Hardwood Realities
Following our installation guidelines, quickly removing the excess moisture in the new home, and keeping the long-term relative humidity as close to 40% as possible, will greatly reduce your chance of callbacks. However, some customers have unreal expectations.
Reality #1
Wood is a natural product and is infinitely variable, with no two pieces alike. Hardwood flooring is manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards that permit a defect tolerance not exceeding 5%.
Reality #2
Wood is a hygroscopic material. This means that, when exposed to air, it will pick up or lose moisture. Moisture loss causes wood to shrink; moisture absorption will cause wood to swell. Wood will not shrink or swell equally in all directions. It is normal to have large spaces between boards above heating systems and heat duct runs. Wider widths will shrink and expand more per piece than narrow ones. It is normal in the dry heating season to have spaces between boards the thickness of a dime (1/32”) in 2 ¼” wide flooring. Tarion guidelines state that seasonal spaces between boards cannot exceed 2mm, which is the thickness of a toonie.
Reality #3
Many customers have undersized humidifiers and dehumidifiers that will not keep the relative humidity in the recommended range, but feel they are following the guidelines. Many homeowners believe that an HRV is a magical machine that automatically controls the humidity in their home. Unfortunately, it will not control the humidity at this time. An HRV is only an air exchanger; it removes stale air from inside the home and exchanges it with fresh air from outside the home. In the winter months, it will bring in dry air from outside, so interior humidification is necessary. In the summer months, it will bring in humid air, so it must be turned off. If not used properly, your HRV can actually be harmful, causing damage to your floor (excessive drying or absorbing excessive moisture).
Reality #4
New floors will have a snap, crackle, and pop sound when walked across. When walking back over the same boards, the sound is gone. This is more prevalent near larger windows where the sun comes in and is totally normal.
Reality #5
All imperfections must be visible from a standing position in any light. It is unreasonable when homeowners tell you to come at 3 pm on a sunny day as that is the only time the blemish is visible, or get on their hands and knees with a 5,000,000 candlepower flashlight.
Reality #6
Dark shiny floors are more prone to callbacks, especially dark stains on light colored wood. When the flooring shrinks during the heating season, the light-coloured wood on the tongue shows through, giving a striped look. Although very stylish, the slightest scratch or dent will be noticeable and should be mentioned during the selection phase. This is not a good choice for clients with pets, young children, or people who will not control humidity.
Reality #7
Occasional squeaks and creaks are normal, especially in high-traffic areas. They can come and go as the seasons change.
Reality #8
Finishing the basement ceiling before the subfloor moisture content is within 2% of the hardwood flooring will cause the hardwood flooring to cup and will remain cupped (Can last 3 years & up). There is no airflow, which is needed to pick up and remove this moisture. The trapped moisture in the joists and subfloor migrates to the hardwood.
Reality #9
Our finish is 2 to 3 times as thick as most of our competitors. It also has a high content of solid titanium oxide particles, which gives us a finish we can warranty for 40 years, but has less elasticity in it, making it more important to get the new home moisture removed as soon as possible.