Pro Interview: Preventing Liability Using Wood Floor Data Loggers

Charles Peterson poses with one of his award-winning floor designs.

We interviewed Charles Peterson, a wood flooring expert and author of the best-selling book Wood Flooring: A Complete Guide to Layout, Installation & Finishing. And his insights on moisture measurement and liability protection could save you tens of thousands of dollars.

Charles has designed high-quality flooring installations all over the world—for superyachts, penthouses in Manhattan, mansions in Hawaii, a palace in Lebanon, the Academy Awards headquarters, and more. And he’s won numerous awards for his beautiful and sophisticated ornate designs.

He currently contributes to technical manuals and also offers consulting and inspections for high-end construction projects.

And when it comes to wood floors, he notes that after you install them, you’re responsible for managing the environment until the homeowner takes ownership. And even then, if wood floors start to buckle or check during the first year or two, who do you think they’ll call?

You. And if you don’t have the right data to back up your work, it can eat into your time and money while also damaging your reputation.

But there’s a simple way to protect your work and keep your company far away from litigation.

Let’s talk about why Charles considers wood floor data loggers a must, especially when taking on high-risk installations like his most recent construction project.

The Wood Floor Challenge

Charles’ latest project is a nine-figure structure on the ocean in the Hamptons. It has two Olympic-sized pools, one inside and one outside. And the wood flooring planks are enormous at 300 millimeters by 30 millimeters.

With that amount of moisture and planks of that size, Charles saw that even if they performed a perfect installation, the floors were at risk of moisture-related issues like buckling or checking.

That’s why he advised taking precautions.

Before beginning installation, he recommended bringing ambient conditions closer to the temperature and humidity levels inside a typical, lived-in home to decrease the wood movement.

Next, he saw the need for backup data to protect against liability.

He made it clear that installing wood floor data loggers—in this case, Wagner’s Floor Sentry® data logger—is an absolute must.

The Solution: Installing Wood Floor Data Loggers

Charles Peterson Performs Inspections On High-End Wood Flooring Projects

Charles points out that “floor sensors” are the most “cost-effective insurance” for a wood flooring installer. Due to the size of the home the floors are being installed in, they’re using 15 Floor Sentry® data loggers.

Here’s a quick rundown of how the Floor Sentry® data logger works:

1. It’s a card-sized device embedded into the back of a flooring plank.
2. It features temperature and relative humidity (RH) sensors.
3. It records up to 16,000 internal temperature and RH readings within your wood flooring and concrete subfloor surface or underlayment.
4. The Floor Sentry® connects to the free Wagner Sentry app on your phone via Bluetooth®.
5. It provides instant monitoring, graphed progress, and real-time alerts if levels go outside the threshold you set.

Charles sees the Floor Sentry® as insurance because it can prevent you from spending thousands of dollars in litigation. If your work gets called into question, the Floor Sentry gives you documented evidence that you did everything right.

Here’s the bottom line, according to Charles:

1. It’s “a real money-saving tool”: It provides data showing you kept the floor at the right moisture level during construction, which can keep you out of litigation.
2. HVAC Adjustment: “It allows you to monitor the floor for the first couple years to make sure the HVAC system is correctly adjusted to prevent problems.”

Wondering why monitoring relative humidity and temperature makes a difference? It all comes down to preventing moisture-related flooring issues.

Let’s see what Charles says about moisture measurement.

Why Moisture Matters to the Pros

Charles holds degrees in wood science and engineering, contributes to wood floor manuals, and teaches moisture management. Clearly, he understands the moisture-related challenges of working with wood more than most.

He explains that wood is hygroscopic, meaning it naturally absorbs and releases moisture.

If there’s more moisture in the wood than in the air, the floorboards might shrink and gap, which can lead to checking. Or if flooring is exposed to higher humidity after it’s installed, it can expand and buckle.

“You have to monitor moisture and know your conditions in order to not have failures when something is continuously dimensionally changing.”

“If you’re installing a product wider than two and a quarter inch and you install in February and March (a drier time), flooring might be 6% [moisture content]. And suddenly summer comes and suddenly the floor is up to 9 ½ to 10 ½ %.”

That’s why he educates contractors and customers alike about the importance of moisture management.

He’s had customers call crying about their $10,000 to $40,000 floors. And without documentation, flooring contractors can get stuck with the bill, or with litigation…even if the issue was outside their control.

But something as simple as using a wood floor data logger can help contractors protect their work. On behalf of contractors, Charles points out:

“No one’s making enough to afford a failure.”

Protect What Matters With a Floor Sentry

Charles Peterson Works on an Intricate Wood Flooring Inlay

Litigation is always costly. And when you think of what’s at risk—like your time, reputation, and potentially tens of thousands of dollars—the Floor Sentry is “pretty cheap insurance.”

And what made Charles choose Wagner’s Floor Sentry®?

“You guys made me comfortable with your technical support.”

He went on to explain that he’s used various tools from multiple companies, but Wagner excels at customer service, including technical support. And he says that’s a huge consideration, especially since you never know what you’ll encounter in the field.

And with tools from Wagner, you get lifetime customer support.

Here’s what else you get with Wagner’s Floor Sentry:

1. Precise and Consistent Readings – Backed by Wagner’s one-year warranty.
2. Effortless Floor Monitoring on Your Device – You can send readings to your device via the free Wagner Sentry app, making it easy to store and organize readings.
3. Real-time Alerts – If RH or temperature gets outside the user-defined alarm threshold, you’ll get notified so you can take action.
4. Data to Monitor and Protect – You can monitor, record, and store over 16,000 internal temperature and RH readings within your wood floors.
5. Worry-Free Battery Life – The pre-installed battery can last up to eight years.

One small, card-sized device embedded on the back of a plank can prevent a big mess later.

Don’t leave your projects, your profit, or your company at risk. Take Charles Peterson’s advice and install a wood floor data logger during your next flooring installation.

Explore Wagner’s Floor Sentry® Today