We recently moved into our new construction home. We had engineered hardwood, made by Naturally Aged Flooring, put down throughout most of the first floor. Somewhere around 1600 sq/ft.

During construction, after the floor was put in, it was immediately covered with cardboard to protect it. I was told by one of the flooring installers that they would need to come back and touch up a few spots that got chipped etc. I didn't see this as a major concern at the time.

We have been moved in for a little over two months now. Upon a quick inspection after first moving in, we did notice some spots where the installers stained some chipping and so forth. Once again, we didn't think too much of it as the floor has a distressed look to it anyway.

However, we are now experiencing quite a multiple slivers popping up on the beveled edges. A few of these slivers (some up to 3 inches) have been caught in my four year old daughters socks as she runs around. At this point, I decided to do a much more detailed inspection of the floor and found A LOT of spots the floor that had been touched up by the flooring installers.

Once discovering this, I called Naturally Aged Flooring and they opted to send out an independent flooring inspector. The inspector came out and submitted his findings back to the manufacturer. The manufacturer notified the claims person at the supply house where I purchased the product.

I received word from the claims person at the supply house stating that the manufacturer will send out 10 cartons of flooring so that individual boards can be replaced. However, the manufacturer will not pay for labor since they feel that the damaged boards should have been tossed and replaced during the install.

My contractor and the president of the supply house is coming out to the house today to look at the floor.

My concern is that so many boards have problems that I think that the entire floor should be replaced. It's not like we are talking 10-20 random boards.

Maybe some of the "problems" I am seeing are acceptable and I am expecting too much. Some of the problems I am finding are small cracks (possibly checking), all of which are in pairs and run horizontally with one another on the top of the veneer. My concern is that is something snags on these cracks, it is going to pull up and break off a sizable piece of the veneer.

I have linked to a shared folder on my OneDrive account that contains some images of the flooring. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=2BEF2CBCE2951514%2112755&cid=2BEF2CBCE2951514

There is always a tendency to use all the material that is supplied to the job site.
Some grades need to have a more experienced installer who can remove borderline material before it is installed.
When material is rustic it is going to be very difficult to provide what the customer likes and what is safe. Have you ever had a hardwood floor before?
One of the characteristics that make a hardwood floor desirable is the ease of cleaning it because it has a smooth surface.

When you order distressed hardwood the manufacturer uses a lower grade wood than you would other wise get buying a nice smooth wood finish and they charge you more!!! Ka-ching$$$
Chiseled edges and saw marks are actually dangerous and the propensity of splinters is much higher than a smooth sanded plank.

floormeintucson,

I went with a distressed look for two reasons. First, I like the look. Second, we have a 4 year old daughter and will be having another kid at some point. I wanted the dents and scratches caused by us and the kids to simply blend into the floor.

Beyond the large splinters, I am also concerned with the small hairline cracks in the surface of the boards. At first I thought the boards were face checking. However, upon further inspection it seems that there is always a nail immediately to the right or left of these cracks.

After reading the thread below, it seems that the installer may have not properly seated the nail gun before nailing. It's inevitable that something is going to catch on these (socks, microfiber duster, etc.) and rip off a section of the veneer.

http://www.hardwoodflooringtalk.com/forum/pop-sounds-and-hairline-cracks-t7260.html

I have no less than 50 of these types of cracks in the kitchen alone. I have not completely inspected the living room, master bedroom, master closet or my office. However, there is no reason to doubt that this problem persists throughout the house.

I know that wood is going to get damaged here and there during the installation process. However, the type of damage that I am seeing seems excessive.


I have added additional photos to my OneDrive account if you would like to take a look.

Broken/cracked tongues are squeaky but cracks from the tongue would start at the edge not inside the edge. Dimples along the edges where it is fastened can usually be seen in reflective lighting.
I see a couple I'd want replaced but as far as the small lines I'd get a matching stain pen and fix them up. Like I said, distressed is basically a plank thats beat to heck and a lower quality veneer.

I have only found a handful of dimples. What would cause the small cracks, where the veneer is actually split and raised up (you can feel this with your finger) that are always right next to a nail / cleat?

Sometimes the nailer does not fit into the tongue like it should and the nail does not set it correctly. This may be from not using the right foot plate for the material. It may also be from the gun not setting the nail deep enough as it should. Being in a hurry can cause the nailer to be sloppy.

What was the brand of floor nailer?
Was this a hammer actuated nailer vs. a pneumatic one?

Pete,

I do not have that information as I was not there when the floor was installed. This was a new construction home so the GC handled all of the subs, etc.

Chris

This is important.

I believe that it was a pneumatic nailer.

A mallet actuated nailer like a power cleat nailer can bash the edges from being hit too hard. Some models do not have a wide enough plate that presses against the top of the planks to spread the force of the hammer that drives the cleat and at the same time pushes the plank against the others.