cupped hardwood floor?

Question

my wife and i are about to pay 170,000 for a brand new house. the problem is that the builder installed hard wood floors and some of the boards are cupped. the floor has been down since june and the builder is telling us that the floor manufacture told him to run a dehumidifier and within 6 weeks or so the floor will correct itself. the problem the builder told us is that the floor was installed before the heat/air was installed ,so there was no way to control the temp in the house.im willing to fork out the money if the floor is really gonna corect itself. can anyone give me any advice?

Answer 1

Make the builder replace the hardwood. Is it 2&1/4" or 3" or larger plank? The problem is either from a leak or a humidity problem, as moisture intrudes into the wood it causes the wood to swell. Since the wood is cupped, I automatically suspect a leak. This is not a problem that is going to correct itself. And a manufacturer is going to know that. You are dealing with either an unscrupulous builder or an uneducated one. The affected area needs to be torn out and replaced, if it is pre-finished, if it is finished in place, it needs to have the area replaced and the entire floor refinished, it is a costly venture, I feel sorry for the builder, but that is not your problem. The question is what other problems will he lie to you about. I strongly suggest that you hire a reputable home inspection service to go over the home before proceeding with the purchase, and that is only after he fixes the floor CORRECTLY. I live in Delaware, if you are close by e-mail me, I'll have no qualms inspecting the floors and giving you a free evaluation to let you know what the problems are and what has to be done to resolve them. $170,000 is a great price for a new house, but is still a large investment, BS has been mentioned several times, and they are all correct. Ask the builder for the phone # to the flooring company that supplied and installed the hardwood, they will want to tell you what the problem really is. My guess: There was no HVAC installed at the time of installation, the wood was brought to the jobsite and installed the same day. The proper way to do it is to allow the wood to sit in the house for three days to acclimate and then be installed, but only when it isn't going to be subjected to extreme climate changes, and or humidity. I see it all the time. But I'm still guessing there is a leak somewhere, and the builder may not even be aware of it. (think MOLD) which isn't really that bad but could save you a few extra thousand dollars. Get that home inspector, and tell him to bring his moisture meter after a good rainfall.

Answer 2

To me that doesn't sound promising. If the floor cannot sustain integrity after 6 months and the seller hasn't been able to correct it, how can you be confident that they can now? This problem should have been fixed BEFORE they tried to sell the house, they've had several months.

Buy the house on a contingency with an escrow account that the seller (builder) must correct the problem with the floor and that the floors are not cupped within x number of days. The procedure to correct the problem with the floor must be in writing, in other words so the builder can't be in there every other day tinkering and invading your space. Conversely, if the seller is unable to correct the problem, the funds in escrow will be released to you to repair/replace the floor. If the floor is corrected, the funds would be returned to the seller. You will need to establish an independent professional to determine if in fact the floor is satisfactory at the end of the escrow period.

This is the ONLY way I would buy a new house that has a problem. Otherwise walk away, there are plenty of new houses and plenty of other people willing to build them. The housing market has slowed and builders house inventory is building. It costs them $$$ every month they hold it.

Answer 3

tell him to run the dehumidifier and you'll buy when the floors are flat. if that were the case wouldn't he have done it already? i think he got the floors wet, either the sub floor or the flooring, and the flooring is loaded with moisture. i wouldn't want to have to move everything out so he can fix it after you move in. did you live in the area when the house was being built? was it a very rainy time? i'm from the northeast and we had a very rainy spring. check with the local building inspector for the town you will be buying in. he should have an idea as he checked the work on the house as it was built. also run a check with the better business bureau on the builder. with the market like it is right now, in most areas, the builder should jump thru hoops for a buyer. get your lawyer to get the builder to put an extended warranty on all of the floors. good luck, and happy holidays.

Answer 4

I sell woodflooring. It has been my experance once bad it will never be good. Who is the manufacture? Have you asked to talk to the manufactures rep for your area. I have worked with most manufactures, have never had them say anything but defective or not defective. And they never talk to the customer, your builder. Sorry but the story of the floor fixing it self sound like BS to me. If glued down the glue will not restick. If nailed down the nails will not renail themself. And do NOT let they resand and refinish it. It will just bow the other way. It needs to be replaced. There is no other way to do it right.

Answer 5

He should have run the dehumidifier with the wood in the room BEFORE he installed it in order to acclimate it. Once it's in, it's kind of tough luck. Best off to replace the affected pieces. Hopefully it's not all of them??? Tell him that if he can't/won't fix them to your satisfaction then the deal is off. The way the market's going he needs you more than you need him.

Answer 6

ms k is right.. it's not going to fix itself.. if he blows smoke up your ace now.. what else did he hide.. fork out the xtra money and get a home inspector to go through it. I bet the inspector will find even more.. should be less than 300.00 for the inspector

Answer 7

There is significant water damage underneath said floor. Don't let the builder bullshit you.

Answer 8

HAVE THE CONTRACTOR CORRECT, REDUCE THE PRICE AND OR SELL IT TO U WITHIN SIX OF HIM TURNING ON THE HVAC SYSTEM. THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR A MAJOR PROBLEM IN A NEW HOME.

Answer 9

believe you're stuck with a warped floor. been my experience that once it bows that's it.

Answer 10

It's unlikely it will go back to dead flat.