Wood Shear (Engineered Flooring)
Wood Shear vs. Delamination (Engineered Hardwood Flooring)
Floor Detective® Claims and Conditions Guide
Summary
Wood shear and delamination are distinct internal separation mechanisms that may occur within engineered hardwood flooring. Both involve separation within a layered plank, but they originate in different structural components. Wood shear reflects rupture through the wood fibers themselves, while delamination reflects separation along an adhesive bond line between laminated layers. Engineered flooring relies on both wood-fiber strength and adhesive bond integrity to function as a unified composite panel during dimensional movement and environmental exposure. Proper classification requires direct evaluation of fracture morphology rather than assumption based on surface appearance alone. In some conditions, both mechanisms may occur within the same plank as internal stress redistributes through the layered structure. Accurate differentiation is important because visually similar separations may involve substantially different structural mechanisms and claim implications. See also Delamination, Core Void, and Hardwood Floor Problems for broader context.
Hardwood Floor Problems
Wood Decay (Hardwood Flooring)
Termite Damage (Hardwood Flooring)
Bamboo Flooring Construction and Dimensional Behavior
Checks vs. Splits vs. Shake (Solid Hardwood)
Grain Raise (Hardwood Finish Issue)
Splits – Cracks
Wood Distortion
Wood Shear (Engineered Flooring)