This strikes me as the result of the installation. Maybe some damage to the boards during install and also that the boards do not have room to expand and contract as they should so are splitting.

Wonder if the gauge of the nail has something to do with it, or if the nailer is damaging the floor, or the way it is being used?

Overall, it is not noticeable, possibly not worth messing with you might make it worse. As you said, you had to get super close and look hard for them. A guest or future house buyer will not notice. Also, if you stop thinking about it, you probably wont notice it in a month.

I know when I installed my floor I was a bit OCD with the look at the time, now I don't notice whatever I was worrying about.

Are you sure that the planks don't come with some distress to the edges? The few noticeable places from eye level with coloring difference could use a touch up of stain. Otherwise the floor looks nice.

Vith,

There is no distressing to the edges from the factory. Based on my research and findings, it does seem that most of this was caused at the time of installation....too high pressure, not the proper foot kit, or didn't seat the nailer properly.

My biggest concern is that the planks (25 boards in the kitchen alone) that have the small hairline cracks in them where the veneer is raised slightly will eventually get snagged on something and pull off a section of the veneer. This does not include all the boards that have already splintered.

I don't want a few years to go by, this becomes a much larger problem, and I need to replace the floor on my dime in my newly constructed home. Especially since it seems that this problem was caused at the time of install.

You could always ask for a longer warranty on the floor to see if any further problems develop down the road. At least 10 years, lifetime better. Good luck with that but it's worth a try. Of course, with all those blemishes, you shouldn't pay full price either. It's like getting seconds. Yes, those things do get snagged and pull off to raw wood.

Your last paragraph is correct. The boards with defects (pictures 4, 5, 8 & maybe 9) on the edge show characteristics inherent in that floor, not damage incurred during installation. That product is very rustic. It would be illogical to expect a floor with so much character to have perfectly beveled edges. #9 might have been bad right from the box and should have been discarded or used for cuts.

On pictures 2, 3, 6 and 10, the splintering could be the result of nailing or from driving the boards up tight before nailing. vith makes a good point to consider. Is it worse to replace the boards? You're right to worry about future damage but you must also consider that when boards are removed and replaced, there's a potential to do more damage and that the new boards have tongues and grooves removed on three sides to fit the new board between existing boards.

You say you have 2" to 3" slivers popping up. Can you post a picture of one? The small splits you have look to be <1" long. Board that have a splinter popping up should undoubtedly be replaced.

You can easily tell if the edges were distressed at the factory (yes they do the edges too) if the distressing has finish on it. If it doesn't, you'll see raw wood so that is fresh damage.

All of the pictures except the 3rd from the bottom appear to be fresh damage. This one only looks like it came out of the factory distressed:

http://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/68e2621b0739fc53_8-7944/home-design.jpg

Excuse me, I believe you said they had already done some touching up. Look for sheen along with the stain. I doubt they take it that far as to put some poly on the fix. It will probably be hard to tell at this point since they already did some touchups.

snookums,

None of the areas that have been touched up have any sheen to them. While I am aware that some damage is inevitable, I am not too thrilled with the amount of it.

More alarming for me is the damage on the surface of the boards caused by the nail gun where the veneer is slightly busted. They are areas just begging to get snagged by a dust mop or my four year old's socks.

jfcwood,

I don't see anything in those photos that would not be install related damage. They've already colored the pop-off's.

Did the supplier share the report from the independent inspector with you? I have seen this issue more than once with thinner boards and it usually corresponds with the installer using the wrong "shoe" and setting the fastener (or wrong size fastener) incorrectly or they "rock" the nailer and leave very small dimples or mars along the edge of the wood. I suspect the manufacturer offered the dealer 10 boxes to fix it as an accommodation to the dealer, but if I was a gambler, I would bet the house that the inspection pointed to improper installation. If that floor is a thin, rotary peel engineered floor, there is no way to refinish that type of floor.

Well WeShipFloors, it looks like they did a really nice job coloring them in. It's hard to tell from the pictures but some look like they have finish on them also.

Were this a more perfect floor, like smooth Mirage Maple, I'd say those edge splinters are totally unacceptable. On this Naturally Aged Eucalyptus, which is "Hand-scraped with Tool Marks" according to their website, it's more subjective. When you consider that these pictures are closeups, and floors are judged from a standing position, I imagine I'd probably find them to be acceptable.

The edge splits are a different matter.

I see more issues with installers running the air PSI up too high and puckering the floors.

It's from the gun. The tongue and groove of engineered flooring is not square and the butt of the gun will chip it.

csimmons222 -- Do you mind giving an update on how your floor situation ended up? I just posted a question almost identical to your issues and curious what happened. Basically we moved into our new construction home in April and have since found splintered planks throughout our downstairs where the wood is. The flooring company is coming out this week but I'm sure they will just try to put a band-aide on it if we don't push them very hard.

