Wood flooring is among the most popular choices for businesses and homeowners alike. The warmth and beauty of natural wood are appealing, but even hardwood floors can suffer from manufacturing defects that can compromise the integrity of the product. When manufacturing defects manifest in wood flooring, weeks, months, or even years after installation, it can become a big problem.
Here are five of the most common manufacturing defects for hardwood floors:
Improper or Uneven Drying Time
One of the most important and critical steps for hardwood flooring material is the kiln drying process. The wood needs to dry so that moisture can be removed from all the fibers. It can often take weeks for green lumber to go through the drying process. If it is not done correctly, there can be issues with the wood flooring down the road.
Incorrect Grading
Lumber grades are national and international standards for certain qualities like color, appearance, size of knots, and more. Sometimes the manufacturer will incorrectly grade flooring material so that the installer and the customer aren’t receiving what they ordered.
Mis-milled Flooring
When wood is milled into flooring, the sizes must be just right, and the tongue and grooves need to line up perfectly. Milling defects can lead to long-term flooring problems for both business owners and homeowners.
Sticker Stains
Sticker stains, also known as sticker shadows, are discolorations that develop in the wood during the drying process. These marks appear in areas where stickers or spacers contact the wood while it dries.
The discoloration often appears as a dark mark in the shape of the sticker. In many cases, the stain becomes even more noticeable after installers apply the finish to the wood flooring.
Flaking and Splintering
Wood flooring may come with a factory-applied finish or receive a finish after installation. Both types of flooring should have a durable protective coating on the surface.
However, problems can still develop over time. In some cases, the finish may begin to flake, peel, or chip away. When this happens, the damaged areas expose the wood underneath to wear, moisture, and additional damage. Splintering occurs when moisture causes the board to swell, and an improperly finished edge is the weakest part and may splinter.
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