I'm about to install 400 square feet of engineered Santos Mahogany on my family room, but I really need some advice from the experts before it gets installed

I put together a few boards to check out the product, and I noticed that from certain angles, I can see some lines or "ripples (not raised)" that appear to correspond to the expansion cuts of the plywood underlayment. Is this normal? The manufacturer told me about these lines before purchasing it, but that they would go away fairly quickly. Because I was told that the lines would go away and since I got a very good deal on the product, I didn't question this much.

The expanision cuts go all the way trough the plywood layers and stop at the 1/8" solid wear layer. Is this normal? Other samples that I saw, the cuts went through a few of the bottom layers, but stopped at 1 or 2 of the top layers. Other than this "odd" thing, the product appears to be of very good quality.

Before I install the flooring, I would like to know if this is something to be concerned about, or if in fact, the lines will go away after the installation. I don't see how they would dissapear other than the glue would fill the cuts and that would eliminate the problem somehow?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like WFI or Kahrs mega strip.

They don't just go away.

It is most likely why you got a deal.

Thanks a lot for your input, Floorguy. Actually, it's neither of those products, but it would be inappropriate to name the vendor.

Have you seen or heard of this issue before and the lines never dissapeared? Is the problem due to the expansion cuts beeing too deep?

They may not go away as the surface is telegraphing whatever is below it....
Not to worry. Lay the floor, put in your furniture and soon you will not pay attention to it.
Wood is wood. And wood ain't perfect anyway.

Now that I know about the problem, I don't think that I'll be able to live with it. The room where the flooring would go is very open and well lit, so I think that the lines would become even more noticeable in a larger space. I would hate to be unhappy after it gets installed.

I called the manufacturer, and he acknwoledged that the visible lines are due to the cuttings underneath. He's willing to take it back, but it will be a major loss for me since I will have to pay for the expensive shipping cost.

I do believe that the lines are due to the cuttings going all the way through the plywood base layers, and that they probably wouldn't be apparent if the top layer had 1 or 2 "uncut" layers underneath it, but that's just my theory.

Pay the freight and be happy.
That product is designed to bridge low spots and "bend" with the differences in the slab surface.......
It has it's place.

It is also to reduce end peaking in a wet engineered with a solid core ply.

Bottom line, this is a bad manufactured product, right? I just can't see how it would be normal to see these kind of lines.

I'm going to take the loss, and send it back.

Ray has it. They're relief cuts that allow the flooring to flex. Practically all engineered products have them. There have been problems with some where the cuts go too deep causing the telegraphing effect. I'm lost as to why you have to pay for shipping on a defective product?

If you look hard enough you'll spot them in this pic....

I remember seeing them on Hartco's Pattern Plus 2000 series. I always thought it looked crummy. Not a defect structurally but when you can see those backside kerfs telegraphing through the face, it looks well, crummy.

I'm using 3/8 BR-111 and have no problems but the cuts are shallow. Those lines are unacceptable to me and I would get free shipping on the return or go somewhere else.

Ken, did the customer keep that floor or was it replaced?

The photos came from Sean in Orlando. We had nothing to do with it, but did drop the manufacturer a few years back for other problems.

http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... php?t=1494

Hi Ken,

I see the telegraphic effect on your picture, and that's exactly what I see with the flooring that I purchased. Were the lines very visible in the large setting, or where they something that you basically had to look for?

The (Chinese) manufacturer doesn't consider the product "deffective" and I'm sure that they will not cover the shipping cost. My biggest concern was that they might not take it back at all, so I'm glad that they will.

Now, I need to find out how much will it cost me to send it back. If it's outrageously expensive, I might get stuck with the product.

-Juan

Yeah you can definitely see them in that pic....what's up with the butt joints being so close Really like the black granite accent in between the pillars though

OK, this is how my problem looks like. I was thinking that down the road when the flooring gets refinished and the wear layer becomes thinner, wouldn't the telegrahing effect become even more noticeable?

My wife could live with the problem, but I really want to return it, but it will cost me around $400. I'm thinking of possibly taking some sort of legal action to ge reimbursed for the shipping, but will I have a case? I know that this isn't a legal forum, but is anyone aware of any kind of law that protects consumers in cases like these?