.

Revised March 2003
More Hardwood Floor Questions and Answers.

Two 4 oz bottles of cleaning concentrate
Plus free African Animal Keyring
with all orders over $40.00.

Questions on:
(Click on one of the headings to go directly to that section.)

Cleaning Hardwood Floors.
Cleaning Hardwood Floors with vinegar:
Cleaner that the Hardwood installer left me leaving marks:
Vacuuming Hardwood Floors:
Gaps in Hardwood Floors.
Gaps between Hardwood Floor boards.
The hardest Hardwood finish or coating.
Preventing water damage from an appliance
Where can I find?

Gaps in hardwood Floors.

How do I …? Question: Some of the boards on our hardwood floor are separating. Our hosue is only 4 yrs. old. What could be the problem? Thank you for any help. name: Linda Z

This is the answer to the question. Linda the age of the floor is not material to your problem. Some houses 40-50 years old still have tight floors and some newer homes have gaps in their floors.

There are many factors that cause the problem but the root of the problem is moisture/humidity control.

I am going to deal with three situations, and at this point the first two you have no control over and the third you can alter.

1. During construction: If the sub-floor during construction receives excessive moisture in the form of rain and the basement is damp the moisture content in the sub-floor will measure 12% - 15% on a moisture meter. If the hardwood is installed soon afterwards it will swell and during the cold months when you dry out the air with your furnace the wood will shrink and gaps will appear. This will cause the worst kind of gaps - 1/64" up to 3/16" gaps.

2. Hardwood that has moisture content greater than 6%-8%: If the hardwood had a moisture content of more than 6% at the time of installation than the hardwood boards will be slightly swollen at the time of installation and they dry out during the winter months when the furnace is operating than gaps and cracks will appear. The mills and the companies that supply hardwood boards are aware of this problem and take precautions to maintain the right moisture content - the result is that this condition is quite rare.

3. No humidifier or improper humidity control: In winter, when homes are heated and the air is dry, wood floors give up moisture and shrink. When this happens thin cracks will appear between the boards. This is a natural phenomenon and is quite normal. During the spring and summer months the boards will swell and the cracks will close up. To control this problem you need to install and maintain a good humidifier on the warm air duct to feed moisture into your indoor air and maintain a relative humidity of approx. 40%-50% in winter. In summer run your air conditioner at a reasonable cool temperature to take moisture out of your indoor air. Buy a Hygrometer, Buy it!and keep tabs of your indoor humidity. I hope this answers some of your questions.
Jac

Gaps between boards:
Question:
My hardwood floor was put in over osb board with no vapor barrier there are spaces more than 1/4 " wide now these spaces are all over the floor. Was this floor properly installed? What should I do to have it fixed thank you,
Kathryn

Answer:
Kathryn,
The NWFA (National Wood flooring Association) does not require a vapor barrier but most installers use it when installing a Hardwood Floor. It is not in the strictest sense a vapor barrier because when nailing down the floor the "tar paper" is pierced with a lot of nails and staples. However it makes the installation easier for the installer and it does offer some protection from moisture.
Coming back to your problem:
There should newer be 1/4" gaps in your floorboards, it is excessive and the only conditions that could cause that is moisture.
I don't know if this is a new house with a new wood installation or old house with a new wood installation, because some of what I am going to share with you will apply to the one and some to the other.

1. If you use a special instrument called a Moisture Meter and measured the moisture of the sub-floor and the new hardwood going in there should never be more than a 2-3% moisture content difference between the two.
The only cause of your problem is that the sub-floor read 10-15% and the hardwood read 6% and the hardwood swelled up and has now dried out leaving big gaps.
2. Or that the hardwood they installed for you read above 10% or more, and the sub floor was 6-7%. Again when the floor dried out it shrunk and left gaps.
3. A 1/8" to 1/4" gap will open up where ever you have a steel beam running through the width of your basement but the rest of the floor should remain tight.

Your only responsibility would be to maintain a 40-50% relative humidity inside your house with a good humidifier during winter when the heat from the furnace dries out the air to maintain a stable floor.
However you should never get 1/4" gaps in your floors even without that.

