Hardwood Floors February/March 2017

BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES

By Kjell Nymark

Customer Corner

Troubleshooting Moisture-Related Situations

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In some cases, of course, the flooring itself is responsible, but most of the shrinkage and swelling problems with wood floors involve jobsite moisture conditions. These conditions cannot be controlled by flooring manufacturers, nor in many instances by sub-contractors responsible for installing the wood floor, unless interior humidity is maintained at proper levels. Testing and documenting of the flooring, subfloor, ambient temperature, and relative humidity is crucial for flooring contractors. What many contractors don’t realize is that complaints may come two or three years after installation. Having the jobsite information at the time of installation documented and readily accessible will go a long way in clearing the contractor of any wrongdoing. Simply stating that the jobsite was in good shape at the time of installation does not provide enough specifics if an inspection is needed. An installer is only responsible for the jobsite conditions for the time that they are at the jobsite installing.

Assessing the responsibility for hardwood floors affected by moisture is sometimes difficult because of the complexity of contributing causes, and because the source of the moisture is seldom obvious. It is often convenient for all parties to point the finger of responsibility at the flooring contractor, the distributor or the manufacturer of the flooring.

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