My new oak kitchen counter started splitting after just 6 weeks

I installed it myself back in February from a local lumber yard in Columbus. The wood was supposed to be kiln dried, but after the first real week of humidity in April, I noticed a crack running down the grain. I tried filling it with epoxy but it just looks like a patch job now. Next time I'm going with butcher block or just laminate. Has anyone else had issues with solid wood counters in a humid climate?

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the_mila4mo ago

Did you check the moisture content before you installed it?

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veraj534mo ago

Did you check the moisture content" - that sounds like something my contractor would say to make me feel dumb, lol. Honestly, I've installed plenty of flooring without checking moisture levels and it's been fine, @the_mila. I mean unless you're putting it in a basement or a bathroom, how much moisture can there really be in a regular room? People overthink this stuff.

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angela6873mo ago

Wait, was that you who posted that originally? Because honestly, I used to be on the other side of this argument, thinking moisture checks were just a CYA thing contractors do. But then my sister had her whole new wood floor buckle in the living room (totally not a wet area, just a regular room), and it turned out the slab had a super high moisture reading from a slow leak we never saw. Now I'm the one telling people to check, sorry, not sorry.

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