WTH is happening to my floors

[mofongo]

Oct 9, 2024 10:25:56 GMT -5 jwright said:

Oct 8, 2024 21:03:18 GMT -5 mofongo said:

rubytue - it’s almost 40yrs old. It feels and looks like it’s just the top breaking off from wear/tear. I’m going to call the flooring company tomorrow. I will let you guys know when I know more:)

I really appreciate all the thoughts/suggestions!

It really looks identical to our moisture damage; I would jump for joy if it were only the floors.


View Attachment

It really does! Is the top like peeled off? Not peeled but just gone? It’s almost like something fell on it and damaged it on the top.

[pugz]

I'd blame a pug. Mine have always loved to destroy things.

[Poppy]

The larger irregular discolored area really makes me lean water over just surface abrasion damage.

[mofongo]

Oct 9, 2024 22:05:31 GMT -5 Poppy said:

The larger irregular discolored area really makes me lean water over just surface abrasion damage.

Yeah, but the surface is abrasive, like chipped/peeled off.

[Poppy]

Oct 9, 2024 22:07:57 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Oct 9, 2024 22:05:31 GMT -5 Poppy said:

The larger irregular discolored area really makes me lean water over just surface abrasion damage.

Yeah, but the surface is abrasive, like chipped/peeled off.

I guess maybe I'd have to see it in person, but when the wood inside gets wet, it swells considerably and that can cause cracks or bubbles in the surface layer that can then chip/peel away with little force.

[mofongo]

Oct 9, 2024 22:10:35 GMT -5 Poppy said:

Oct 9, 2024 22:07:57 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Yeah, but the surface is abrasive, like chipped/peeled off.

I guess maybe I'd have to see it in person, but when the wood inside gets wet, it swells considerably and that can cause cracks or bubbles in the surface layer that can then chip/peel away with little force.

There was never noticeable swelling or bubbles, it just got lighter and then seemed to break?

[sonrisa]

We were on slab until last week, but had carpet. Where is the closest plumbing? We had leaks in the shower fixtures which ran down and manifest as soggy floors in the next room - and a few feet in from the wall so it wasn't obvious.

[jwright]

Oct 9, 2024 14:13:30 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Oct 9, 2024 10:25:56 GMT -5 jwright said:

It really looks identical to our moisture damage; I would jump for joy if it were only the floors.


View Attachment

It really does! Is the top like peeled off? Not peeled but just gone? It’s almost like something fell on it and damaged it on the top.

Oh boy.  Yes, exactly.  The top layer was peeling and eventually you can see more layers of the wood.  The picture is just one spot but once we saw that first peeling it seemed to spread to four or five areas in the same part of the house.  We called the flooring contractor who had provided and installed our floors (at this point they were less than 5 years old).  He was confused and didn't know what caused the damage.  We even theorized that it was dog pee because it was in the area that we put our Xmas tree and the dog had peed there during the season.  

When he finally was able to remove one of the floor boards, he saw that the plywood baseboard looked like it had water damage as well. He immediately stopped and said he didn't do foundations or framing work and we needed to send someone under our house.  

[mofongo]

Oct 9, 2024 23:24:16 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

We were on slab until last week, but had carpet. Where is the closest plumbing? We had leaks in the shower fixtures which ran down and manifest as soggy floors in the next room - and a few feet in from the wall so it wasn't obvious.

So the bathroom is close to one side of the bed, the floors are messed up on either side of the bed and a few other random spots. BUT under the bed is fine, so that would be weird I think?

[mofongo]

Oct 10, 2024 9:20:28 GMT -5 jwright said:

Oct 9, 2024 14:13:30 GMT -5 mofongo said:

It really does! Is the top like peeled off? Not peeled but just gone? It’s almost like something fell on it and damaged it on the top.

