So I start this 3" engineered maple nail down job from LM hardwood, whcih I like.

Problem was I open like ten boxes and can't find nothing but one single length. After the 26th box I suddenly find all of six medium sized planks. Then after another ten boxes I find six shorts. lol

Question...Isin't there some sort of rule where if you say random length that there should be some random length in every box or at least every other box !!! GAWD HELP ME I MAY GO POSTAL!!

Yeah I have run into that with other manufacturers. Mannington used to mark the boxes that had the random length boards.

Yea Jeff, worst case scenerio is the client is expecting a random length floor and you got nuthing but same length. Call lthe rep and postpone? It ain't like you got bundles to look at. Least the quality is there on every LM hardwood job I have done. Practically zero culling and excellent milling.

Hi Stephen!

You wrote, "Least the quality is there on every LM hardwood job I have done. Practically zero culling and excellent milling."

GREAT!!

Have you ever used their Acacia flooring? I like the fact that they slice the top layer (not peeled)

What are your thoughts on that species? IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!

I am definitely using engineered, floating because it is going over Hydronic radiant heat.

Is it better to use the narrow 3" boards or the wider 5" boards over radiant? What about a floating floor? Many folks say that the less glue joins the better but others say to stay away from wide widths.

THANKS!

Ben

I like the look of acacia. Think thin to win when deciding on the width. I'd go 3 - 3 1/2 inch.

THANKS!!

Is there really an issue with most species of wood used (top layer)?

In another post, JamesTRD said, "AMERICAN CHERRY......never over radiant...NEVER....

...american cherry is a very volatile material when it comes to reacting to moisture, increased and decreased..."

Any thoughts on how Acacia will perform? I wonder why the top layer matters when most of the heat is in the plies. Expansion differences? Is it the RH that the top layer is exposed to? The manufacturer of the radiant system (Warm Board) says that the wood will not lose moisture due to the low operating temps of their system.

Thanks again!!

Ben

acacia is a little new to the flooring industry. It seems everyone has one now though. I have heard a few stories on some solid acacia shrinking quite a bit after installation. Just check the m/c of the floor when you receive it and check the subfloor m/c prior to install. If these things are in line then in theory it will behave as long as those same conditions remain somewhat constant.
andf yes the top veneer being thicker and of a different specie will contract and expand at a different rate than the rest of the piece.

First off you want to make sure the plys are in a balanced construction. Meaning the top and lower plys are much the same thickness, especially the top and bottom. As far as that radiant guy saying it won't lose moisture.......sounds iffy to me but engineered will hold up best. I'd dry that puppy down to the low to median rh level your zone experiences. The problem arises when it starts gaining or losing moisture like Kevin says and when there is no hvac going at all, or in your case airconditioning.

Stephen I thought you didn't trust Chinese flooring?