Question: Looking for a no-skid/low-skid floor wax for my red oak floor. It had been available from a manufacturer previously but no more. I want a dark color wax also for this floor. Any ideas or leads? Thanks. Answer: Dear Tom Yes, I fear that paste waxes are going the way of the Dodo bird, it’s too bad. But I always have a gallon or two of liquid floor paste wax on hand in case I have a floor job that is a simple restoration instead of the regular re-sand job. But I clean all my waxed floors once a year with a nylon scrub pad and odorless mineral spirits (ODM), and blot up the wax laden solvent before it dries with paper towels. Then there is no wax build up that could make the floor slippery. And I let the solvent dry overnight, before re-waxing. Thin, clear coats of wax are best. As to products; I use the Bruce brand Lite n Natural, and for darker floors you could use Dark n Rich. But to tell you the truth, I have not found that this darker wax has any benefit in coloring in some deep scratches (to the bare wood) on a darkly stained floor. Don’t bother with the One Step product (a water based acrylic polish) or the Clean N Strip (mostly ODM with an added perfume). I have never found Bruce’s liquid past wax to be slippery, but like I said, I only apply a thin coat to a freshly cleaned floor. You can buy this stuff at most hardware stores still, but it’s available though the internet, and here’s one place that sells these products http://www.florstor.com/WaxFinishes.html Also Dura Seal makes an almost identical pair of liquid floor waxes, but it may be harder to find locally. So instead I’ll give you their corporate web site. Call them for a local distributor. http://www.duraseal.com/sections/products/mb/flo-wax.htm Then as we go down the choices there is still the old fashioned paste wax in the tins, and blue label was a fairly famous one. It’s now readily available though Lee Valley tools http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=1&page=20091&category= 1,190,42950 While more difficult to use on floors, a golf ball scoop of this wax is placed in cheese cloth and squeezed and spread THINLY across the floor, left to dry and buffed to a satin sheen with a natural bristle buffer attachment on a good floor maintenance machine. But even this wax with an addition of ODM to thin it out makes for a good version of a liquid paste wax. And the liquid version is a whole lot easier to apply to a large area like a floor. And lastly you can make your own. But this will certainly be the most expensive way to go. I pound carnauba 1/2 pound of beeswax 125 ml of ODM or as much as 2 L if you were to make a liquid version of this You can add some earth pigments, and as long as you don’t over do it, you should be able to create a custom dark wax that will help color in those light colored scratches. Go to Lee Valley again for these at http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=1&page=20084&category= 1,190,42996 Use a double boiler, OUTSIDE on an ELECTRIC hot plate (with a fire extinguisher near) and melt the wax on the double boiler and remove from the stove. Or better yet use a hide glue melting pot. Slowly add the amount of solvent you want and let it cool and thicken. You most likely know the consistency of tinned paste wax, but liquid paste wax should be about the consistency of semi melted butter, in warm weather. You can change the hardness of the wax, buy using a different combination of these two waxes. Carnauba (really expensive) will be less slippery as it’s melting point is quite high 185 F, whereas Beeswax melts at 150 F, but should be far cheaper. You can also mix in paraffin (low melting soft wax), Ceresine (high and hard) Candelilla (low and soft), Moutan wax (high and hard), and Micro-crystalline which provides good penetration. There is also Japan wax from the Japanese sumac tree which melts quite low (125 F) and so would make the harder waxes more flexible in a blend. But don’t try a thick coat of a really hard wax, or else it will streak when it hazes, and you will find that it will be almost impossible to get the streaks out by buffing. You will have to use the solvent and steel wool to even it out. The key to successful floor waxing is a really clean well finished wood surface. A thin coat of wax is applied and left to “haze”. And finally a buffing with a natural bristle buffing wheel on a larger professional floor maintenance machine. Here’s a picture of the bristle wheel.

Question: What can I use to get rid of the odor from my newly polyurethaned wood floor? Help. Nanette. Answer: Dear Nanette The odor will persist for about two weeks, but the finish will take up to a month to cure. Keep the area well heated (70 F) and aired out, a fan in the room really helps. Don’t turn your heat down at night, as this will slow the cure time. So be patient, time heals all.