Oh boy.  Yes, exactly.  The top layer was peeling and eventually you can see more layers of the wood.  The picture is just one spot but once we saw that first peeling it seemed to spread to four or five areas in the same part of the house.  We called the flooring contractor who had provided and installed our floors (at this point they were less than 5 years old).  He was confused and didn't know what caused the damage.  We even theorized that it was dog pee because it was in the area that we put our Xmas tree and the dog had peed there during the season.  

When he finally was able to remove one of the floor boards, he saw that the plywood baseboard looked like it had water damage as well. He immediately stopped and said he didn't do foundations or framing work and we needed to send someone under our house.  

We don’t have an under the house, though?

[jwright]

Oct 10, 2024 11:20:37 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Oct 10, 2024 9:20:28 GMT -5 jwright said:

Oh boy.  Yes, exactly.  The top layer was peeling and eventually you can see more layers of the wood.  The picture is just one spot but once we saw that first peeling it seemed to spread to four or five areas in the same part of the house.  We called the flooring contractor who had provided and installed our floors (at this point they were less than 5 years old).  He was confused and didn't know what caused the damage.  We even theorized that it was dog pee because it was in the area that we put our Xmas tree and the dog had peed there during the season.  

When he finally was able to remove one of the floor boards, he saw that the plywood baseboard looked like it had water damage as well. He immediately stopped and said he didn't do foundations or framing work and we needed to send someone under our house.  

We don’t have an under the house, though?

Yes, but moisture can come through your concrete slab.  Thanks to climate change and rising air temperatures, your concrete may not be effective anymore.  I assume your floorboards are not directly on the slab and you have a plywood baseboard.  Do you have a moisture barrier between your slab and the boards?

[mofongo]

Oct 10, 2024 11:33:24 GMT -5 jwright said:

Oct 10, 2024 11:20:37 GMT -5 mofongo said:

We don’t have an under the house, though?

Yes, but moisture can come through your concrete slab.  Thanks to climate change and rising air temperatures, your concrete may not be effective anymore.  I assume your floorboards are not directly on the slab and you have a plywood baseboard.  Do you have a moisture barrier between your slab and the boards?

I don’t know about the moisture barrier, we didn’t put them in. 

[archiethedragon]

get yourself a moisture meter. Test the spots. The moisture content of the floor should be around 8-12%. If it significantly higher than that, you will have your answer.

www.amazon.com/General-Tools-MMD4E-Moisture-High-Medium-Low/dp/B00275F5O2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.I2dBLJSJoIMFRfdQ1D3EjRbL3YnqW4nVxMKJZMbn12LXIFywf2q-uMIXmcJPf6WHzqUQU-PuSrxHJZL-AUsbnWOKh7AH3qEL9odlkMHjqpPBRdSAYfUCNTCaJD_DSUsUd_NYz-a3agQk_ftlhvGO5rQf70ePakJOAjkO-y1de2sFiSLGARxAAzlH7b9WJ5k1WvBvxbrHHCmv7wi9AI9w_3OTPC6RVcyHXoPwZ7QYqzEVXEw59JcFJbF3R00NNu1rIxeCDHwk0trVEdUryxo0sGSf5mcZnR-KeMi6fvDt_Uo.IbR1A5xMfxV3HaZlsOSIJNXWnoFefAZSf1mgMcml_yE&dib_tag=se&hvadid=616863157356&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9003189&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10697233928464181431&hvtargid=kwd-11379303&hydadcr=24661_13611822&keywords=moisture+meter&qid=1728579873&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[tarzanswife]

Construction Defect attorney weighing in... Contact the flooring company that installed the floors. They can facilitate an inspection from the manufacturer to inspect and see what the issue is. If it is a moisture issue it could be from inadequate moisture barrier under the wood. All wood and engineered flooring is typically installed over some sort of moisture a barrier. The manufacturers are specific typically as to what type of moisture barrier is need to for particular slabs, etc.. They can perform a calcium chloride test to see if the moisture is coming up from the slab or if it's another issue causing the damage.