Checks vs. Splits vs. Shake (Solid Hardwood)

Floor Detective® Claims and Conditions Guide

Summary

Checks, splits, and shake are different types of wood separations that may appear visually similar in solid hardwood flooring but develop through different mechanisms and at different stages of wood processing or service life. Checks commonly originate during lumber drying when differential shrinkage stress exceeds wood fiber strength and may later become more visible as environmental humidity conditions change. Splits are more extensive fractures that extend deeper through the board and are often associated with severe stress, restraint, impact, or dimensional pressure. Shake develops along natural planes of weakness associated with growth-ring structure and may remain concealed until machining, finishing, or service exposure reveals it. Although these conditions may share similar visual characteristics, they differ in origin, structural significance, grading context, and claim interpretation. Visibility after installation does not independently establish when a separation originally formed. See also Hardwood Floor Checking, Splits and Cracks, and Hardwood Floor Problems for broader context.

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