Chapter 15 | Realities – Gaylord Flooring

Chapter 15 | Realities

Following our installation guidelines, quickly removing the excess moisture in the new home, and keeping the long term relative humidity as close to 40% as possible, will greatly reduce your chance of call-backs. However some customers have unreal expectations.

  1. Wood is a natural product and is infinitely variable, with no two pieces alike. Hardwood flooring is manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards that permit a defect tolerance not exceeding 5%.
  2. Wood is a hygroscopic material. This means when exposed to air it will pick up or lose moisture. Moisture loss causes wood to shrink; moisture absorption will cause wood to swell. Wood will not shrink or swell equally in all directions. It is normal to have large spaces between boards above heating systems and heat duct runs. Wider widths will shrink and expand more per piece than narrow ones. It is normal in the dry heating season to have spaces between boards the thickness of a dime (1/32”) in 2 ¼” wide flooring. Tarion guidelines state that seasonal spaces between boards cannot exceed 2mm, which is the thickness of a toonie...

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