Going Gray
I got a call from a homeowner who just moved into his house and tried using his usual wood floor cleaning product (from a wood flooring manufacturer) on his wood floor. He said the floor started to turn gray. What would cause this?
Brett Miller, director of certification & education for the National Wood Flooring Association, answers:
It sounds like the existing finish on that floor was likely a penetrating oil finish. As these finishes are becoming more popular again, we're seeing more problems with homeowners attempting to use typical wood floor maintenance products on them and damaging their finish. Usually penetrating oil finish turns a grayish or milky color when it comes into contact with a standard wood floor cleaner. The solvents in these cleaners actually break down the waxes and/or oils and can damage the finish.
Once the damage is done, the good news is that it's usually relatively easy to repair the floor by re-oiling it with the finish. Once repaired, the floor must be maintained with the recommended maintenance product (often referred to by the manufacturer as a soap or oil). Many times these maintenance products are a derivative of the actual finish; they are designed to be part of the finishing system.
One way to identify a penetrating oil finish is by looking at the finish build on the floor. Penetrating oils won't appear to have very much build, because they soak into the wood. When in doubt, it's best to try any new maintenance product in an inconspicuous spot like a closet before cleaning the entire floor with it.
Barrier Guarantees?
I have a customer who wants me to install a solid wood floor in a room over a crawl space. It's insulated but not sealed over the ground. If I use the right underlayment will it create a barrier so there is no warping or movement in the floor?
Roger Barker, market manager-flooring at Fortifiber, answers:
When installing hardwood or any other flooring material always obtain, read and follow the floor manufacturer's written installation requirements. Those written installation requirements supersede underlayment) used during installation.
Generally a minimum 6-mil polyethylene over the ground in a crawl space is recommended by most floor manufacturers and the NWFA. In many areas, the building codes require one. The crawl space should also be properly vented following local codes, the floor manufacturer's installation instructions and NWFA Guidelines.
Usually a floor manufacturer will also require a vapor retarder, such as asphalt felt, over a wood subfloor, under the hardwood flooring. There are many such products available, but none will claim that their products "will create a barrier so there is no warping or movement in the floor." Over a wood subfloor, you do not want a "barrier" as it will trap moisture and may create other problems such as mold, rot and mildew. That is why the NWFA guidelines recommend a Class II semi-permeable (0.7? 1.0 perm) or Class III permeable (1.0?10) vapor retarder over a wood subfloor.
Underlayments are designed to meet industry standards and perform best when installation recommendations are followed. When it comes to wood flooring, if there is excessive moisture and the source of the moisture is not addressed, flooring issues are always the result, no matter which underlayment is used.
Getting Shorted?
I just installed a floor for a customer, and after looking it over he said that there seems to be a lot of short boards scattered throughout the floor. What can I tell him?
Glen Miller, a St. Louis-based industry consultant, answers:
Shorter boards are allowed in all grades of flooring unless you specify you do not want any, and in that case, you can expect to pay more for the flooring. Nearly all flooring today is sold either in boxes or bundles that are typically 7 feet in length. The amount of shorts allowed will depend upon the amount of longer boards you may have in the packaging. NWFA/NOFMA allows for boards to be as short as 9 inches in length. The lower the grade or appearance of the flooring is, the shorter the average board length will be for that specific grade or appearance. There is no set number of short boards; some manufacturers do limit the number of shorter boards while others do not.
A good installer will disburse these shorter boards where they are not as noticeable. If you end up with a large number of shorter boards in a small area, that usually indicates you did not work the shorter boards in as needed. Try to explain to your customers that with the lower grades or appearances of wood flooring, they will get more shorter boards, and the more short boards there are, the harder it is to disperse them throughout the floor so they aren't as noticeable.
