Case Studies on Wood Flooring

We have many case studies and these will be added as they appear from actual cases where clients have had horrendous experiences.

When you look to have a wood floor fitted you must ensure you are employing a professional floor fitter. When the phone rings a local builder or fitter will say great more business. You say can I have a quote please or free estimate as you obtained their name from a friend or local directory. The builder says great of course, no problem, sure!

Getting these sorts of call is good for business but what people forget is that sometimes it can be a call from a customer with a complaint, which is a costly exercise for both parties.

The story can go like this: You fitted my floor some months ago and now the floor is cupping, showing cracks, buckling. The floor looked perfect when installed and neither the customer nor installer has understood why it now look awful like something in some decrepit pub.

Moisture can inflict a number of changes to the state of a wood floor and people including sometimes so called professional wood floor installer do no favours for the wood flooring industry or themselves.

It is vitally important to understand what the consequence are and that by an improper installation, lack of care and maintenance by the owner can lead to a total misconception about the value and beauty of a natural oak floor or any other type of hardwood floor.

For wood flooring professionals, it’s important to inform end users about the normal behaviour of wood in relation to moisture. Most solid wood flooring will contract during periods of low humidity (usually during the heating season), sometimes leaving noticeable cracks between boards, or else expand during periods of high humidity. To help minimize these effects, users can stabilize the environment of the building through temperature and humidity control. No one should be left with an impression that wood floors are more troublesome than other types of flooring. If we want to look after our environment then everyone should have a wooden floor as it is only the sustainable option available with a very low carbon footprint.

The publication “Water and Wood” (which is one of the best we have found) from which we have taken extracts provides an overview of how water and wood don’t mix — and what to do if they do. Spotting any potential moisture problems, and taking the proper steps to avoid them, is the path to the most-serviceable floor. Fortunately, many of the instances that involve moisture can be mitigated before, during or soon after installation. A well-performing wood floor is often the result of an installer taking the proper time and care necessary for a successful installation. It involves knowledge of:

• the expected moisture content of wood flooring in a particular area after acclimation