop. This is not what you want to look for in a product. These blanks may come from a variety of mills, some with "cast-off" equipment from other mills that have upgraded to straightline ripping equipment, etc. You may find that one order of the floor will be from a different milling source that the next order of the same product; and this CAN be disasterous.
There needs to be a "chain of custody" of the material so that someone will assume responsibility for its quality.

Just wanted to provide an update. The store will be ripping up the part installed so far and I've decided to put in IPE which is more expensive but he will give it to me at no extra charge. I'm pretty happy with the retailer. At no time did he hesitate. He said whatever I wanted to do he would do - top notch service.