Question: What signs will indicate the house is drying out?
Answer:

• Small gaps may appear between the cabinets, vanities, counter/tile joints and walls.
• Miter joints in the door and window trim, baseboards and other trim may open up, and door(s) may stick.
• Fireplace mantels may shrink slightly and pull away from the walls or at the joints. Lacquered surrounds may crack at joints.
• Wood flooring opens between individual pieces, or settles from the baseboards at the walls or under jambs and trims.
• Small gaps show between stairs mouldings, drywall and the walls.

Question: If any of these drying symptoms appear, what should be done to correct them?
Answer: Most shrinkage gaps and cracks can be easily filled and repaired using appropriate caulking or wood filler. Wood flooring will usually return to normal in spring or early summer, although minor separation is acceptable. Ensure that your humidity is to the appropriate level for the time of year it is.

Question: Why does the floor vibrate or make noise?
Answer: Vibration is caused by the floor joist deflecting downwards when weight is applied. This is not uncommon and may cause dishes in china cabinets or kitchen cupboards to rattle, or for one to hear the person on the floor above them. This is a common characterstic of a engineered wood floor.

Question: Before developing the basement, is it possible to move a telepost to make a room larger?
Answer: The teleposts are there to support the interior weight of the structure. No alteration or removal should be considered without consulting a structural engineer.