We just moved into a new house and had flooring installed by a "professional installer". They delivered 3/4" plank Hawa Brazilian cherry in boxes wrapped in plastic into two large piles on Tuesday. Never unwrapped the boxes or opened them. Then installed 600sq ft of tile on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, they installed the BC. I noticed that there were only about 4 boards rejected during the entire process. It has been a week and we are starting to see some gaps between planks which I think are probably normal. Not sure if I should expect these to get worse. What has got me worried is that there are some hairline cracks in some of the planks at the ends. I pulled out the Hawa installation instructions and they say to open each box and let acclimate for at least 72 hours.

When I first interviewed the installer, he did say that he was going to open the boxes, but he never did. Before he started the install on Friday, I asked him if he checked the humidity and if the wood was properly acclimated. He said that all was OK. I've caught him in a couple of lies so I'm not sure what to think.

Help - He is asking for the remaining balance owed. At this point, I'm not experienced enough to know if we will have trouble down the road since he didn't acclimate the product correctly. If I pay him, I know that I will never see him again. Yikes.

Any suggestions?

Your in a Catch 22, situation.

Bring it to his attention and be firm that he didn't properly acclimate the product, as is required, along with acclimating it with wet trades being done which raises the humidity inside the enclosure. Now that the flooring has been laid your seeing gap appear, because the wood is now losing that moisture it gained and is shrinking. Wait till winter and the heat being on for a couple of weeks and your going to see further drying and shrinkage, if your already noticing it.


Ask for his drivers license to write down all the information you need to contact him, in the next year, before you write his final payment. If he is honest and wants to get paid, then he will give you his drivers license, so you can write down all his information, including the DL #

If the installation was done correctly, would I see gaps already? Also, in the foyer, there is a curved staircase. The boards that go along the curved wall were top nailed. Many are splitting where the nail was driven and the crack extends past the shoe molding. Is there a right way to nail those last boards?

There are a few boards in the middle of the room that have defects and will need to be replaced. What is the proper procedure for board replacement? Are those replaced boards more likely to cause problems down the road.

One last question - The boards that have hairline cracks starting at the ends - should they be replaced. What are the chances that the cracks will get longer?

Thanks much for your advice.

I generally have high regard for Floorguy's opinions, but this time I disagree with him. I don't think you're in a catch 22, and I don't see the value of asking for the installers DL info.

If it were my house, I would be upset. He clearly did not follow the installation instructions or normal procedures. The face nailed ends at the stairs should have been predrilled ... it would have taken less than a minute per board.

If you're not happy, don't pay. Once you write the final check you have no leverage. Maybe you should tell him you are witholding the final payment until a qualified inspector can look at the floor. Get someone who has no financial or emotional interest in the project.

I agree, don't pay him yet. Ask him straight out what his remedy is. You will probably need to bring in an independent wood flooring inspector.

The reason I said Catch 22, is because, if they don't pay him, he is going to file a lien on the property, and file a lawsuit for payment.

Yes, he needs to address the corrections and ease any of there concerns, with facts.

A moisture meter, hygrometer, and a micrometer or a 1/64th scale ruler, are going to be the tools to determine if there are real concerns, or a gun shy consumer.

It would actually be to the HO's benefit if the installer filed a lien. Just filing the lien does nothing ... it has to be perfected, and that means the installer has to prove that the money was witheld without cause. Same for a lawsuit. Make him prove the floor was installed properly.

Hilton,

You are sorta right about mechanics liens. A lien does need to be "perfected" by filing suit in the allowed time limit. However, while the lien is on the property, it does show up as a lien which could make selling or refinancing the property difficult. Only a court or the person who filed the lien can remove it. Also, IMO, I think you have it turned around. In a court, the installer only needs to prove he and the customer had a contract to pay him X amount and that he performed his end of the contract. Since it is the customer who is reneging on the contract terms by not paying, it is incumbent upon them to prove his work was below industry standards. He doesn't have to prove he did a good job. The customer has to prove the worksmanship was flawed and resulted in a financial loss (cost) to the consumer. This is where expert testamony comes into play. I wanted to mention this in the interest of justice. Our court system is based on innocence till proven guilty. Yet, in home improvements, it often seems to be the opposite. The poor contractor is accused of doing something wrong and the homeowner then with holds payment until that contractor performs all the requests of the homeowner, valid and otherwise. I agree it is simplier to just take care of any simple requests a customer may ask for but to insinuate that the "customer is always right" and is justified in with holding payment until the contractor makes them happy isn't very fair either. There are people who will take advantage and the contractor needs to learn to identify those who are out to get something for nothing. BTW, I am not saying this job is flawless or even acceptable. I am saying we have only one side of the story. I agree that an impartial third party expert should be called in to inspect the work.

Good points Gary. IF (big if) the one side we are hearing here is correct, then it should be easy for the HO to prove his point: the installer did not follow published manufactuerer instructions. And I agree there are way too many customers who seem to make a habit of cheating the contractor.

But the contractor is supposed to be the professional, the expert in his chosen field. Hopefully the contractor has done several similar jobs, and has much more knowledge than the customer, who might encounter this type of work only once or twice in their lifetime. That puts the customer at a distinct advantage, and there are many unscroupolous contractors who take advantage of naive homeowners. That's why the "system" is slanted in favor of the homeowner.

From whom did you purchase this material? The installer?

Please describe the supposed defect in the boards you expect to be replaced for free.

Hairline cracks? HAWA? geez.

T'would have been better had they full spread around the staicase in lieu of top nailing, but top nailing is par for the course in this business. No one but a halfwit would suggest that men drill holes and aim their stick nailers at them.

Care to rephrase this. As it is, kinda doesn't make sense. I agree the contractor is "the pro" and should know better. However, haven't you ever been called to task over some minute imperfection that a homeowner "feels" is wrong? Now who's the professional? You and I both know floors aren't furniture but explain that to the basket case house wife who insists that the floors should look like her dining room table. This is where the true pro knows what to say and how to back up their position. Ever walk into a job where the customer has placed little post-it's everywhere over the floor. They've crawled around on their hands and knees for the last two days looking for the smallest of flaws.With this kind of customer, I read them the facts and then, lean on them hard. No pay, then I lien it. And I'll win in court.

They are worried the the product wasn't acclimated, right?


What if this smart installer had a hygrometer, and a moisture meter as he should. Would if he knows how to use the two tools and determined the wood and the subfloor to be right on the money, for the ambient conditions of the installation area, at the time of installation.

And only a half-wit would try to nail-gun a fastener into a predrilled hole when the proper method would be to hand drive those few nails.

Gary, I'm taking the original post at face value ... assuming that the facts as presented are correct. That is, the installer failed to properly acclimate the boards, which might have contributed to problems with the finished product, and those problems are sufficient enough to cause the job to be unacceptable to a professional inspector.

Maybe it's as you say, the customer is Chicken Little and the sky is falling.

The point of my previous post is that the contractor is supposed to know the right way to do a job, and the homeowner blindly puts faith in him to perform per industry standards.

Please explain in detail, exactly what acclimation is, and what determines acclimation?


How do you know when acclimation is acheived?