We had about 1000 sf of engineered maple glued down over concrete about 2 months ago. Installer recommended leveling of subfloor (house is new construction) - he grinded some areas and applied quick dry concrete to others. He also recommended applying sealant for moisture (moisture was 6%) so we paid for (and he did) that too. I just noticed some of the unfinished sides/corners of the floor boards are popping up a bit and becoming visible, several boards are split in half, and many other boards are beginning to split. The board splitting is not limited to one section - it's happening throughout the install area. The floor also doesn't feel level in certain spots, especially where the boards seem to be coming up a bit (very slightly). Any ideas as to what the splitting could be caused by? We'd greatly appreciate any help you could give us. Thanks!

Which glue did he use???

Take a humidity reading inside your home!
Then tell us what that reading is, and the temperature inside your home.

Do you live in Arizona?

Damp mopping will cause the edges to rise, the wood is expanding due to moisture more than likely can be from the glue or the cleaning ladys mop or something along that line....

I think he used Bostiks.

I don't think it could be my cleaning of the floors because I only use the product the installer recommended - the Bruce cleaning kit. And I haven't even used that too much because it doesn't get dirty (no kids, and not much foot traffic downstairs).

I live in southern California. I have the A/C set at 75. I don't know the humidity level but I will check on it.

Whenever there is a problem with a new installation, I always recommend the owner contact the installer promptly. The installer should make arrangements to come and check on the floor right away and to discuss the problem(s) with the owner. I/we can speculate on what the cause may be but we can't see it or measure it like someone in person so you need to have it examined. Since you're in CA. (so am I), I hope you hired a licensed contractor. If you have problems with your contractor not responding, you can file a complaint with the license board. But let's hope that it doesn't come to that. The causes of your problems could be: lack of flooring acclimation, improper maintenence, improper storage of materials, faulty material, excessive moisture in the environment, etc. So without examining the floor, it's kinda hard to make a determination. Get your installer over there to look at it is the best advice right now.

Thanks for your advice - I did contact the installer. They're sending out the manufacturer.

I know they didn't acclimate the wood for long - they brought it to my house, sat in the garage overnight, and was installed the next day.

problem 1



problem 2

I am not quick to blame the installer until I know the facts but those are no no's with wood floors. Did they do a moisture test; I would imagine areas of so cal are pretty humid. Left to set in the garage they will absorb moisture. Here in FL it is a definitely recipe for disaster.

In reading the original post, I get the impression there is deflection and thse areas have splitting and raised edges? You said "floor does not feel level in some spots"? Maybe movement is causing distress? Other than that, the other posters have moisture covered.
Ray