Hi everyone,
I am hoping to get some good advice about what to do about my engineered hardwood floors I had installedin October.

A couple weeks after they were installed we began to notice our floors "cupping". I contacted the flooring company who installed my floors and they contacted Shaw, the manufacturer of the wood. An inspection was done that denied any problem with the wood itself but said high levels of moisture were found. Bottom line, it was not there problem.

Now, call me crazy but isnt this what we pay floor company's to check- is the subfloor OK (no moisture) so they can install floors? When I asked the floor company I hired if he did a moisture test he said "No I didn't- your floors looked fine." Over a month later now, Shaw has sent a 2nd inspector who also claims we have a moisture problem. Had I known this prior to installation, I would have looked into what needs to be done to prevent our floors warping/cupping.

Our floor guys said its faulty wood and/or glue he purchased from Shaw. My gut is telling me he failed to do the moisture test and is trying to blame Shaw. We just want the floors fixed.

Can anyone help and share what we as homeowners can do to get our floors fixed? Floors are Shaw Acadian Heights 956 blackwood. They used Shaw glue (they claim) to install, removed existing carpet, wood floor, and ceramic tile that was their prior and brought the wood they installed the day they actually began installing. Again, no moisture test was done prior to install to check- only a visual inspection.

Thanks for any help! We are desperate!
Michelle

There's a ton of similar issues on this forum that your experiencing. With good advice I might add.
It's a very common scenerio I see on many forums. Had a guy just the other day call me from Phoenix with his floor oozing glue out the joints. The whole house is glued to concrete.

Cupping is also common over wood substrates if they are to wet.

Ive probably said it a dozen times. If you have a wood floor installation and the guy doesnt check the m/c of the subfloor before he starts or he gives you "it looks dry to me" bs send him packing untill he can provide you with documented m/c tests. Too many hacks out there who need to stick to installing rugs. If your eng floor starting cupping right after it was installed chances are good the moisture problem was there to begin with and he should have never installed the floor. Ask him how he can give a specific m/c by a visual inspection? If he doesnt agree to make it right call your attorney, you already have two inspections saying he is at fault what else do you need.

These inspectors need a moisture meter such as Lignomat Versa Tec or find some one who does. Using scan mode 1/4" obtain reading, use setting 3/4" take reading if there is a 1% or more than the top reading proceed to definitively moisture test. I would remove a board and put a insuti probe in the worst cupped area in the concrete and if the rh reads over 75% most definitely moisture is coming from the slab. If not over 75% then one thought would be what is or was the relative humidity at the time of install.
As an NWFA Inspector I have tested in this manner and the answer, so far, is generally obvious. It would seem there is a high amount of moisture to exhibit cupping that quickly. Should be easy! It takes generally 3-4 months for wood to show cupping unless the wood had a high amount of mc at the time of installation.
That is why the substrate and the wood should be moisture tested at the time of install. No one can look at a concrete floor and say it's good to go.

What a jerk I am. Wood Subfloor?? Two weeks cupping commenced! Some cupping up to 0.01, measured with a taper gage, is considered acceptable.
If not seen 5 feet up 2 feet away with no glare, inspection position.
I have seen flooded floors that did not exhibit cupping in that time frame.
A wood subfloor with a mc 12%, unless your in Florida, should not be installed on. Hardwood in most areas should read between 6% to 9%. Midway is ideal! And.............. we are talking solid wood. During a freeze in El Paso 2 years ago only 2 floors out of 125 engineered floors needed replacing after a couple of months. Hummmmm!

I would go to www.nwfacp.org and look up a NWFA Certified Inspector.