I see an internal greenhouse effect. What exactly is the ambient conditions inside the home at the time this all blew up??

Letting a home get to 80, here in Texas, means the A/C is not running constantly 24/7, it is cycling less then if it was turned down to 65.

I'm involved in an unoccupied, remodel, installation right now, where the humidity is higher then the wood manufacture and the NWFA or NOFMA,REQUIRES. I finall had to really educate the architect and the homeowners this morning. I don't think I was being taken serious before.

WELL I CALLED THE NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION WHO SUPPLIED ME WITH AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED WOOD FLOOR INSPECTOR . HIS COST TO COME TO MY HOME IS 500 DOLLARS . THIS WAS THE SUGGESTION OF THE FLOOR CO . THAT WON T COME OUT AND FIX MY FLOORS . THE GUY TOLD ME TO CALL THEM AND ASK FOR THE READINGS AND PICTURES OF THE READINGS BEFORE THE INSTALL AND ALSO THE READINGS WHERE FLOAT WAS APPLIED AFTER IT DRIED AND BEFORE THE INSTALL ...I M PRETTY SURE THEY DON T HAVE PICS OF MY SLAB AND I KNOW THE INSTALLER DID NOT CK THE FLOAT AFTER HE LAYED IT DOWN . YES THEY RECEIVED MORE THEN ENUF MONEY TO DO THE PROPER JOB . I HAD A FIGHT WITH THEM IN THE START OF THE JOB ...OVER THE FLOAT ..THEY WANTED ME TO PAY FOR IT ...I SAID NO WAY . SO NOW A HOME INSPECTOR FOR THREE HUNDRED AND A FLOOR EXPERT FOR 500 ...BY NEXT WEEK I WILL FIND OUT WHAT WE ALL ALREADY KNOW ...THEY SCREWED UP THE JOB

I RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING ON 75 OR LESS ALL DAY AND NITE ..IF I GO AWAY I USUALLY LEAVE IT ON 78 .

I hope everything turns out how you wish it to be. Keep us updated.

Engineered Wood? Buckling off the floor?

Is this glued or a Floating floor? Almost sounds like you have a "locked in" Condition.

U do need an Inspector.

If glued down; concrete vapor and the adhesive should be investigated.
If floating floor; areas tight to fixed objects is suggested to investigate.

Ray is in Florida, I bet he can nail the installer for you.

Do we really want to "nail" somebody or find out failure mechanism so this consumer can have a floor that gives her good service?
Besides, she stated she hired an inspector already..

YES I HIRED AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR WHO WILL BE HERE TUESDAY . HE ONLY GETS 500 BUCKS TO SHOW UP ..THIS WAS FLOOR COMPANYS SUGGESTION IN A DOCUMENTED FAX TO ME . THE NEW INSPECTOR REQUESTED THE READING OF THE SLAB BEFORE THE FLOORS WERE INSTALLED ...THE PICTURES OF THE READING OF THE SLAB WITH THE SHARPIE MARKINGS BEFORE THE FLOOR WAS INSTALLED AND THE READING OF ALL AREAS WHERE FLOAT WAS PUT DOWN AFTER IT DRYED AND BEFORE THE FLOOR WAS INSTALLED. I HAVE TO DATE NOT RECEIVED THAT INFO ( WHICH BTW IM SURE THEY DONT HAVE ) ESP PHOTO S TO DATE . I INTEND TO HOLD THE FLOOR CO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIVE HUNDRED BUCKS AND I WILL SURELY INFORM THIS FORUM OF THE OUTCOME TO THE END ..THANKS ..

Carol,
The installers won't have photos concerning the moisture testing. Moisture testing results are usually documented on the Installation Job Ticket. Installers don't carry camera's as a general rule.
The installation company always say they tested before installation and there is never a way to prove they did or did not.
The fact that your floor reacted so fast indicates the problem was there upon installation.
Moisture tests performed near top of the wood and moisture tests near the bottom of the wood using Invasive Testing should now be performed.
Unless an area of the concrete is already exposed; he should not be able to test the concrete for Moisture.
IF the inspector uses only "NON-Invasive" moisture testing, It is not good. Non-Invasive Meters read 3/4" depth, or into the concrete.
Engineered Hardwood should not react to moisture conditions to this extent unless there is LOTS of water.
Urethane adhesives don't de-bond easily, so I'm wondering what adhesive was used and was it used correctly.

FloorGuy;;;
Wood can live in almost any environment if acclimated SLOWLY to the conditions.

Owens Plank, specifically states, that a humidity level between 30-50% must be maintained.

In my job log, I log a reading of 60%, and the wood MC around 11%
The wood is acclimated to 60%, now come winter time, I get a claim for excessive gapping and the interiors humidity is only 30%. Now, I have record I installed the wood above the manufacture, Nofma, & the NWFA requirements, for humidity.

Who are you going to point the finger at?


Your dealing with too much Bellawood, where there are no specifications.

If you can't meet and maintain the requirements of the wood manufacturer, or industry requirements, wood flooring may not be the floor for you!!!

It would be considered "mis-specified"

From the Owens website.
http://www.owensflooring.com/installation/index.html


Inspect all materials carefully before installation. Warranties do not cover materials with visible defects once they are installed. It is the responsibility of the installer/owner to determine if the job site sub floor and job site conditions are environmentally and structurally acceptable for wood flooring installation. Owens Flooring Company declines any responsibility for wood floor failure resulting from or connected with sub floor, subsurface, job site damage or deficiencies after hardwood flooring has been installed.

Wood is hydroscopic. It will absorb and expel moisture based on its environment. Plankfloor is 100% hardwood and is not immune to these changes. With Plankfloor’s multi-ply construction, these changes are greatly reduced. However, for the best results we recommend that Plankfloor be acclimated in a controlled environment prior to installation.


Interior walls should be dry enough to be painted and a room temperature as required by adhesive manufacturer with a relative humidity of 30-50% should be provided before any installation begins. To determine if a concrete slab is suitable for hardwood flooring, please follow the NWFA guidelines to perform a Calcium Chloride test. If excessive moisture is present, do not lay flooring. Check floor in several locations.

There are allowances made, by industry standards, for seasonal gapping.

I LIVE IN PALM BEACH GARDENS FL ..ACTUALLY AND THE OCEAN IS ABOUT 25 MINUTES AWAY . I AM IN A GATED COMMUNITY ON A GOLF COURSE .