Hi folks.
I'm a remodeling general contractor in Seattle area with 30 years of experience but a newbie to this board specifically looking for opinions/input from people who live and breath Hardwood floors on a recent issue that has come up.
I have a problem client who unbeknownst to me prior to signing purchased a bunch of salvaged oak flooring that was pulled up from a local school gym with the intention of using it to save some money and do the green thing of reusing materials on an upcoming remodel to her 350sf den/office. Part of which cantilevers over an unheated crawlspace of an old porch which I'm converting in the addition . I was not aware at time of signing she had already purchased the goods and had them on hold at the salvage place until she neded it. My proposal allowed for all new materials and installed by my wood flooring sub.
From looking at the pallet she has on hold it looks like she has sufficient square footage based on the salvage companys handwritten note on the pallet that indicates it has like 450sf and there appears to be adequate thickness. But it's uncertain what percentage is actually useable due to visible busted tongue and grooves etc. The other thing that concerns me is the salvage store where she bought it has kept it inside a giant warehouse for an undetermined period of time that is not heated and during daytime/business hours keeps a giant 20'x20' warehouse door wide open. In Seattle here it is not uncommon to have anywhere from 14-17% humidity at anytime of the year. She is expecting the same kind of installation warranty as if the materials were new and I keep telling her that there is no way I'm going to warranty 60 year old flooring as if it was new.
No warranty is a no brainer to me and I'm holding firm. But am I correct in my assumptions about the moisture content in this stuff that's been stored open and in uncertain conditions could lead to problems down the road for her?
She also wants me to install it directly over an old fir floor that has been covered by carpet for at least 25 years.
I need some ammo to try and talk her out of this if you agree with me that it's a big gamble for her. I have very little financially at stake in terms of markup, etc but I do want to give her the best value for her money and still maintain my reputation.
Thanks
BjR
http://www.acarpenterinprivatepractice.com

I live to the south of you in Centralia, WA. It is very rare to have an oak floor as a gym floor. It is usually hard rock sugar maple. (Eastern Maple) I salvage, repair and reinstall a lot of old flooring and one of the biggest problems is the bottom of the groove breaking off as it is being removed. If the bottom of the groove is broken or weakened there will be nothing holding the groove side of the board in place. I don't see how you could possibly offer any warranty. You are going to be culling off a lot of damaged wood which means no end matching.

Depending on what care was used taking it up it's very possible you won't have enough usable material. If you do run short what is plan B to make up the shortage? New oak or maple won't match!

I would also be concerned about the moisture issue.

WE also have reinstalled a lot of reclaimed flooring, it is usually quite a bit more labor intensive as you need to check it thoroughly for damage and you may also need to clean the tongue and groove before installation. We have also ran into a lot more sanding to remove the overwood in the flooring. As for moisture i would certainly check it with a good meter and acclimate it properly(however i would have my reservations), definitely no warranty on the product.

Thanks for the two replies.
I questioned the issue of oak on a gym floor too but that is what the salvage company and she maintains. But questioning that is a mute point in the bigger issue of salvageability and moisture issues to me. I'll go back to the salvage place and see if I can determine what if any care was taken during the demo to keep the bottom of the groove intact. Again, not giving any warranty on it is a no brainer and a nonstarter for me. I'll probably end up charging her T&M with no warranty if she absolutely insists on using the salvaged materials.
Any thoughts on installing this salvaged stuff directly over the old fir T&G flooring?
I'll take my moisture meter with me when I go back to the salvage place. What is an acceptable moisture content I should be looking at before install. I'm asking my attorney to dial in a waiver that she agrees to no warranty and subsequent problems she might have if she uses it.

The only reason I mentioned oak vs maple is questioning if the salvage company actually knows what it is talking about.

A waiver and doing the job on T&M with no warranty seems like the only way to professionally do this job. Sometimes being green costs a lot of money

As far as installing over old T&G fir I would be concerned if the "new flooring" was installed in the same direction as the fir. I would cover the fir with 1/4 inch plywood to make it so if the fir moves the oak flooring doesn't expand and contract with it.