Hello all - first post here. We live in the Phoenix area and are having a serious moisture problem which is damaging our bamboo floors. I posted pics in my album @ Home > User galleries > azBambooNightmare -> "Bamboo in AZ".

http://www.hardwoodflooringtalk.com/gal ... ?cat=19036

We have sections in all areas of the house, mainly near the walls, where glue and moisture are bubbling up, the bamboo is discolored and turning black and one spot where the floors are actually bowing up about 6" off the floor (the plastic covered area in a few of the pics).

It's definitely a moisture problem. One contractor used a Tramex device with the pins to measure the moisture and in the worst spots the readings were pinning the Tramex meter at 30 (30% I believe) and in other spots were reading around 24 or 27. I don't know exactly what Tramex device it was.

We don't have much recourse with the installer because we purchased the house and the previous owner had the work done by Lowe's. Lowe's won't cover it since it has been more than two years and they also weren't likely to transfer the warranty even if it was within 2 years. I am going to contact the floor manufacturer (Tecsun, purchased through Lowe's) but all the warranty info I have read indicates no coverage for excessive moisture.

I'm now trying to find out if the Lowe's subcontractor did a moisture test and/or used a barrier. I know they used Bostik's Best for the glue because there was a can left in the garage.

I have gotten a lot of info from this forum and from the contractor's I've talked to and here's what I'm hearing:
- Trying to fix just the bad spots by tearing up and putting a moisture barrier down is unlikely to work as the moisture will just be pushed to other areas of the floor / house.
- Engineered Hardwood is a better option and many contractors are complaining about Bamboo installs
- Moisture barrier products recommended by flooring contractors: Bostick MVP, Deco-Rez and Turbo Seal

My question to the group:
- Can I really put down eng wood product with a moisture problem like this, even with MVP or other barrier? MVP warranty has a "excessive moisture" exclusion.
- How can I fix the moisture problem (we have tested for plumbing leaks, drip system leaks, pool leaking, etc. and no problems found)?
- If eng wood is the best route, what moisture barrier and glue combo would you recommend?
- Any recommendations for eng wood products (too many to choose from!)?

My next step is going to be to tear up the floor where it's coming up and look at the slab and do a calcium chloride test. Then put down a test barrier strip in that area and do another CC test after to see if it holds.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Cheers,
azBambooNightmare

That looks really wet.
Not saying this is the case, but reminds me of a few areas out here. Both relating to uncontrollable ground moisture.
One area, the city has huge water diversion pipes under ground that have been leaking for years, and apparently in no rush to remedy.
Another area of town,( far from the pipes), is actually swamp land. Yes, approx. 10 square blocks of swamp land, right here in the middle of the desert . It hurts everytime I get a call out there and I have to pass. Beautiful homes, and I think about every legit flooring contractor has horror stories about hardwood blowing off the slabs.
I know it's not what you want to hear, and hopefully doesn't apply, just reminds me of these areas of town.

Most of the time the box stores have a guy that runs around with a concrete meter. It, the slab could have been dry when he did the test. Obviously not it is not. MVP4 might help those areas but the moisture might just move on across the slab top another area. It's worth a try though.

I would also do some Rh testing. You can buy a Wagner Rapid Rh kit at Big D's floorcovvering supply.

Oh geez, the bubbles are bad news. Have you checked the grading around your house? It looks like you have some serious grading /pooling issues there. Get that grading fixed, run some gutters if you have to and get that water running away from the slab. Install french drians if you have to.

Stephen / Howard - thanks for the replies. We had a plumbing leak detection specialist out to the house and I believe he did Rh testing near the wall and from the outside of the house as well. He said all was normal.

We have thought about putting in gutters or a french drain solution but we have no idea if that is the source of the problem. Our house is on a street that slopes down and we are on a corner, so the street slopes down on both sides. We thought groundwater could be coming down the street and pooling up under the foundation but of course it's impossible to prove / test.

Lots of times the water runs down from in back of your house or sideways down the street. I've seen many a track home with impossible drainage between the sides of the houses.

Pic number 0097 looks like the soil line is to high to the slab and water stain or both. It also looks like a post tension slab, I see patched holes where the cable came out. Just an observation.