Bamboo and Exotic Wood Floors - Engineered Flooring buckling and glue mess

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jlfnly
05-12-09, 08:17 PM
We are half way thru installing our Bellawood Brazillian Koa engineered flooring and have two problems. 1. There are glue fingerprints that will not come off no matter how much mineral spirits I scrub with. Someone recommended engine cleaner, but that scares me. And tonight we noticed a place where the floor seems to be buckling. We used the moister sealant recommended and left expansion room on both sides of the space. We live in the south and have had 3 weeks of solid rain. Will the floor "lay" back down or do we have a huge problem, and if so, what should we do? Thanks


chandler
05-13-09, 08:20 PM
Welcome to the forums! Yeah, we've had the rain, haven't we? I would suspect the glue would have been water soluable. But removing it immediately would have been the key. Try Methyl Ethyl Keytone (MEK) in a small area to see if it helps. I would be reluctant to put engine cleaner on my new floor, too.
Fill us in on the install. Is it on concrete or over framed wood? Is there a moisture barrier/cushion under the flooring? Did you nail any trim through the flooring?

jlfnly
05-14-09, 12:57 PM
Thanks for the MEK info. The floor is concrete and we did use the moisture barrier MVP4 as recommended by the retailer. We haven't even started putting down trim yet, the only thing that has happened is the dog came in from the rain and laid in that particular spot. He's a short haired dog and wasn't soaked, just slightly damp so I wouldn't think that would do it.


badeyeben
05-14-09, 02:24 PM
You say you left a gap on either side when you layed the floor. Does that gap still exist or is it tight to the walls now? Since it is running down a hallway is it tight in the doorways? Search for where it is tight at and cut some room for it to lay down.
When the flooring gains moisture it swells and if it gets tight against doorframes or walls it has no-where to go but up in a buckle. Since the floor is all together then you have to check the entire length to see where it is too tight and remove some more wood so it has room to lay down. Only remove enough to get the floor to lie down because if you remove too much when it dries out it may have too big a gap to hide without larger trim.
I know it seems bad this has happened now but really it is a good thing, as now you do not have to remove trim to find and fix the tight spot. You need to get it fixed now while it is at it's extreme so it won't happen again later.
Do not wait for it to dry out as it may dry in the warped state and never lay down right, meaning it will have to be replaced.

CarpetMaster
05-14-09, 09:48 PM
Some wood manufactures won't warranty anything over a "slip sheet".

Acclimation and jobsite conditions and prep are key factors for any wood installation. but number one is moisture control through some CC tests prior to ever beginning.

Also using a good name brand Urethane with the correct trowel size for the thickness of the wood being put down and making sure there is proper "open" time before laying into it.

Check the outside perimeter outside of your slab and make sure the rain isnt puddling against the side of the concrete your new wood is laying on.