Black spots on hardwood flooring
 

[:cus:SIZE="5"]My engineered 5/8 thick glued down hardwood flooring has started to turn black on the top.Has anyone had this same problem.?? It comes from moisture coming up through the concrete slab. it also has created mold on the bottom of the hardwood tongue and grooved sections. I would appreciate any comments on this problem . Thanks.

That is probably the exact reason that most, if not all, the flooring people around here advise not to use hardwood. Instead they recommend laminate with a moisture barrier underneath. Sorry you'r having this problem. The only solution I can think of is removal and replacement. Was the concrete sesled prior to installation?

I work for a flooring manufacturer and had carpet removed and engineered hardwood installed in a new home in The Villages before moving in.

A vapor barrier over the concrete is a must. If you did not do that it's impossible to recover.

Did you do this as a DIY project? I'd be surprised if a professional installer would not recommend a vapor barrier. If it was professionally installed without a vapor barrier I'd be screaming at the installer to fix/replace it.

Black spots on hardwood flooring
 

Thank you for your response . The installer told me the glue would act as a sealer .? Is there a chance you could call me to discuss. Would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I just had eng. hardwood installed about 6 mos back, they also told me the glue is the moisture barrier. I think if you have mold and moisture coming from your slab you need to get more than plastic. I would consult with an expert on moisture control.

We just sent you a personal message.

HARDWOOD FLOORING BLACK SPOTS
The rest of the story , part 1
About nine months after the flooring was installed I/we began to notice that some of the boards were beginning to show black on the top. I believed that this was a water leak and called my insurance company. They sent out and independant leak detection company who concluded that after many tests both inside and outside the home there was in fact no water coming in from the outside (documented) . I then called the installer who came and looked at the problem and declared he had never seen this before.
The insurance company denied the claim which I challenged and they sent out another leak detection company to find out where the damage was coming from. This company was here less that five minutes and went out to his vehicle and came back with a device that measures moisture , as he stuck the needle reading point into the seam between the sections of the flooring it indicated a very high level of moisture, after futher testing it was determined that the moisture was coming from a "vapor seal leak) . up through the cement slab and into the flooring causing the mold and corrision of the hardwood flooring (documented). I then called the Villages warranty department and they agreed to meet with the cement slab installer here in the Villages . When both these gentlemen arrived I showed them the documention from both leak detection companies . After they surveyed the flooring problem the cement slab company representative denied any fault and the Village warranty representative agreed and put the blame on the installer ?,
The installer in good faith tried to fix some of the black boards , it did not work nor solve the still existing mold and black spots.

More to come on this problem later. Stay tuned.‎7/‎18/‎2014

After reading your post, what occurred to me is that it may be simply condensation from the ambient moisture in your home on the cool, un-insulated floor. I do know that there is enough moisture in the air to affect the tightness of the "stretch" in carpeting which seems to change from summer to winter. It's much tighter in winter when the air is drier. Perhaps hygrometer readings over a few days would tell the tale. Just my thoughts.

The hygrometer readings in the affected area are reading 88 to 90 % moisture , away from that area there is no reading.???

Placing a .013 thick plastic barrier and the readings drop to 23% .Thanks for your comments.

You may want to try this simple test. Tape a 12" square of that .013 plastic tightly to the floor ( as air tight as possible). Let it sit for 24 hours. If moisture shows under the plastic, it's probably coming from the slab. If moisture shows on the top surface, it's in the air. Another issue that comes to mind is a problem that showed up in a condo in Naples, where the AC unit was slightly oversized for the unit. The system cooled the space so quickly, and shut the AC off, that it did not have enough time to dry the air. Just another thought.

Thanks