Hello,

I have just spent about 80-100 hours installing 1700 SF of pre-finished maple 3/4" natural finished hardwood. My home is a new construction. The only traffic in the house has been the contractor doing finish work and myself. Within the last week while visiting the house I am finding spots where it looks as if the finish has cracked or the wood has cracked. The boards that seem to have the issue all seem to have the same color tone and being the natural finish it is really easy to walk around the house and find the bad boards. They are bad enough that you would not be able to walk on them with bear feet or with socks.

Question 1: What would cause this?

A little history on the process of install. While installing I did notice that once and a while after stapling down a row that this would happen. At that time I would remove the bad one along with all the ones it took to correct the row. The product it also considered "Shorts" so I have 85% of the pieces from the 7"-20" size. I got to the point where I payed very close attention to each one that I put down so that I would not have to tear anymore out. Again, now that I am walking around I am finding them all over the house. It is very upsetting knowing how many I sorted through and did not use because I did not want anything like this to happen.

I have also contacted the flooring store from where I purchased them from. He came out and took some pictures and samples of the ones I did not use. He got in touch with the manufacture rep and he currently has the position that I am on my own to replace them. I am not happy with that to say the least. The rep stated to me that I should have inspected each one better(coming from the store rep), to which I replied I did! Why would I have put them down in the first place knowing I would be tearing them back out almost right away.

Question #2: Who else has had this happen and what remedy did the manufacture, if any suggest? Also, what was covered as far as cost or installation?

I am sorry for being so long winded with this, but I am fit to be tied. I am supposed to be about 3 weeks from moving in and now have to deal with this. I have many pictures of the problems, but cannot figure out how to upload them to the post.

Thank you for the rant,
Jason

It sounds like a high moisture content in the wood and shrinkage since the installation. Were there any moisture tests taken prior to the install?

But then you mention noticing some during the installation.

What were the conditions (relative humidity) of the home before the install...and now?

No tests were taken. Also being that I have neither heat or AC in the house currently, there is not that much change would be my guess. Outside weather has been about the same.

Thank you,
Jason

And thats where you screwed up. No test of substrate, subfloor or flooring and no acclimation I'm presuming. HVAC controls large swings in rh and temp, helps the wood adjust to the "living environment". Any rep, manufacturer is going to call it on you...the installer takes all the heat. Welcome to the club.

So here are the results of the Distributor Rep. Uninstalled flooring that I had sitting there had a moisture content of 6-9%. The flooring installed was at 11-13%. Humidity that day was at 42%. 5 days later the NWFA inspector came at the request of the purchasing store. I do not have all of his tests because they are not currently in the report that I have. I need to request those. The humidity in the house that day was 68%. We have "Wind Shake". The report states that I have 1,620 sft of floor down and that it contains 25% shake. I was told by the inspector over the phone the night he was there that it was 35-40%. Seems to me that if the hardwood gained moisture it would not crack until it dried back out.

During the whole ordeal, I have found out that the "Shorts" that we purchase did not come with a warranty and that this nor anything else is covered. Fine. I now understand that the high humidity had a large roll in this happening. My question to everyone here is that if you sell a floor to someone do you tell them they are purchasing a product that is 3rd's and does not come with a warranty? I was never told this and both the salesman and the store manager were not aware that it did not come with a warranty. I was told it was the exact same product and process as the rest of the materials.

You may or not be an attorney, but do you think I have any recourse to go after the store for misrepresentation of the product? I am going to be closing on this house by the end of the month and now cannot move in because of this.

Another question. With this much shake throughout the house, what is the best way to fix it? I have heard the "super glue" fix, but seems with as much as I have, this would take forever. Do I have to tear it out and start over? This could get very expensive. If fixing the existing product works that will be $8,000-$10,000 I guess. If removing it has to be done, I am guessing it could cost over $20,000.

Sorry for this being long. I am very frustrated that I might be shelling out a bunch of money that I really do not have.

Thank you for your time.
Jason

Who sells hardwood that does not have a warranty. Typically only 5% is a given for culling bad wood from the product. For as much as you have into it I'd call a construction attorney.
As an installer your not educated enough in wood science to tell the difference in hardwood defects just looking at a stick of wood. Most defects like that will only show up after it's installed. So it's basically not your fault if in fact it does have that much shake in it.

There are lots of shakes in 3rd grade.Why did you choose this flooring? If it was because of budget, you got what you paid for.
Buyer beware. There are lots of deals out there.
You can cover the floor with area rugs if you want to go shoeless.
Hardwood floor contractors don't want to install such a low grade floor because if they have to inspect every single piece of flooring and grade out the defects it will take too long to get the floor laid. The bad boards should end up in a dumpster.

You can tell the bad boards by looking at them with experience. They don't just appear with a slight change of moisture content.
You should work on the floor removing all if necessary and start over.
Then again this floor may be what you can use.

Did anyone mention the words "tavern grade"? Thats usually sold as is. Basically its almost pallet material.

Sorry but no one mentioned it being 3rd grades. Yes I was on a budget, but had I known these things I would have never purchased this product. I assume the salesman I purchased it from did not know either or is just not fessing up. I have purchased flooring from this person for 3 houses over the course of the last 13 years and did trust him.

If it is this bad of a product, why would someone recommend me to put it in my entire house? Seems like someone did not know what the product was when selling it to me.

Thanks for everyones input. I meet with an attorney on Tuesday.
Jason

Hello,

Back to the top on this. Can someone please tell me what causes windshake? We have gone around with the supplier and they said it is because of the way it was put down. Others say it is in the wood and that it would have happened sooner or later no matter what. I have since had that floor removed and another maple character grade - finish in place - put down. This floor has had no issues.

Problem is I may need to go to court over this to try and recoup some of my costs and I cannot find anyone that will stand up and say what it was. I have over 150 pictures of the affected wood if anyone would like to see them.

Thank you,
Jason

Here is the definition of "shakes" or "wind shakes" from Dr. Gene Wengert, one of the best well known wood scientists ever to walk the earth. Take that to the bank and good luck.

http://blog.spib.org/shakes-checks-and- ... on-lumber/

Shakes do not belong in a residential floor.