Though you highly recommended Anderson Floors, we had nothing but problems with their product and their warranty. We live in Arizona where the relative humidity is low, particularly during the summer months, and we find it impossible to maintain a humidity level or 40 to 55 percent in the summer time. We, of course, use a humidifier in the winter months, but using one in the summer defeats the purpose. Our entire floor is checking and they will not warrant it. My question is what could I replace it with and how is it possible to maintain the humidity level they require in their warranty in Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California ?

There are some climates that wood, does not perform well.

That is why you see a lot of tile, and adobe, or cement construction, in those climates, if they wanted it to last.

You really have to expect some checking. Being a native Tucsonan I tell people get a humidifier or three. It may not be possible to keep the Rh up to manufactures specs but least it helps. Hey, it's good for the furniture and your sinuses.

The worst floor you can install out here is bamboo, although stranded is better. Get some solid mesquite. Theres a mill in Benson AZ.

I think that Anderson's engineered flooring is just junk. The entire floor (over 1000 sq ft) is affected. I have asked a dozen wood flooring manufacturers and distributors why they sell wood flooring in areas where it is impossible to maintain a 40 to 55 percent humidity and they never give me an answer. We have always used a humidifier in the fall, winter and spring, but using one (or three humidifiers, as you recommend) would not be a very smart thing to use in the summer months, when the air conditioning is on.
Because of all the problems that we have had and because we were never warned by the Mfg or the Distributor that we would have a problem because of our dry climate, I am now on a mission to warn everyone about this problem with wood flooring.

Thank you for recommending the solid mesquite. I will check it out.

I thought I'd posted this to you before, maybe on another thread but...I would be totally surprised that Anderson did not specify ambient temps and Rh in your home before during and after installation. Usually it is in the install guidelines. I have even seen it on the outside of the box from certain Chinese manufactures now. Manufactures started doing this a couple years ago at the very least. It could also be in the maintenance part of your literature that comes in the box.

Your right though, you can't maintain RH here up to that level in which most manufactures specify. However anything helps. I have been back to several jobs of mine where the client has placed one two even three humidifiers and the flooring is fine, even Chinese made hardwood of BC.

It also depends on the cut of the wood. In the older parts of Tucson around the UA there are quartersawn Oak floors that have no evidence of checking what so ever and some are over 80 years old. Plus many are nailed directly to the joists over crawl spaces with plain ole dirt. So therefore your claim that all wood can't be mainted here in the desert is misleading.

I wonder if you purchased an exotic species perhaps? Thats where you need to be more careful.

Yes, it is in there, had to satisfy my curiosity, see page four in After Installation and Seasonal Operation:

http://www.andersonfloors.com/pdf/insta ... eneral.pdf

35 to 55 % RH before, during and after installation. Can't get much plainer than that Mam. You should take out your anger on whoever sold it to you without explaining this to you. Anderson is a quality product. Not every home is suitable for a wood floor.

Keep in mind that we are not wood flooring experts. We are just consumers. We listen to what the manufacturers and distributors tell us and they never told us that we MUST maintain that specific humidity at all times. The installers never tested the humidity when they installed the floor or after. Keep in mind that this floor was installed in October of 2006 and the checking started within six months of installation. We have been fighting Anderson ever since.

I am not surprised, that you, like everyone else we have asked, did not answer my question..... How do you maintain a humidity level of 35 to 55 when the air conditioning is on? We have no problem maintaining that level during the times that we do not use the air conditioning, so If this Humidity level is impossible to maintain in dry climates when using the air conditioning, than wood floors should not be sold here or other areas of the country where low humidity is a natural occurrence. We also learned that this floor (which Anderson has discontinued due to so many problems) was manufactured by a rotary peel method (not sure of the spelling) and a checking problem is a manufactures defect.

You also do not know the entire story regarding Anderson. Several years ago, Anderson sent out a half dozen reps to examine the floor and at one time approved a replacement, but than changed their mind and said no. They actually denied ever saying that they would, even though their distributor rep and the installer, Arizona Hardwood, were aware that they originally approved the floor to be replaced. Anderson could care less that several people, besides us, know the truth. This situation has been going on for several years. Unfortunately, we can't afford to pay a $3,000 retainer to an Attorney to take on Anderson, so I will continue to voice my opinion of Anderson in every venue that I can.

I said that not all houses are suitable for wood floors Elaine. There are some houses in certain climate regions that cannot be climate controlled without spending untold sums of money. I firmly believe that. Take your anger out on whoever sold and installed this floor for neglecting to notify you of this. If you had been one of my clients you would have been taken care of long before now on my dime.

