Has anyone here read the Troubleshooting article on page 63 in the February/March 2006 issue of Hardwood Floors magazine?

I would be very interested if your opinion is the same as the author.

Apparently it is available for public viewing. Go to the www.nwfa.org main page

click on Hardwood Floors Magazine
click on the troubleshooting article

Somebody slap some sense in her!

How that bogus report got published, is beyond me.

I think her ASSUMPTION that the insulation is the culprite is incorrect. The wood subfloors were wet and damp prior to the wood floor installation. The floor contractor installed the floors in an environment that was not at normal living conditions and most likely, damp. That was born out by the meter readings. This home was probably rained on before the roof went on and since the HVAC was never turned on, the plywood stayed damp. Furthermore typical fiberglas batt insulation does not prevent vapor transmission. I find the flooring contractor fully at fault for failing to follow industry guidelines for acclimation and subfloor/wood moisture testing prior to installation. I am sure that subfloor was pretty damp BEFORE the hardwood went down and the RH in the house was high as well. In this case, a moisture barrier on the earth would no have made any difference as the moisture was already in the subfloor. I do agree that a moisture barrier in the crawl space is recommended and required by most manufacturers. The author seems to assert that the insulation was the main problem and that is simply not the case.

Bingo.!

It sounds like the insulation contractor installed the Kraft faced batt insulation back wards. As in upside down. The stapling flanges are on the moisture retarder side, that side goes up flat against the subfloor with no cavities or breathing room. It is held in place that way by insulation wires that snap in between each joist.

The author states that she pulled down the insulation that was "stapled". The only way I know someone could staple it would be before the subfloor was installed, or upside down.

I realize that everyone makes mistakes, but this apparently happened several months ago and has got by everyone involved to end up being published in our trade magazine. And the kicker is she is now calling on all of us to get some insulation laws changed.

Yep, When I read it I had to read it a second time just to make sure that I had read ir right the first time. Scares the hell out of me when a carpet head goes to a week long course and now they are a certified wood flooring inspector.