Hardwood Floors October/November 2017

Understanding Seasonal Related Issues (Continued)

Dry Cupping: An engineered oor that has dry-cupped will o en return to its intended state once humidity levels have been returned to within manufacturer tolerances. In severe cases, the wear layer may delaminate from the core material when stresses exceed the strength of the adhesives used in the manufacturing process (known as ply separation) or when the stresses exceed the strength of the wood bers within the material itself (known as wood-shear). In these cases, the a ected boards must be replaced. Abnormal gaps: Even oors that have gone through a very high period of moisture absorption, then dried to leave abnormal gaps, can be repaired so that the gaps very nearly disappear. If the oor has a surface nish such as polyurethane, matching ller can be troweled into all gaps. When dry, the oor will likely need to be recoated. For larger gaps, inserting slivers may be necessary. In some cases, individual board replacement may be necessary.

Work with your customer to help them understand the di erent scenarios of how wood reacts during the various seasons in your geographic area. e only way to completely alleviate seasonal uctuations in wood ooring is to control the ambient conditions in the home. During the winter months, when the heating system is turned on, and the air dries out, the introduction of humidity to the home will not only minimize these e ects on wood products but will also assist in the overall health of the entire home. Brett Miller is VP of Education & Certification at the National Wood Flooring Association in St. Louis. He can be reached at brett.miller@nwfa.org.

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