installing Bruce Kennedale Maple strip (3/4" X 2 1/4") over 3/4" plywood and flooring joists. Prior to installation, I did a reasonable inspection of the subfloor and sanded some edges where the plywood panels met. After getting 3/4 of the way through installation, I noticed there were 2 strips that seem to tee-pee along their length (about 64"). These were the only 2. How much "crest" is acceptable and how is it checked? Should I stop and repair this? How do I prevent it moving forward?

More than likely, a seam in the plywood below is uneven and high, causing the flooring to peak right there. If that is the case, and you haven't laid anymore wood in front of those peaked boards, remove those boards and flaten the high spot by sanding/grinding. It also could be caused by overlapping the flooring felt/paper or dirt/dust/debri under the paper. Best to correct it now, while you can. The peaking won't "move forward" unless you continue to overlap the felt paper. On prefinished flooring, I either use the thinner Aquabar building paper OR butt the heavier felt together instead of overlapping it.

Thanks, Gary. Actually there are about 12 rows already installed beyond it. What is considered "acceptable" by professional standards? Are minor fluctuations in flatness considered "common" or even a desireable sign of true solid strip?

There aren't any professional standards like that. The subfloor is supposed to be flat and the wood floor on top is supposed to be flat. So I'd say it is unacceptable, professionally. But if it is your house and acceptable to you, then that is all that matters. The floors are nailed down and not going anywhere and only the rudest of guests would critisize their host's floors.

Gary, what do you mean by "overlaping felt paper" as the possible cause for this problem. I thought you were supposed to overlap the edges by 4" or so. No??

--Brian

On UNFINISHED 3/4" flooring, yes, one normally overlaps the #15 asphalt felt. But on factory finished flooring, the little ridge in the lapping of the felt can transfer to the surface OR make installing some boards hard. That is why, on FACTORY, PREFINSHED flooring, if using #15 asphalt felt, butt the seams instead of overlapping them. You can substitute Aquabar "B" by Fortifiber and overlap that as it is a much thinner paper and will not create a ridge when overlapping.
http://www.fortifiber.com/pdf/data_shee ... abar_b.pdf

If you install your lumber at 90 deegrees to the felt you could still overlap and 3/4 inch wood should span it with no problem right?

Thats what Ive always been told(lol Ive always used craftpaper-auqabar so its never been a problem to me).

Steve

You're absolutely right! My issue with doing it that way is that you need to lay out all the felt for the room. And if it is a big room you cannot cover and nail down in a day, the felt ends up all wrinkled, dirty and torn. I prefer to lay just enough felt that I can cover in a day. But that's just my personal preference.

One more question to "hammer" this home. As an engineer myself, I deal in measurements. Is there a standard meaurement for finished flooring flatness. If so, what is it and how do you meaure it?
Thanks

No standard per se that I am aware of except that subfloors are to be flat to 3/16" in a 10' radius. We typically use a straight edge to check flatness. Any long, straight, non flexing material will do. A good 2x4 that isn't twisted or warped, metal is prefered, a 6'+ door level, etc. will check for flatness. On a completed floor, if one places a straight edge on the floor and there is any rocking, it's probably not flat enough. Or if the straight edge straddles two high spots and there is noticable gapping in the middle under the straight edge, it's not flat.

I would like to attach a picture but I do not know how. Please advise.[img][/img]

between the type in the url of where the picture is store..

OK, here's the picture. How does it look? Will this reduce the "resell" value or does it look too minor?

[img]http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/edwardlaplante/Picture312.jpg[/img]

FWIW, it took me a bit of time to find the flaw in your picture, and I was looking for it. Since you ar 12 rows past the flaw, I'd be inclined to call it a lesson learned and ignore it.

Just for fun, let's see if we all agree on what boards in this picture are the peaked ones rookie is talking about. I say, starting from the lower left corner, count out the rows and the peaked boards are courses 8 and 9. Anyone agree or disagree? Which boards do you see that are peaked up?