Q: I have pre finished Oak floors. Within 2 months the finish started cracking and splitting. They blame the crawl space; but it’s dry, and the floors that are in the upstairs level are doing the same thing. What would cause finish cracking and splitting?
At one point I overheard the term “wind shakes.”
A: I think the company that installed the floor should get a representative from the manufacturer to meet at your house. It can be expected that if moisture levels in the air are too low, boards will develop gaps, and if extremely high, expand and possibly cup the floor. I don’t know why this would have any effect on the finish itself, especially since each board is individually finished. If it was finished on site and there was major shrinkage, the finish would stretch to it’s limit and finally break on the edges, but this would not effect the rest of the finish on the board.
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