Ask The Doc A Question! Question: We installed a Robbins pre-finished (w/aluminum oxide) floor that has warped and cupped. We are currently going through the process of invoking the warranty which supposedly guarantees against this damage. But I don’t believe Robbins is going to stand by their product. Do you have any suggestions on how to live with this problem. It is very disheartening to have a mess after spending about $3,000 for a new floor!! Answer: Dear Mary I’m sorry to hear of your troubles. I really need to know more about your situation, before I can make a comment on it . What type of hardwood was this, parquet, strip floor or engineered (laminated) plank floor ? When did you install it ? Who installed the floor ? What was the subfloor material (and thickness), and how was the floor fastened (nails or staples) ? Do you have a crawl space under the floor or a full heated basement ? And there are more questions please bear with me. Wood will always warp when there is more moisture content on one face of the board than the other. This most likely is not a manufacturing defect. It is something that occurred either because of an improper installation, or some adverse weather conditions. Is this a new house, and if so did anyone check the moisture content of the subfloor, before the wood was installed. Was the wood left for about a week to acclimatize to the indoor humidity levels of your house ? Did anyone check the moisture content of the wood when it was delivered ? At what stage was the wood delivered to the job, was all construction just about complete ? Is the warping occurring over the whole floor, or just certain sections ? Has the warping got worse over time ? And just how long after installation did the warping occur, what was the weather like during this period ? Can you send me a photo attachment by email of this problem ? I think robbins will stand by their product if you can prove it was not environmental conditions that contributed to this warping. But PROVE is the operative word here. But the installers may have something to do with this also. Please answer all those questions to the best of yur ability, and I will do my best to sort out the cause. I’m familiar with the Robbins warranty and it’s limitations, so I hope you have a strong case.

Question: I have a Bruce prefinished wood floor that is 6 months old and in awful condition. The boards are cracking down the center and splintering along the edges. This is the case with at least 60 of the boards. It is impossible to walk and not have your socks catch. The vendor says it’s a defect and that the cracks and splinters are in the finish layers of the product. His suggestion is that they can sand the floors down to good wood and refinish them on site. There is approx. 800sq ft. Is this the only alternative? Will the site finished outcome be as durable as the prefinished was supposed to be? Will this lessen the life of the floor, how many times can it be refinished before it’s too thin, etc.? Marc Answer: Dear Marc I am so sorry to hear of your troubles, Bruce makes floor that rate from mediocre to really excellent, and I have had some minor problems with their products, but nothing like you are experiencing. You failed to tell me the style of floor you bought. Bruce makes some Tavern Grade products (I will never use these) that have no warranty on them. And this low grade wood will certainly crack and crumble under foot. It is meant for a very rustic look in a rec room or even commercial tavern. The wood in this case will not benefit form a re-sanding as the boards themselves have internal voids and cracks in then, and will continue to self destruct over time. You must keep your shoes on with these Tavern or Rustic Grade floors. Be sure you ask you builder what grade you have, as anything better that this low grade will have a warranty, and he and you may be able to get Bruce to pick up the tab for repair and replacement. Your damage must be way beyond the 5% waste normally allowed. You didn’t t say what depth wood it is or if it was laminated or solid wood or what, so I cannot tell you just how many sandings you may get out of your floor. Email me back soon with more details, an I might be able to help you.

Question: We had pre-finished type hardwood floors installed over a concrete foundation in our den two years ago. Not long after, a few areas began to pop. Within the 1 year labor warranty period, the installer came out, drilled some small holes in the areas and forced more adhesive underneath. This worked a while, but after last year’s hot summer (we live in Louisiana) they started popping again and have noticed a new area. What should we do? Should the installer be responsible for additional repairs? Thanks so much for your guidance. Shirley Answer: Dear Shirley I get this kind of question all the time. While the floor guy is correct in trying to repair it that way, there is only one company I know of that makes a really good repair kit for just this sort of problem. The adhesive in this particular company’s kit is a slightly different formulation than most regular glues. But a glue failure may be just the tip of the iceberg. Did they do a moisture test on the slab, before they glued down the floor ? Did they test for flatness of the concrete ? Just what sort of glue did they use, and what type of floor is this (you never said). So for a small donation I can help you through this, and give you a long article I wrote on this very subject. All this should be worth something to you. Oh, and the installer is wholly responsible for the job, especially if they did not test the slab, and you had problems soon there after. The evidence is in the fact that he was repairing the floor within the year. This means that the floor has to last a year beyond the repairs. I do know some consumer law, and have been the expert witness in 3 court cases so far (all won by my side), so I do know of what I speak. Gee, I learned my trade in New Orleans, I lived there for about 2 years, I just love the Deep South.