Remedy:
If you don't have a humidifier, try to introduce moisture into the house with a furnace humidifier and see if the gaps will close after a month or two.
If that does not improve your floor you will have to talk to your hardwood company, tear it out and install a new floor, but acclimatize the boards in the house for at least a week prior to installation.
Don't let the installer tell you he can re-sand the floor, fill the gaps and apply finish. The filler will pop out when the humidity increases and it will look twice as bad.
You can appeal to the NWFA at www.nwfa.org who will appoint an arbitrator in a dispute with the contractor if the contractor belongs to the NWFA and is willing to abide by their final decision.
Sorry I took so long to answer but I hope this information can help you and you can resolve your problem.
Jac

Back Home

Where can I find …? Question: Jac, This may seem like a strange question but... I am very interested in starting a hardwood floor refinishing company - but am having a hard time finding training and entry into the industry.. do you have any recommendations or places I should try?

name: Mark P

This is the answer to the question. Mark,

Try the National Wood Flooring Association www.nwfa.org, they have workshops and scholarships to help young men and woman train in the hardwood finishing business. I don't know what your financial needs are but the other route is to try becoming a professional finishers helper and asking him to train you. You won't be paid much in the beginning but as you become more proficient he you will become more valuable to him and he will pay you more. At some time after you are trained you can break away and start your own company.

Everything of the best to you. I hope you succeed and if you need any advice on machine contact me. Jac

Back Home

The hardest Hardwood finish or coating.
What is …? Question: Jac what is the hardest coating I can use on a white oak prefinished dance floor, to increase durability?

name: Stephen f

This is the answer to your question:

Stephen,

I recommend three products if you are going to re-sand and finish those floors if you are only going to coat the floor than you must determine what finish you have on the floor and stick with that or the next best is to use BonaTech Traffic with a bonding agent and apply that. However because I have not seen the floor I would recommend you speak to a good hardwood professional in your area.

1. Glitsa Gold Seal Baca - An old Swedish Formula product that is both durable and hard.

"Swedish Finishes" (Acid Cure Urethanes) are durable finishes, generally harder than polyurethanes. They are clear, fast drying and resist yellowing. Type of undercoat, working time, number of coats, and other factors are all critical and make application difficult. These finishes should be applied ONLY by the highly skilled.

2. Moisture Cure urethanes - there are quite a few producers of this product e.g. Hardco and Poloplaz. They are harder and more moisture resistant than the other surface finishes and are generally available only in gloss. They cure by absorbing minute quantities of moisture from the air, which causes them to dry and harden. Relative humidity is critical to the curing process. Follow manufacturer's directions. These finishes are extremely difficult to apply properly and are best left to the professional.

3. Bonatech Traffic sold through hardwood distributors - an excellent waterborne finish.

The most durable finish you can use on a commercial or residential hardwood floor.

Unprecedented Durability - Outperforms moisture cure finishes without the hazardous side-effects, and all the benefits of a waterborne finish

Fast Curing Rate - Minimizes downtime, allowing quicker access to the floor.

Fast Drying- 2 to 3 hours between coats.

Exceptional Build - With excellent flow and leveling

Available in Commercial Satin & Semi-Gloss

Clear and Colorless - Highlights the true color of the wood or stain for the most natural looking floor.

BonaTech TRAFFIC

Brand Floor Finish

DESCRIPTION:

BONATECH TRAFFIC brand wood floor finish is the latest generation of waterborne polyurethanes utilizing BonaTech technology. Formulated specifically for heavy-traffic commercial and residential hardwood floors, BONATECH TRAFFIC provides unprecedented durability in a wood floor finish. [NL][NL]For trained experienced professional use only.

FEATURES:

* Unprecedented durability - outperforms moisture cure finishes without the hazardous side effects, and all the benefits of a waterborne finish.

Hope this information is of some help. Jac

Back Home

click on icon

Back Home

Answer: Anne I hear of about three people like you a week with leaking appliance problems and hardwood floors. I had the Moisture Minder® Buy it! mat specially developed to warn home owners of a very slow leak behind or under an appliance. Install 4 AAA batteries and roll it out under or behind an appliance. At the slightest leak it will alert you through a beep and you can turn of the water to avoid damage and all the hassles that goes with a hardwood repair. Jac

Back Home

This is the answer to the question:
Janell,
First you need to determine if you have a wax hardwood floor or is it coated with a polyurethane, urethane or acid cure finish. Because it is quite rare to have a wax hardwood floor these days, I will only deal with the polyurethane, urethane and acid cure.