Pros - So would this not happen with glue down?? Curious because that's the type of installation we'd be having done with engineered wood planks. Thanks

We have the same flooring and are having the exact same issues. I know these cracks/splintering aren’t because of installation. Could you please tell me your outcome? I’m getting ready to file a claim. Each week I find new ones. Very upset about this. Floors are only a few months old and they are starting to look like they’ve been down for over 10 years.

It almost looks like one edge (bottom photo) doesn't have a similar bevel as the other. Foot traffic could be splintering the edge on the left.

Uptown Floors is on it. And the bottom photos show a slightly different colour from one plank to another. That's interesting - especially coupled with the two different edges.

The fact that this is happening at the edges is not uncommon. The beveled edges take the most amount of abuse. They are exposed (in a way only a factory finished floor is exposed) to abuse. They are also the most vulnerable because of how the veneer is situated and how the finish is applied.

The darker floors will show this "rubbing off" of colour much more dramatically than a natural coloured floor.

For warranty claims, they NORMALLY state the issue must make up 10% of the entire floor surface. If you have 1000sf of this floor you need a TOTAL of 100sf of damage. And a plank with a snick of colour loss is only worth 1mm squared. That's less than 1/100th of a square inch. You would have to find TENS OF THOUSANDS of those issues to get yourself up to the 10% of the surface of the planks to trigger a warranty replacement.

Please continue with your complaint....but at the same time please READ the warranty carefully. It will reduce the amount of stress you will go through should they turn you down.

FOLLOWING>>

They look like two totally different issues. The first photos at the start of this thread I'd say were almost 100% install screw up. These last photos look as if the edges are curled up. You'll need an inspector to do an evaluation to see what is going on.

Alan

I appreciate those that have followed and commented on this thread. I would like nothing more than to update everyone on the status of this situation; however, I have been advised not to do so at this time. As soon as I am advised otherwise, I will provide everyone here with an update and release the documentation that I have pertaining to this matter.

I am about to have these floors installed and very nervous about the problems some folks are having. If anyone is still reading this thread maybe you can recommend what I should be looking for.

The floors are going on to slab and will be glued down.

Thanks in advance

Following, as I am researching flooring brands for my home.

Hi All

I am no longer concerned. They start installation next week. According to the floor people, they have not had problems like the link below or the post above. We are not having nails or staples in the floors, It is all glue down for our home.

I did research on the NAF flooring. I like that they are out of California. Calli has strict laws regarding floorings. CBS did a feature about this.

Floors linked to health violations

I also chose the NAF based on the sample I had. I dropped a knives and silverware on it and no issues. Having had wood floors I expect to have some wear and tear but my sample was pretty hardy. If money were no object I would have gone with the Voseges Oak brand.

Voseges Oak 7 inch wide plank and 5/8th thick

A few other floors I looked at and were contenders..

Valeria Pecan a little bit orange but they seemed a nice quality

I really liked the Norwood Hill. Hickory They were smooth and seemed solid.

A few links...
NAF

floor pro community

Thanks so much Boxerpal for your info. Are you in CA? I'm on the east coast and when I talk to flooring companies about brands I can't find sold near me, they say.... No,no stay with a brand that a local flooring company can source easily.

I am not in California. I am on the east coast too. I just know how strict the laws are in California. What I did learn about NAF Medallion and Royal collection is that they should not be stapled or nailed. They should be glued and the glue by NAF company. I am so relieved and look forward to having these floors installed. I will keep you posted and share photos.

Do research all you can... Even go to Houzz and search engineered hardwood flooring...

A few links to help you.

[Moisture barrier on slab[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/flooring-engineered-floor-on-slab-moisture-barrier-and-glue-dsvw-vd~4870940?n=4)

[shaw[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/shaw-epic-engineered-hardwood-flooring-dsvw-vd~3062081?n=176)

[Brands[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/shaw-epic-engineered-hardwood-flooring-dsvw-vd~3062081?n=176)

Thanks again boxergirl!

Yeah, I've been doing so much research (Houzz has been awesome) that now I'm just overwhelmed. :-)

I'll read those links.

I have had the same problems with this manufacturer. NAF naturally aged flooring.

Terrible customer service, they don't stand behind warranty. my floors splintered, wearing, look like crap. New construction and within a year they look like 50 year old floors. TERRIBLE

Naturally aged floors - DONT DO IT- BUYER BEWARE. There should be a class action lawsuit against this manufacturer. So many complaints about the same issue, yet they won't stand behind this product. Terrible company

I don't want to hear from any "Pro's" out there that say it's foot traffic. They're floors for Pete's sake!!! Yes, I walk on them. They are garbage and that's the truth

Perhaps you can copy and paste where a "Pro" said it's foot traffic. I'm not seeing it.

What they did say was that it was damaged by the installer, beating too hard on the edge. This happens to my own guys occasionally. Usually they notice it right away and replace the board but sometimes they don't become evident until the floor is cleaned.

