Hi everyone, I have visited this website before and benefited greatly from your inputs on the selection of the engineered hardwood floor, twice! Now unfortunately, I am experiencing troubles with my new hand scrapped engineer maple wood floor – there are one large area (1.5 ft by 10 ft) buckling up and many small spots buckling/generating hollow sound. The floor company manager stopped by briefly today, and will come back again with his installer for further inspection. After reading recent related posts in the forum (especially the one by Joshers and by Carole Cohen) , I was wondering whether you can help me with a few questions. First here goes a chronological recount:

Dec 2004: install Brazillian Cherry engineered hardwood, glued down to concrete slab (no moisture barrier was needed);
Jul 2006: a broken pipe flood my house and everything needs to be stripped down for rebuilt (emergency drying service has been conducted)
Jan 2007: install hand scrapped engineered maple, glued down to concrete slab, and they put some moisture barrier, only to “even out” some bumpy spots.
Jul 2007: We were away for 3 weeks. We didn’t turn the AC on (we are in Irvine, CA), but our neighbors stopped by briefly twice per week making sure things are all right. When we returned on Jul 21, we noticed these buckling/hollow sound issues.

My questions are:

1. Given that the floor company already failed once, I am not confident that they will get things done right the second time around, especially after seeing Carole’s post. So does it make sense for me to get an independent inspector at the beginning, paralleling to the inspection process by the floor company and its own installers? If so, where do you suggest to get such an independent inspector?
2. The manager mentioned injection for the small spots and reinstallation for the large area as possible solution. Does this sound right? Any other important things that need to be done?

Your kind help is much appreciated!

Ashley

1) You must allow the original contractor/installer the opportunity to make repairs. No one bats a 1000. Let them make any and all repairs. Write down all your concerns so when the supervisor comes, you can CALMLY go over them. Let him know you expect an excellent job and will not settle for mediocre. Talk in a calm yet firm tone of voice. Hysteria never works.

2) I doubt your floor is "buckling". It more than likely is hollow spots where the flooring is not attached well enough. That can be caused by many reasons. An injection method is one way to repair hollow spots.

If, after an honest attempt at a repair is made by the original contractor, the floor still has problems, I'd call the contractor back one more time to fix it. If he refuses, or cannot fix it, then you'll have to look at other avenues to address the problem. But cross those bridges when you get to them. Right now, let the first guy make the repairs.

Thanks for the quick reponse, Gary! I will work with these original guys, instead of jumping the gun.

Ashley

Closing the home up and leaving for 3 week is not a good thing, with thick sawn veneer engineereds. They act more like a solid, because of the thick wear layer.

Given the home was not acclimated during the summer, I would give the original contractor the opportunity to make the needed repairs.
The Engineered wood is more stable than a solid but has limits.

That's the first thing that crossed my mind reading this. Just because people aren't at home does not mean the inside environment controlling stops too unless you are taking the floor with you.

This all may be a coincecendence... but keep that in mind next time aw.

When you close the home up and leave, turning off all HVAC, you create a big greenhouse. The humidity levels build up inside the home. I have taken readings as high as 95%rH inside an unoccupied home, that had no power or gas turned on.

If these problems, hollow spots, did not exist prior to the vacation in July, and the homeowner had accepted the the floor and the job, it could have been the greenhouse effect Perry is suggesting. We do not know. But could that cause a floor well glued with a urethane adhesive ( I'm assuming ) to break it's bond in places?

Yes, it will shear. You have seen the pictures of buckled gluedown, I have posted. I have many.

Gary,
I don't know that the floor would De-Bond if a urethane is used.... From what I've seen;;; after the floor is down for a month or more, it takes a jack-hammer to lift it............
I've seen floors soaking wet and not lift with urethane adesives..................... So I kinda doubt it would lift.
Southern California gets hot, but not high humidity........ It is a desert down there.
Perry is used to Texas, near the Gulf.............. lot different environment than S. California.

If anything;; I think lack of air conditioning made an already existing problem become visible.

I still say let the original contractor do what he can to make the repairs.............