Before I start remember if your finish on your floor is badly worn no product will bring back its former luster, it will need to be recoated or refinished.

Don't use any product that contains a wax or oil on polyurethane/urethane/acid cure.

To clean your floor:

1. Sweep up all dust, grit and any loose material with a soft broom and pick it up.

2. Because I have had such good result with the Swedish Formula Bona X cleaner that we sell, mix a 4oz bottle of concentrate in a 32 oz spray bottle and fill it up with water. Cleaner Buy it!

3. Lightly spray an area of your floor ± 6ftx6ft with the cleaner and rub up with a very soft terry cloth mop e.g. (I sell two great mop kits) Mops Kits Buy it! Jac

Back Home

Question 2: Vacuuming a hardwood floors.

Jac, can/should I use a vacuum cleaner on my oak floors? I have animals who track in a lot of dirt. I try to mop it, but it never seems to get everything up. The vacuum cleaner I do have doesn't seem to do the trick. Is their a type of vacuum more suited for hardwood floors? Thanks.
Name: Sarah

Answer:
Sarah,
There is no one vacuum cleaner that is better for hardwood floors than any other except: The vacuum that you use must have good suction, and can only be used to vacuum up lose grit dirt and dog/cat hairs. The best way to use it is to use the sweep connection off the main vacuum and sweep and vacuum the dirt. Make sure that the sweep connection has soft bristles or else you will scratch the floors finish. You should be able to get most of the loose dirt up with the vacuum and then mop the floor with a good terry cloth mop and Bona x cleaner which I sell at www.jacwood.com. Note! We are offering two free bottles of cleaner with every order over $30.00. Thanks, I hope this information will help you, Jac

Question 3: Cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar.
Message: can just water and vinegar be used to clean wood floors
Name: John
Answer:
John,
Yes, you can use vinegar and water like many other products but is apt to leave a misty residue on the floor after a while. (See next question and answer)
The Bona X cleaner that I sell is a Swedish formula, formulated to clean and restore the luster to your floors and dry and leave no residue. I believe it is one of the best Hardwood Cleaners on the market. Whatever you use mist it on your floor with a spray bottle and rub it up with soft terry cloth mop. Jac

Back Home

Question 4:
The cleaner the installer supplied is leaving marks.
We just had beautiful maple hardwood floors installed over the old linoleum. The problems we have are the smudges/marks left by footprints, whether barefoot, or in shoes there are constant smudges that look awful when illuminated. Is there any way to prevent them? I'm growing tired of daily mopping!
Name: Larry

Answer:
Larry,
What kind of finish did you apply to the maple floor boards after you had them installed? I presume you had ¾"x21/4" floors boards installed, had the floor sanded and coated with three coats of either Bona-Tech Traffic Finnish or Glitsa Gold Seal Finish (two of the premium finishes for Maple Flooring). Both finishes do not yellow over time, which is imperative for a maple floor. If the process was done correctly and you used one of these finishes (which by the way are some of the most durable and scuff resistant on the market) all you would have to do is use a good cleaner and mop the floor (we sell cleaners and mops and all instructions at www.jacwood.com) once a week and it should look beautiful and the finish should last you 7-10 years. Never use any oil or wax based cleaners on your floor.

I hope this helps you out and if I can be of any further assistance please e-mail me.
Jac Wood (This is please be kind to Jac week)

Larry told me the popular product he was using and my answer to Larry was.
Larry,
This cleaner...leaves a residue.
I would recommend that you stop using this product and switch to using the Bona-Kemi Swedish product that I sell, which leaves no residue, and which you can order 4x4 oz concentrate that makes 4x32ozbottles of cleaner for $16.00.+S/H Or the whole mop kit for
$29.00+S/H.See www.jacwood.com Go to the bottom of the page and open my notebook to products.
Larry's reply after he tried the cleaner.
"Jac you're a genius........
We tried your cleaner and it worked like a charm. We even had friends and kids over that night and the floor still looks great. I'm sold....how can I purchase more of your magic solution?"
Larry.

Back Home

You will need the free Macromedia Flash player to view Jac's Notebook. If you do not have it, you can download it by clicking the button below.