Uptown floors wrote that, regarding foot traffic 2/15/18. I'm just letting people know about my bad experience with this manufacturer. According to the original thread-csimmons222 The manufacturer came back and said it was due to water damage splashing from her sink. You can read the outcome at the BBB. In my case they said it was due to 'environmental' issues.

That's a pretty broad term. They don't stand behind these products or warranties. Other people have had the same experience with these floors, same issues. They only last about a year and then they splinter, wear and just look plain awful.

It's quite obvious he was referring to jillian's picture, not yours. Go back and look and you'll see it makes no sense to assume he's referring to your last picture.

Try again?

I didn't say he was referring to mine. No reason to be rude. Thanks

I think Rick's comments are helpful, though admittantly abundant. People save for many years to pay for wood flooring, it's a major investment and one expects it to last for decades and enhance the value of their home. The entire process is extraordinarily stressful and expensive because there are thieves in the marketplace posing as craftsmen and experts. It's good to call out the substandard manufacturers, collaborating distributors, worthless warranties, and put unethical companies out of business.

I had the same issue with hallmark flooring. Splinters everywhere on the leading edge. They were bad from day one and have only gotten worse over the past year. I’ve been trying to work with the supplier and installer but they blame each other. It is ridiculous when we paid 35k for floors and they look like this.

Tim can you please post what exact Hallmark floor that is?

Thats too bad about the floors

Tim:

Unfortunately that can happen to any aggressive wire brushed prefinished hardwood floor. The brushes, during manufacturing follow the softwood grain and can create weak points along the long side of the planks that can eventually splinter off. They also create 'sock catchers.'

Differences in wire brushed hardwoods

Sigh...another knock against wire brush finish. It seems to be one big hassle.

Can the outcome of what happened with this original thread be told yet? Thanks

Hallmark sent one of their guys out and inspected the floor. They claim this is all install and humidity. I keep my house at 35-45% humidity with a whole house humidifier. I had a curbside additional opinion and he said there is no way the floor could ever be refinished which I was told with the purchase of the wood by the retailer. Ultimately, it isn’t just the splinters but all the brushed areas are showing the wood underneath. Bottom line is this hallmark floor is garbage and I spent over 30k on flooring (install and boards) for a floor that won’t last 5 years. I am still contemplating if I have any further recourse and have yet to give negative reviews of the seller and of hallmark floors in every place I can- not that that matters. Below is the report.

The Independent Inspector Concludes:
o Manufacturing: no related issues observed
o Site: The moisture content readings of the product do not support the ambient conditions of the site the
day of this inspection....The low moisture content is likely contributing to the chipping/crackling/splintering of this product.
The Rumba remote vacuum is not recommended for this type of product and can be a contributing factor. Robotic vacuums....can leave micro-scratches on the hardwood. Subsequent damage is not covered under warranty.
o Installation: There are several planks with finish issues and significant edge damage which were filled after installation which should have been culled and not installed.
o Performance/Expectation: 10-15% of the planks are exhibiting side and end edge chipping and splintering that has occurred since the product was installed – the issues are worsening with time. Face veneer splits/cracks have also appeared over time.
Distributor rep. and Independent Inspector confirm the average Moisture Content (MC) of the flooring to be 5.2%. Our floors when packaged are dried to between 8-10% MC. This floor has lost a considerate amount moisture since install. As wood dries it shrinks and eventually cracks / splits as noted.
The distributor rep. reported the edge damage appeared to be installation related. The Independent Inspector notes that fill was used after installation in an attempt to repair the damage.
2360 S. Archibald Ave. Ontario, CA 91761 Phone 909.947.7736 Fax 909.947.7776

Objectional noises are consistent with unapproved fasteners and or an out of flat subfloor. Also noted by the inspector and confirmed by the photos, the fastening schedule is every 7”- 9”. Per our Installation Instructions guide (www.hallmarkfloors.com) the fastening schedule for this floor is every 4”- 6”. This could also be a contributing factor to the objectional noises.
Any objectional planks with perceived manufacturing defects should have been culled out at install and reported to the dealer. Our Maintenance & Warranty guide exclude the use of robotic vacuums on this floor and any subsequent damage.
A history search of the production run installed in this home was preformed dating back to January 1, 2018. April 2018, we received into our Ontario facility over 31,000 sf. of this run from our factory. It has been sold out for some time. To date, no other claims have been received against this production run.
Review of all the information provided, no manufacturing defects could be identified. Consequently, Hallmark Floors is unable to authorize any corrective measures under warranty.

Hey Tim- I haven’t posted on this thread for quite awhile but when NAF sent out their Independent Inspector for my floor, I found out he works for a huge flooring install company that sells NAF flooring. So much for a unbiased opinion. When I told NAF that i thought it was a conflict they could care less and wouldn’t resend anyone else, let alone stand by the warrant-just saying.