Hey Guys,

Here's an interesting one. A customer contracts with me to refinish their old ( 15+ yrs. old ) Hartco Pattern Plus Parquet floors. These are NOT the little 12 x 12 tiles but the larger patterns one could build with the Pattern Plus flooring. These floors were the original 2 ply 2000 series. I'm pretty sure the top veneer was about 1/8" thick, maybe 3/16" but no more. I've done many of these throughout the years without issue. Anyway, after the job ( I ending up subbing the labor to a guy I trained. He's good ), the customer calls and says the floors are "cupped"! Well, I'm pretty sure they aren't but I go out to see the floors. The client is looking at the floors where light is reflecting off of them and notices that every sq. inch isn't perfectly flat to the area around it. The flooring is a parquet with opposing grain and it's plain sawn red oak. I explain it is not possible to achieve perfection and that the floors were sanded, hard-plated and screened properly. IMO, they looked fine. They looked like a typical large pattern parquet. Now they complain that a few seams are uneven with the boards next to it. And when the run their hands across the floor, they can feel it. Experience tells me that the floor was sanded flat and even. But now, a few weeks later, the top veneer has moved a little. So while I have my theories on why, let's here yours. Try to poke holes in my theories. What I think:

I do not think it's an environment issue. I took RH readings and they were 47% at the time. Of course, the customers could be messing with the furnace, turning it off a lot. What I do think happened, is the veneer is less stable now that's it's thinner and more susceptible to any changes in climate. And, I think the adhesive that bonds the veneer to those oak fillet backers, is giving out somewhat. I believe this because I already repaired two areas where the flooring was delaminating and they found a couple of more. Also, a waterbased sealer and finish where used, which could have been a factor. But if it was, I would have thought that would show up right away, not weeks later.

Now I believe they are being extremely picky and I basically said their expectations of perfection were not within industry standards. The job is very nice but one can see the individual "pickets" outlined in places where they have moved a little. But only if one sees it in reflected lighting. I call then "finger nail catchers" because they are no more than average overwood of a well crafted pre-finished floor. I feel no responsibility to do anything for the following reasons.

1) It is an old floor. Most old floors I've worked on have some movement issues.
2) The work was done within industry standards, IMO.
3) The floor showed no movement till weeks later.
4) I gave detailed instructions in writing on care and maintenance.
5) While the RH was at 47% when I tested it, that doesn't mean it was maintained at that RH.

And in the end, they are being kinda "cheap" IMO. Expecting this thin veneered floor to last more than 20 years. IMO, most engineered floors have a limited lifespan. This floor was beat to death with gouges, stains and scratches, plus discoloration from years of misuse. We restored it to nearly new condition by sanding, staining and refinishing these floors. They look better than when the were new I'm sure. Now the customer is disappointed they're not perfectly flat "LOOKING", like a slab of granite or something.

Anyway, that's my opinion and take on it. No, I don't have photos. I'm not asking for opinions on quality of work. More about why you think this thin veneered floor may move like that and how would you have handled this call back. Thanks guys!

I try to always make the point that if you want "brand new" looking floors, you will have to put in "brand new" floors. This is not always the case, but I just finished a 1940's floor that had a lot of movement in the planks and had to explain this to them.

Peanut Gallery! I resemble that

Well geez, I'm limited with "hands on" s & f, but back in the day sold a ton of it.
Wasn't that old Pattern Plus impregnated ??? Now that I think about it, some was ,some wasn't .

That's one of the tough deals about s&f. I think no matter what you tell a customer, they always expect it to look like a piano. Not to mention what lighting does. I dont think you should of handled it different. This is just one example of the type of people we all deal with.

I think your theory is sound. But I think RH could enter into it as well. I figure dealing with Pattern Plus is not your typical. Here we have a thin modular with end grain all over the place. On top of that being sq. edge. Is it possible that the water base finish opened the grain on a thin ply? But after coated again , the ends were still more susceptable to moisture? Caused by RH swings, maintenance, or both? Or am I reaching. It just sounds logical to me, talking about the "fingernail grabbers".

Personally I don't think finishers should be responsible for the construction of the manufactured wood as in plys of fillet seperating. Only the surface of the finish. That said I believe NOFMA and the NWFA state that it is unrealistic to expect a piano finish.

It's when I hear stories like that is when I am glad I don't do finishing.

The fillets in the veneer are sawn, correct? And if its like most parquet flooring, then the majority are quartersawn to limit expansion/contraction throughout the field. So, you're going to get vertical movement instead of horizontal movement.....Sounds pretty normal to me.