Question: New Hardwood Floor Installed But Still Warped Our house was built in 1994. The wood floors were trouble free until an in wall water line break flooded the area between the sub floor and the wood top floor. Result; our beautiful wood floors warped and had to be replaced. Water problem fixed and new flooring installed in April 2001. In summer of 2001 new floor begin to warp. Installer said this should correct itself in winter heating season. In winter problem partially resolved. Floor warping receded and was almost normal. In summer of 2002 floor warped again. Installer said problem was humidity under house (original floors from 1994 to 2001 never warped from under house (crawl space) humidity. Installer said seal exterior foundation walls, lay plastic on ground and provide forced air ventilation in crawl space. All done in spring of 2003. In summer of 2003 floors warped again. Installer says not his problem and has no idea how to fix problem. House has been thoroughly checked for any other water leaks. None found. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Paul Answer: Dear Paul I’m sorry to hear of your dilemma, but I do love a mystery. I will make a few guesses here and now, at first. But I will have to know more about the floor, so I’ll ask you a series of questions at the end of this email. Warping of wood floor always begins when one face (side) of the floor board has a much higher moisture content than the other. For instance when a table is repeatedly wetted on it top surface, it will warp on the edges upwards. This is called “cupping”. If both surfaces experience a wetting, the surface that’s stays wet longer will cup. If the floor remained wet under the floorboards the result in your case might have been a crowning (convex) of the top surface (or really a cupping of the underside, stay with me). There are exceptions to this, as an older floor with large gaps will warp differently than a brand new tightly laid floor. The severity of warping also depends on how restricted the wood is. It is possible that the hardwood floor contractor did not wait until the subfloor was completely dried out. It can take up to a month when the floor and subfloor and joists have been soaked. Particularly in humid weather. The flooring contractor should have tested a dry part of the house’s hardwood floor for the EMC (equilibrium moisture content). This reading would have been the norm for your house. He would remove all the old hardwood, and test the subfloor about twice a week, until the soaked subfloor EMC came back to normal for your house. In the mean time he would have delivered the wood to be installed, but stored it in an unaffected part of the house. This procedure is assisted by fans, the AC and windows open just a little. Ventilation from down below would have been just as important at this stage, because typically during minor floods, the underside of the subfloor is wet also. A good,and fast drying out of the floor would have also prevented any mold from growing. A big concern these days especially in the Southern states with long periods of hot humid weather. Now, let’s say the flooring contractor rushed though these steps and installed the new hardwood on top of a subfloor with just a slightly higher EMC (5-7%). Then the underside of the new wood may have taken on this excess moisture in just a few days. The new hardwood would have cupped a bit in this case. But if the floor guy chose to ignore this and then sanded the wood flat, later the new wood would have flattened itself out and caused a crowning of the wood, as the underside returned to flatness, thus cupping the surface. Sounds weird but it happens. This is just one of many possible scenarios that can happen to a wetted wood floor. A crawl space under a new hardwood floor puts another factor into the equation. So here is a series of questions that you need to answer as best you can so I can come up with a viable solution. Did the flooring contractor rush though these preparation steps that I have outlined ? Did the floor warp in a crown (convex) or a cup (concave) when it was first damaged. What kind of finish was on the old floor and what condition was it in ? And most importantly, is it cupping or crowning now, and how much ? Does the new floor have a high gloss oil poly finish on it, or a water based finish ? How many coats of finish ? What was the species of the old wood and the width and thickness ? What is the species of the new wood and the width and thickness ? Is your subfloor made of plywood or OSB (oriented strand board-recognized as chips or large flakes of wood on the surface of the subfloor board, you’ll have to see this from below) ? And lastly can you send a digital picture of the floor at floor level, so I can see how severe this is (it’s the middle of the summer, so it should be at it’s worst). If you can answer each and every question, I can give you a more accurate answer.

