5 Typical Manufacturing Defects for Wood Flooring

Wood flooring is among the most popular choices for businesses and home owners alike. The warmth and beauty of natural wood is 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 the 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 area a 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 home owners.

Sticker Stains

Sticker stains, or sticker shadows, is a discolored part of the wood where a sticker was placed during the drying process. It appears as a dark area in the shape of the sticker and can be especially noticeable after the wood has been finished.

Flaking and Splintering

When it comes to the finish on a wood floor, there are either factory finished wood flooring or those that are finished after installation. Either way, the floor should be covered with a durable finish, but there are times when the finish will flake or chip away, exposing the wood underneath. Splintering occurs when moisture causes the board to swell and an improperly finished edge is the weakest part and may splinter.