I am a flooring contractor, with a century home that other than some cosmetic improvements, is near original. It is an impossible task to maintain proper conditions in this home, yet I have a variety of different Hardwood floors. All react to some degree to the climate in my home, with one failure. An exotic wood that I should never have installed in the first place.
I firmly believe that your expectations are greater than what a wood floor can provide. Have you considered painted concrete?
Further, it would be an impossible task to provide the end user of ANY product of all the ramifications involved in using it.
As a consumer, it is YOUR responsibility to determine the suitabilty of anything before using it.
All manufacturers provide gereral information, they cannot foresee all the varying site conditions their product may be used in.
I am sure there are many hardwood floors successfully in use in your neighbourhood.
If you were not advised of humidity limitations of wood flooring, then your argument should be directed at the seller, not the manufacturer.
Any responsible flooring contractor, if he failed to provide this basic information, would have certainly stepped up long ago to make you satisfied. Even if the only resolution would be to remove the flooring and refund your money.

I do have one additional thought, in regards to your unanswered question. The humidity can be increased, even during your dry hot season with the air conditioner running full time. There are both simple, and complex (costly) methods of doing this.
In our showroom and open office space (about 6000 sq. ft. in one area) we air-condition with two roof top high efficiency systems. To replace the moisture lost by this system, we are looking at a simulated waterfall of granite, with concealed fans to blow through the falling water and distribute airbourne moisture throughout the space. This elaborate system should work fine to maintain the humidity levels in a comfort zone.
Portable humidifiers WILL work for you but will require extra expense for hydro since the two systems will work against each other to a degree.

I mistakenly said that our current Anderson Floor was installed in 1998. It was installed in 2006. The reason for the mistake, was that Anderson replaced our original floor that was installed in 1998. It had the same problem with the checking, although it was much worse. After fighting them for several years they replaced the floor with the same exact type of floor, but in engineered Oak instead of Pecan. We were told at that time that the Oak should hold up much better, but were never told specifically that we MUST maintain a 35 to 55 percent humidity level at all times. Within six months (and these were the winter months here in Arizona) We started to notice the checking eventhough we were, in fact, keeping the humiditly at the correct level. This was possible because it was the winter months and we were not using the air conditioning.
Many comments on this site, including yours, have been sarcastic and not at all helpful to the average consumer. I was not surprised,however, because it seems that Mfg., Distributors, and Installers only care about making a buck and not really concerned that they are selling or installing a poor quality product. As I mentioned before, Anderson has discontinued the product that we have in our home, because of all the problems with it and we are now faced with, not only the expense of removing this defective floor ( which will be $2,000 to $3,000 because it was glued down) but also the cost of a replacement.

My reason for going on this site was to get come answers as to why wood flooring is sold here and also to warn consumers of this problem with wood floors installed in dry climates. I plan on writing to every Better Business Bureau in every state (with similar humidity levels) that Anderson sells their product in, warning every consumer that is considering installing an Anderson product. We were not treated fairly by Anderson. I am a recently retired consumer who now must come up with the money to replace their defective product. The only satisfaction I can get, is the fact that they may loose some business.

Thanx for your reply Elaine and I have to agree that that comment was out of line. Sorry for that and will try to be more vigilant in these kind of matters.

We do have may people that provide great information on their own time, and the odd one does make comments that are not helpful. I hope you are able to resolve this issue with Anderson to your satisfaction.

Keith
Site Admin

Oh so now it's 2006? I believe they had Rh requirements in their literature then. Did you actually read it?

I take offense to that statement we only care about making a buck. I educate all my clients on this subject. Some get humidifiers and some ignore it then complain later like you.

I don't think you answered my question about your getting any sort of humidifier in your house either. Seeing that your still having this issue after Anderson bent over backwards and replaced your FIRST floor I bet you didn't so anything of the sort!



Thats what I thought, you have not installed any sort of humidifier. What do you expect to happen. It's DRY out here even in winter we have single digit Rh. Good Lord woman.

If you would have read all of my posts, you would know that we have used a large muti-room humidifier the entire time. Our humidifier actually registers the current humidity at all times during the day and it never goes below the required humidity level unless the airconditioning is on. I mentioned this several times and I had asked how you maintain the required humidity level when the air conditioning is on. The air conditoning is sucking the moisture right out.
I stated that we had no problem maintaining the humidity level when they installed the second floor because it was installed in the fall and we used THE HUMIDIFIER alone or with WITH THE GAS HEATING when we needed it.
The literature you mentioned was only given to us AFTER they installed the floor. It came in the box that flooring came in. The company that installed the original floor(Mesa Hardwood who went out of business right after they installed the floor) They NEVER mentioned that we need to maintain that required humidity level for the warranty and when Anderson replaced the original floor they never said anything about the humidity either.

You sound like you have stock in Anderson. You could care less that we must now come up with two to three thousand to remove their defective floor and also pay the cost to replace their defective floor.

To reiterate, Anderson is a large multi million dollar business. We, on the the other hand, are just consumers (recently retired) who rely on what we are told about a product and because we do not have the $3,000 a attorney requires for a retainer. Anderson is laughing their way to the bank and we are screwed.