WLFI Repair Techniques & Restoration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A wood floor inspector observes squeaking in a glue-down engineered floor over a concrete slab. What is the most likely cause?
- Excessive moisture in the wood planks
- Adhesive bond failure causing planks to move against each other (Correct answer)
- Improper finish coat application
- Sub-floor slope greater than 1/8 inch per 6 feet
Correct answer: Adhesive bond failure causing planks to move against each other
When adhesive loses its bond, planks shift slightly under foot traffic, causing boards to rub and produce squeaking sounds.
Question 2: What is the best method to repair a scratch that penetrates only the finish layer of a hardwood floor without reaching the wood?
- Replace the scratched plank entirely
- Lightly buff the area and apply a compatible floor finish touch-up product (Correct answer)
- Sand the entire floor and refinish
- Fill with wood putty and sand flush
Correct answer: Lightly buff the area and apply a compatible floor finish touch-up product
Surface-only scratches can be repaired by buffing and applying a compatible finish touch-up without full refinishing.
Question 3: During an inspection, a laminate floor plank shows white haze (clouding) within the wear layer. What is the most appropriate corrective action?
- Apply laminate floor polish to restore clarity
- Replace the affected plank(s), as the wear layer damage is permanent (Correct answer)
- Sand the wear layer lightly and apply a compatible sealant
- Steam clean the floor to rehydrate the wear layer
Correct answer: Replace the affected plank(s), as the wear layer damage is permanent
Clouding within a laminate's wear layer is structural damage that cannot be buffed or polished out; plank replacement is required.
Question 4: Which repair technique is recommended for fixing a loose solid hardwood floor nail-down plank near a wall?
- Blind-nail through the tongue at a 45-degree angle and set the nail below the surface
- Face-nail with finish nails near the wall edge and fill nail holes (Correct answer)
- Re-glue the plank to the subfloor with construction adhesive from the top
- Replace the entire row of planks adjacent to the wall
Correct answer: Face-nail with finish nails near the wall edge and fill nail holes
Near walls where blind-nailing is impractical, face-nailing with finish nails and filling the holes is the accepted repair method.
Question 5: An inspector finds cupping (edges higher than center) in a solid hardwood floor. After moisture levels have been corrected and equalized, what is the next step?
- Immediately sand the floor flat
- Wait for the floor to flatten naturally before deciding if sanding is needed (Correct answer)
- Apply heavy weights across the cupped boards
- Inject water under the floor to equalize moisture from below
Correct answer: Wait for the floor to flatten naturally before deciding if sanding is needed
Cupped floors often flatten on their own once moisture equilibrium is restored; sanding too early can result in a crowned floor when the wood dries.
Question 6: What repair approach is used when a laminate floor end-joint gap has opened due to seasonal shrinkage?
- Fill the gap with matching caulk or color-matched seam filler (Correct answer)
- Pull up the entire floor row and reinstall with reduced spacing
- Apply heat with a heat gun to expand the laminate back into place
- Sand the gap edges and re-glue the joint
Correct answer: Fill the gap with matching caulk or color-matched seam filler
Color-matched seam filler or caulk is used to fill minor gap openings in laminate floors caused by seasonal shrinkage.
Question 7: When repairing a water-damaged section of engineered hardwood floor, the inspector notices the sub-floor underneath is also damaged. What is the correct repair order?
- Install new flooring first, then address the sub-floor through gaps
- Remove damaged flooring, repair and dry the sub-floor, then install replacement planks (Correct answer)
- Encapsulate the sub-floor damage with primer and lay flooring over it
- Lay new underlayment over the damaged sub-floor and install flooring
Correct answer: Remove damaged flooring, repair and dry the sub-floor, then install replacement planks
The sub-floor must be fully repaired and dried before new flooring is installed to prevent recurring moisture damage.
WLFI Repair Techniques & Restoration 3
A wood floor inspector observes squeaking in a glue-down engineered floor over a concrete slab.
What is the most likely cause?