I am installing 3 1/4" Lauzon Red Birch Northern Classsics. I have not had noticed any problems with thickness variation between the hardwood strips - the thickness seems to be very uniform.

Where I do have the occasional problem is variation in the 3.25" width. Occasionally some of the strips are about 1mm undersize at one of the ends - leaving a fairly noticeable gap when the next row is nailed.

I am just curious to know if this is a problem with other manufacturer's too or is this a Lauzon issue. Also how do you professionals deal with strips that are slightly narrower at one end? Do you scrap these pieces or do you just live with the occasional gap in the floor? Possibly, I just being a bit to perfectionistic!

It would be interesting to hear the thoughts of those who do this on a regular basis.

Thanks in advance for your response!

Lauzon is usually a good mill but any brand can have those bad ends. When I notice them, I cut them off and use them for starters or end pieces. If I miss it and nail it down then bang the next row up, if it is fairly small, I'll putty. If larger and more noticable, I'll back track, remove boards and replace it. That is what is supposed to be done. As the installer, I'm responsible for installing the floor well and that includes culling out flawed boards.

Hi Don,

I do it same way as Mr. Gary. You cant' be more of a perfectionist than I am. I install my jobs the same way I would my own home. Either cull it, cut it off, or use it in closets. Take some pictures in case you keep running into alot more of it.

That sounds like the wood you get at lumber liquidators.

In a gluedown with cheaply milled wood, I split the difference with the gap and tape it. This makes the gap less noticeable. There are some cheaply milled boards out there that you could cull 25-30% for that problem.

Splitting the difference and coloered wood filler if needed. That or send the wood back, and chances are they will send you back the same cartons.

When reject wood, I write on the cartons "REJECT" I have received those same boxes back, unopened. I ended up walking from that job, because the wood would not allow it to be installed according to my contract. It was costing the homeowner, for my rescheduling fees.

If I had to guess, I would say that I get one piece like that every 15-20 pieces. Never occurs on the straight grained pieces, but seems to occur more on the "uniquely" grained pieces. Based on your experience, does one in 15-20 pieces sound excessive?

not excessive. If you install it, fill it. If you install it, it is not considered a defect as it is the instlallers responsiblility to cull/separate.

Ditto. It seems to us that is most often shorter boards with this problem so we try and keep a better eye on the shorties before nailing.

DC