Question: Thanks for all the information. I live in the mountains and it’s quite dry here (25% at times) but the house is 4 yrs old and it just started making noises. I’m afraid it’s from water (shoes) or the wrong floor cleaner. I talked to a local floor installer and he said to drill a small hole in the board and inject glue that you can buy in a syringe………what do you think of that approach? Thanx again, I’ll make sure I pass your name around to the suppliers. My brother runs a major lumberyard in Salt Lake. Answer: Dear Dennis No, follow my instructions to the letter. I have done all these methods many times with good results. You should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER glue down any part of a nail down floor. The strips need to move seasonally, and the glue (if it even works) will create a dead spot in the floor, which will stop this natural movement. When the floor does gain some moisture during a long cooking session, or unusually damp weather, the boards might swell against this dead spot and buckle. I only use this injection method for glued down parquet and laminated wood floors. Think about all the dirt and dust under your floor, how is the glue going to stick, and dry in this space? If he uses a water-based glue it may further swell the wood as it dries. Your local guy may be misleading you, have him give some references of successful glue jobs. Be sure to read my article about hiring contractors available in the search box at the top of this web page. And please read my floor maintenance article also found in the search box at the top of this web page. You should be re-coating this floor every 2-4 years in this heavy use area.

Question: I have a new home with oak hardwood floors. The fllor was put down in August and started to separate in December. We can hear nails pop. In some locations, the space is wider than a credit card. Is this normal or was the installation defective. Answer: Dear Martin Summer time installation in hot humid weather can certainly swell the wood a bit. Then when you heat your house to desert dryness in the winter the wood will shrink. That’s the nature of the beast. But you can do lot’s of things to minimize this problem. Humidify the house to at least 40% relative humidity during the heating season. And air condition during the summer. You will need to measure this with a hygrometer, else you will not know. Buy a wet-dry bulb type from http://www.e-sci.com prod# 848N635. Try from now on to keep your indoor humidity to between 40-60% ALL year round. Museums keep their indoor relative humidity to 50% plus or minus only 5%. And they have NO seasonal movement with in their wood furniture displays. This is especially important for prefinished floor, with their open seams they have much more susceptibility to humidity swings. If the boards are wider that 4″ this may be a continuing problem. And lastly if the floor was laid on a thin OSB sublfoor, you will always be hearing nails pop. Some thing are normal, like the seasonal movement. And some things like using staples instead of nails, using OSB instead of plywood as subfloor and a general sparsely nailed floor are now the industry standard. And these will also contribute to your dilemma. So, if you want, describe your wood species, how it is finished, what the subfloor is and thickness, and what the hardwood floor fasteners were. Is there an unheated and damp crawl space under this floor. Was the hardwood floor acclimatized for at least a week in the air conditioned finished house (all drywall and painting done). If you can answer all this I can tell you if the installation was defective. As always your Most humble servant, Joseph, the Wood Floor Doctor.

Question: I bought the article but still don’t know about the nailing of a wide plank. Is there a specific article that addresses this? Thanks, Chris Answer: You simply nail a Tongue and Groove plank floor in the same manor as a strip floor, using a more beefed up subfloor, as stated in the article. And then go back over the whole floor and either screw and peg, (as described in the article) or use old fashioned cut nails to fasten the ends down. And some on the middle of longer boards. What have I left out, did you want to use square edged lumber instead on the T&G material we normally use for floors. Just what exactly kind of wood do you want to use, be specific so I can give you the answer you can use. As always your Most humble servant, Joseph, the Wood Floor Doctor.

Question: When you have time, do you need to nail if you are using T&G and an adhesive on the flooring? Answer: Dear Ben Anyway, it’s simple. If you’ve cut the T&G you simply follow the procedure in the first part of the article. Just nail it like a strip floor (no adhesive is needed) and go back to screw and plug the ends and some of the long boards. It’s all in the article Ben. I’ll include a NHA file containing the T&G configuration, that’s ideal for 3/4″ flooring. This could be scaled up to thicker wood. Study the picture well, it’s more complex than you think. As always your Most humble servant, Joseph, the Wood Floor Doctor.