Note: I have posted this on houzz as well so some may see this twice.

I am trying to figure out how to add images.

We installed 7" engineered maple floors couple weeks ago. Glue down on concrete slab. ~1100 sq ft. I am in southern california. Wood acclimated for about 4 days inside the house. HVAC was on until the night before. On day of install we turned it off as they were demolishing tile.

On the last day of install, they were rushing to get out and I did a quick walk through to find a few gaps which they filled with black putty.
About 2 days later, upon a closer look I noticed several gaps between the planks. Some are along the long side, but most are between the short ends.

If you stand near the planks these are hard to see in ambient light (room is also not very bright). But when I take a picture or shine a flashlight gaps can be seen easily.

Some can fit credit card, some can fit business cards and some are paper thin.
I was expecting new floors to not have any gaps at all whatsoever as these were put in new just 2 weeks back and are not even going through a seasonal cycle. Even our years old anderson engineered wood floor we demolished was completely flush with not a single gap whatsoever.

The installer will repair some bigger gaps (by removing the planks and putting in new ones) but is suggesting to use a filler / putty for smaller ones. I wanted to get some advice on whether I am being too picky or not with these.

a. Are some of these thin gaps to be expected / normal in any such job?

b. Is putty / filler a standard and acceptable approach

c. For the smaller gaps is it worth going through putting in new plank vs a filler. Can the installers match new planks flush with the existing ones?

Thanks in advance.

I got some input on houzz.com. Plus for some reason I am not able to upload any pictures.
General feedback was that gaps upto credit card thickness is acceptable in a brand new floor and using putty / filler is a commonly used approach.

A glue down installation is tough to get perfect because the glue will give, or move when the next plank is installed. Sometimes you have to walk on the floor to finish which can shift the planks. After the glue has hardened the installation will be solid so putty will not pop out from movement and can be a satisfactory fix.
Normally you should not be too critical is you can not notice the small gaps, the width of a credit card, from standing position in ambient light.
The right color of putty, to match the darker parts of the flooring because the floor will amber a little over time and darken some, and wiped with a soft cloth after application will do wonders for a pre-finished floor.

Thanks ken. How do I upload images so it’s helpful?

That's Pete you're referring to.

Uploading pics. We never had a good function. Personally I believe the installer could have done better unless they were dealing with a product that isn't milled well. Nowadays it's also hard to find good professionals that care about the final outcome. Or ones that pay attention to installing a floor tight without gaps. Takes longer.

A link works..

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/51737 ... ood-floors

They should have used ratchet floor straps.

End joints can shrink more than long side joints, thats how engineered wood shrinks - in length rather than width wise like solid wood. Being it is new I doubt shrinkage is the problem. Could get worse depending on the woods moisture content and your yearly ambient relative humidity.
Gaps look like it was purely laziness on the installers part.

Sorry Pete! Thanks Ken for finding that link.
Here is the link to photos.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/51737 ... ood-floors

The thing is that these gaps were identified within 24 hours of job completion. My floors have not yet gone through any seasonal cycles. I would understand if they were installed in summer and then I saw gaps in winter. I would understand some gaps. I would also understand if the gaps were between each plank. More than 50% joints are tight with zero gap. The wood is from SLCC which is a fairly large and established company.

Overall consensus seems gaps are acceptable and common.

I am leaning towards using colorite floor filler for smaller ones.
Thanks.