We asked wood flooring pros about their best practices for preventing moisture issues on their wood flooring jobs. Here are some of our favorite responses shared by our readers on the WFB Facebook and Instagram pages.
Joe Dawson
Lots of inspection, knowing what works where and why. Then using the best in technology available from the HVAC to the correct insulation to the proper subfloor prep and sealer to proper glue and nail schedule.
cottonwoodfinishesllc
Every project is documented with daily photos. All new installs get photos of moisture measurements in every room, and the number of bundles are also documented. Every job gets its own Google Photos album. You can send links to employees to upload photos. No monthly fee, and my annual storage costs $10.
Troy Stanfield
I use Berger Seidle Primer P but have also used MAPEI Mapeproof Turbo 1K or Bona R540 on my subfloors. More important than the exact brand is getting a good even coverage and following the manufacturer's guidelines to the letter to avoid problems.
John Booth
Bona warranties if there's no standing water and you put two coats of R540 down and trowel glue a floor, moisture will almost never be an issue from below. So we use two coats of it before we trowel on our glue.
Woodman Flooring
I start with the NWFA pre-installation checklist and go from there to collect and document site conditions and get to know the potential challenges before any wood gets ordered or things spiral later. Do the due diligence!
Joe Lembke
It starts with a pre-site inspection of the job site with the homeowners or GC and employees. Establishment of baseline moistures in subfloors, trim and wood products along with RH in the structure is very important. We explain the EMC, go over the manufacturer's guidelines with the client and sometimes measure board widths depending on species. If we are confident the environment stayed consistent at the start of the install from our initial testing, we install the product.
Charlie Downs
Test, ask questions and collect data.
Mikie White
I use Wakol PU280 or Bostik Roll-Cote.
woodtolove.es
We use advanced RH and ambient temperature monitoring systems, control the dew point and verify substrate moisture with precision RH tests. Each step is documented with photos and videos, and the data is shared with our clients to ensure transparency. For premium projects, we install sensors beneath the wood for ongoing monitoring. We also request full documentation on pipe testing and the radiant heating system start-up to ensure everything is thoroughly controlled.
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