Trouble under Foot - In Situ and Laboratory Investigation of Engineered Wood Flooring

摘要

This paper presents an in situ and laboratory investigation conducted to diagnose unsatisfactory performance of new engineered wood flooring installed in an existing building. Shortly after installation, areas of flooring began to exhibit uplift and bowing (warp). Warp was more pronounced during the winter months, when indoor relative humidity was significantly below the flooring manufacturer's stated minimum. In addition to the correlation between low humidity and warp, other possible contributing factors were also considered; these included materials, construction of the finished product, installation, and end-use conditions. The investigation included detailed documentation of floor condition, building modifications, history of reported flooring defects, and apartment occupancy; plus laboratory environmental testing. An environmental test chamber was used to expose new flooring to a range of relative humidity regimes, including the full range permitted by the flooring manufacturer (35% to 65% RH), and the lower range experienced during the winter months (as low as 15% RH). Testing and analysis confirmed that the flooring performs satisfactorily within the allowable humidity range, and that poor performance at lower relative humidity was attributable to construction layup of the flooring product, the method of installation, and the building environmental conditions.