A discussion concerning hardwood flooring defects must first begin with rules of Industry Standards and who makes these rules.
American Manufacturers of cars, hardwood flooring, furniture, and all products sold in America are held to manufacturing product Quality Standards and Safety requirements. The recent finding of Lead in Toys manufactured in China is the perfect example of an American Company importing sub-standard products and being held accountable.
Importers, such as Mattel Toy Company, are held to the same product and safety standards as all American Manufacturers. All consumer products manufactured in America or in Tim-Buck-To, the product quality and safety standards must meet the Industry Standards for that product segment if distributed in the United States of America.
Laminated, now called Engineered, Hardwood Standards are outlined in the American National Standard for Engineered Wood Flooring. These standards are written by the:
American National Standards Institute (ANSI),
25 West 43rd Street,
New York, New York, 10036.
Phone: 212.642.4900 to purchase a copy of the ANSI standards.
The specific standard is: ANSI/HPVA EF 2002. You’ll need to know this number should you decide to purchase the Standards.
The Abstract reads:
“This Standard establishes nationally recognized requirements for commercially available engineered wood flooring. It is intended to provide producers, distributors and users with a basis for common understanding of the characteristics of these products.
Requirements are given for grading, bond line, moisture content, machining, and formaldehyde emissions of engineered wood flooring. Methods for identifying products that conform to the Standards, as well as trade terms used, are included.”
The HPVA is the:
Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association
PO Box 2798,
Reston, Virginia 20195-0789.
Phone: 703.435.2900.
The Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association is the trade association representing North American manufactures of hardwood plywood and veneer, including pre-finishers of hardwood plywood wall paneling. One of the objectives of the Association has been to engage in product testing and to provide inspection and listing services for products tested at the HPVA’s Reston, Virginia laboratory. (Copied from the HPVA ANSI Standards).
The most common defects found in Engineered Wood Flooring are Splits, Ruptured Grain, and Delamination. These defects are not allowed in “A” or “AA” grades but may be allowed in “Specialty” Grade, which is equal to “Cabin Grade” is solid wood flooring.
The ANSI HPVA/ 2002 - 3.7, Construction states:
“The flooring pieces shall be of balanced construction, which means that they are free from warp or twist to the extent that they do not interfere with installation or negatively affect the intended use of the product. The purpose of this requirement is to provide a product which will perform satisfactorily over the typical range of humidity and temperature in an indoor environment, when installed according to the instructions of the manufacturer.”
The HPVA 3.7 Standard explains that Engineered Wood Flooring should withstand relative humidity changes within the home from season to season. Turning on the heater in the winter, or using air conditioning in the summer, should not cause the floor to split, check, delaminate, change shape (warp, buckle or crook) or loosen knots. If your kitchen cabinets and furniture are not affected, your flooring should not be affected, as these household items are made of Engineered Hardwood Plywood with same or similar Standards. Wood flooring is made of wood and wood is a Natural product subject to natural color variations, tight knots and filled joints, mineral streaks and wormholes and allowed according to the Standards, depending on Grade.
The ANSI 3.6 statement: “Grade, Machining, and Bond Line Tolerances – A combined tolerance of 5 percent shall be permitted for grading, machining and bond line.”
This statement tells us that 95% of the material shipped to the site must meet the minimum standards and 5% of the material can be off grade or defective. During installation the installer is responsible for separating visible defects but not |
responsible for latent defects that become visible after installation. Latent defects include Bond Line Failure (Delamination), Splitting and Checking.
The Standards explain that 5% of the flooring material can be defective and still meet minimum standards; this includes the material already separated by the installer during installation.
Definitions of defects are defined by the standards.
Splits are separations of the wood fiber running parallel to the grain and are all the way through the ply.
Checking is small slits running parallel to the grain of wood, caused chiefly by strains during cutting and seasoning the wood.
Delamination is separation of the plies or layers of wood or other material through failure of the adhesive bond.
Ruptured Grain/Shake is a separation or rupture along the grain of wood in which the greater part occurs between the rings of annual growth.
A few defective boards does not equate to a defective flooring installation. These few boards are removed and replaced and is the acceptable practice in the hardwood industry, for solid wood as well as engineered.
Should the percentage of defective boards exceed 5%, a Certified Hardwood Inspector may be called in to evaluate the installation and percentage of latent defects present.
The Standards are explicit in testing and product expectations with the A4.2 statement significant to describe the strength and durability expectations of engineered wood flooring.
A4.2 Flooring and Moisture - “ The species listed in the Engineered Wood Flooring Standard have been shown to exhibit properties that result in wood floor installations that can perform well for many years and last as long as the structure. Certain practices are necessary, however, to assure that wood materials will provide for a long –lasting and satisfactory floor installation. The cross –ply construction used in the manufacture of engineered wood flooring results in a product where changes in dimensions of a piece of engineered wood flooring are minimized with changes in interior moisture conditions. Subjecting this product or other wood flooring products to water, however, as may occur with flooding due to plumbing leaks, rain through open windows or doors, or excessively wet concrete slabs can results in surface checks, or, at extreme conditions, discoloration of the wood surface.”
The statement made by the ANSI A4.2 Standard confirms that engineered wood is to be
manufacturer to withstand flooding, and extreme environmental conditions, with only minor changes in appearance, but not
permanently cup or delaminate. The Standards give commercial and residential users the confidence they need in purchasing engineered wood flooring products as well as outline to manufacturers demanding specifications in quality.
This article is not a complete explanation of the ANSI/HPVA Standards and addresses only a few of the grading and defect standards most commonly seen in the field by Certified Hardwood Flooring Inspectors.
How To Find A
Certified Wood Floor Inspector:
Local Hardwood Flooring Inspectors can be found at FloorReports to aid you should you
have questions.
Should you not feel comfortable making the choice, QuestInspect.com is a good option.
The Administrators of QuestInspect know the inspectors, the quality of their
work and areas of expertise.
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