Is this normal or should I make a fuss? It is sucapira. The installer said that he has had to throw away half the wood in each box. But even the stuff he installed doesn't look right to me...

Ugly, how was it acclimated? Installers like to get paid and have jobs scheduled. They need to make money to buy food for their family. I'd say he tried his hardest seeing that he culled half the wood. You should have stepped in and asked questions before the job was finished. But then he also should have said send it back and went on to the next job.

IMO the installer should not have installed any wood, after seeing what he was dealing with.

The installer should have stopped immediately after the first couple that he found. Is it solid or engineered, what brand is it, and where did you buy it, and who's installer was it (stores, or your own)?

You definitely have a milling problem with that floor. However, I am sure it says somewhere in the box that the owner/installer has to make the final decision on the quality and usability of the product.
You should anyway contact the supplier and have them come out and look at it.

Thanks for the feedback guys. The job isn't finished. It is only about 1/8th finished. I spoke with the store this morning and they said they would be happy to rip it out.

P.S. It is solid hardwood (and not cheap stuff).

In terms of acclimating the wood - it was left in our house for two weeks prior to install.

It appears to be poorly milled imported flooring from " I'll Let You Guess Where".

Yeah - they probably have lower standards there. The hardness of the wood is what I like but that probably makes it harder to mill properly too. They are bringing in a new batch. Hopefully it will be better...

If it were properly acclimated, which isn't just leaving in the house for 2 weeks. It takes a moisture meter to determine proper acclimation. Then it was not properly kiln dried and milled at the same moisture content.
This is a very common and a characteristic of Bellawood! Junk!

What's "Bellawood"? This stuff was imported direct from Brazil to Canada via an importer. Do you mean that Brazilian wood is junk or just the name brand "Bellawood"?

What is the brand? you seem to be avoiding that question. Is it Brazilian Direct? IF so I have gotten samples from them and was very disappointed by the quality of the milling. It doesn't really matter what brand it is we are just interested. Either way it should not be installed.

Bellawood, is Lumber Liquidators, house brand.

Not avoiding it. I don't know. The boxes are just white boxes and I don't see any brand name on them. It is imported direct form Brazil via these guys...

http://www.braber.com/

Small operation I think. The store I purchased it from is not a discount shop - pretty high end. They just finished putting 5000 sq ft of it in a $5 million home.

Anyway, I appreciate all of the comments. Hopefully, the next batch (arriving next week) will be a higher quality.

That in a 5 million dollar home? Ouch! He may be out of business soon.

Thats like the Virginia Hardwood flooring from LL I looked at today. My meter read 9.6% out of the box marked Made In China! Chinese Birch.

I don't understand. I've been to a few flooring stores and the brazilian hardwoods are generally more expensive than most of the other product. I'm starting to get the impression that even if I get properly milled sucupira that I'm making a mistake?