We had Pradoo installed about 10 months ago, glue down on concrete. After a couple of months I starting noticing some bubbling at the short end of the planks. Every month I'm noticing more and more and now I would estimate that 20% of the blanks have this bubbling. We live in SoCal, pretty mild weather with no big temperature swings. Any ideas of what's happening?

Here's a pic:

Sorry, here's a link to the pic:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/edmora/de ... m=e9a3.jpg

You have a manufactering claim. The finish is delaminating from the wood!

I take it that it's a pre-finished? If so, Gary's right. Finish is lifting . . .
Even if it's site finished, there's poor adhesion. Is it end matched?
Charlie

Yes, it's prefinished. I'm not sure what "end matched" means?

Urban:
"End matched" means that on the ends of the boards there is a tongue and groove as well as on the lengths of the boards.
Just wondering why there was so much movement on the ends which, in my opinion, is the reason for the breaking of adhesion. Could have been other causes, though, such as poor finishing to begin with.
Charlie

Bubbling, meaning ends lifting?
Looking at the photo, I see the ends lifting.
You described "more with time" which indicates a moisture problem.
The photo, combined with the description leaves me with the impression there is a problem with moisture.

I wouldn't describe it as lifting (or maybe cupping?). The planks are not coming up at the ends at all, just this bubbling of the finish.

As for moisture, SoCal did have its 2nd wettest winter on record, maybe that had some impact.

Look guys, this isn't rocket science. I can tell it is a prefinished, exotic by the picture. It has micro bevels. Finish in place would not. The grain and the color of the wood tell me it ain't from North America! The ends aren't cupping as far as I can see. Simply put, an inexpensive import where the finish is failing. Probably due to oils in the wood that weren't taken into account in the finish plan. In time, much more of this finish will turn milky due to delamination (bond failure). It's a manufacturing claim, plain and simple.

If this is a cross ply engineered(gluedown on concrete)
Then I agree with Ray.

The ends are compressing, and is effecting the finish

Stick that floor with a pin type wood moisture meter, and then tell us what it reads.

Can I get the moisture meter at a Lowe's or HD?

I don't see why URBAN should have to go and get a moisture meter! Just call the guy that laid it. Or the store you bought it from. It is their responsibility to determine the cause of the problem. Ten floor is only ten months old! What is the warranty for anyway?

Ya, what Gary said. LOL


Get that guy to stick the floor with his moisture meter(all professionals have them) and read the meter yourself.

We're having the installer come out this week to check it out. There is a 1 year warranty on their work, and a 25 year finish warranty from Armstrong/Hartco. Thanks for all the help guys.

Let us know what their findings are! I am curious!