Floor Contractor Problems – Finding Cracks and Fractures between Boards

Question:

I have recently completed a job with very difficult and picky clients who now find fault with quite small and isloated areas where the finish has fractured (cracked, delaminated) at the joint between boards. The floor is 3/4″ x 4″ select white oak and the finish is one stain and two poly, probably the first coat glass and definitely the second coat satin. I have subcontracted the finish on countless floors like this and never had a problem. Incidentally, now, in the end of March, when one often sees the most extreme end of seasonal shrinkage in a floor, the boards are very nice and snug. The house is heated and humidified (30%) and went through last summer (its first summer) with central AC.

My perspective is that these clients are being unreasonably critical of the inevitable process of such expansion and contraction that all wood floor go through on a seasonal basis, that over time all boards go through and that there will be small signs of this movement in the finish, over time. Of course, my clients feel they have not been given the perfection for which they believe they have contracted.

I need to communicate with an individual with perspective on this kind of finish problem. Can you recommend someone to consult with me on this?

Answer:

Dear John

In the sixth paragraph I meant to say DON’T use flooring STAPLES . Use only the flooring nails as sold by Primatech (article in Floored news) and a few other companies.