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• Can humidity in subfloor cause overwood? Or is it installation issues?

Can humidity in subfloor cause overwood? Or is it installation issues?

Q: Can humidity in subfloor cause overwood? Or is it installation issues? I have several examples in my newly installed floor, plus several cracked boards. Some of the tongues at install were observed to be severely fractured, with multiple staples piled on top of each other. Also, the incorrect fasteners may have been used.

The contractor is blaming subfloor/basement humidity (floor is on first level above the basement), but I think it is a bad installation.

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Q: I had engineered oak floors installed in October. They are tongue and groove, and were laid as a floating floor in my condo. Now, some of the boards have separated on the edges. The separation is around 3mm or so. What could be the cause?

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Q: I have recently installed tongue and groove spruce floors. The boards shrunk a bit so there are grooves between most of the boards. I have applied a mixture of 1/2 stain 1/2 Waterlox to the wood but am wondering what you would suggest to use as a final coating that would give a harder finish and also fill in the grooves? 

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Q: We purchased a brand new home in April 2010. Since then, every time we walk on the hardwood flooring, on the outer walls it makes cracking and creaking noises. Why is it doing this? It is very loud and what I would imagine a 100 year old home with hardwood flooring would sound like.

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Q: I installed hardwood flooring on the main level and the top level of a new home as well as a hardwood staircase. The install was in Nov 2013. The floor on the main level is showing areas of gaping and splitting and so is the staircase. There is a lot of shrinkage in the trim and mouldings as well as some shrinkage in the kitchen cabinets and the solid wood cupboard doors in the same areas of the house.

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