I noticed 2 things: 1, poly cracking between floorboards that were not originally puttied (no need) - is that also due to expansion/contraction and should it be fixed (if so, how?) and 2, poly seemingly lifting/blistering on top of puttied area between floorboards - what causes that, and how to fix?
The contractor originally said that some of the putty vibrates out with sanding...shouldn't those areas have been reputtied? Is it normal for putty to come out with sanding?
Does the whole floor need to be refinished and if so, are there putties that work better with a maple floor? poly finishes that work better with maple floors? Or will it all happen again since maple "moves" so much and I can't control the humidity in the house?
Don't know what to do.
Thanks,
LG

Maple will shrink and swell quite a bit. What has happened is to be expected when the humidity is not held at consistent level. It is Maple, doing what maple does. It is best to do an oil on maple, because the shrinking, causes waterbased to stretch and turn white in the joints.

Yes, filler can vibrate out of joint cracks when sanding, IF there is excess movement of the boards, and/or cheap filler was used. The peeling of the finish on top of the remaining filler suggests that a filler designed for prefinished floor was used, or the filler wasnt allowed to dry completely before the first coat was put on. Could be other reasons too, but these are the most likely causes.
If the sanding and finishing of your floor are otherwise good, then use an adhesive caulk made by COLOR-RITE to fill in the gaps. This will remain flexible but strong so it will allow your floor to expand and contract with seasonal humidity fluctuations. If your floor is finished natural, use code #AE-10.
By the way, there is no such thing as "can't control the humidity", it just may require more effort or expense than you wish contribute.

Maple flooring, which is often finished in a light, natural color, shows gaps and cracks between boards more readily than many other types of floors. This is mostly due to it being so light in color but also, it is not very stable and subject to movement. As the other posters mentioned, either live with gaps and cracks, or maintain the RH and temp year round. It can be puttied and re-coated. I'm not sure if this would fall under a flawed installation however. You may have to pay for this service if:

1) you accepted the floor originally and it was fine at that time.
2) You did not maintain the flooring properly
3) It has been a year or more since the flooring was completed.

Filling between boards is nothing more than a band-aid fix,it will always crack out...I find that if you have cracks between the boards that you're better off not filling.....

Instead of filling don't you think he would be better off getting the moisture level where it should be? If he does that,it is possible that those crack will close up,unless he's talking 1/4" gaps

Hi,



Can I clarify something? As the quote suggests, on an old floor with gaps in between boards, is it not possible to sand, fill, and sand then seal and coat it too a flat, crack free finish?


Thanks.

Certainly you can acheive what you say. However, if the humidity level changes after you have done that, you will either get compression set on an increased humidity, or new gaps if the humidity drops.