Q: One visitor asked, "I recently installed maple strip flooring (2 1/4 inch wide) and I am noticing that many of the boards seem to be developing cracks through the boards which are rough to the touch. The boards were placed in the room two weeks prior to installation. Any idea whats happening?"

A: Maple and many other harder woods are more touchy when it comes to humidity/moisture imbalance. Tiny cracks may be considered normal, and none would be perfect. You left your floor sit plenty of time in the house before installing it. However, during the storage time, were there any wet trades happening in the home which would increase humidity? It seems obvious that the floor is now more dry than when first installed, and hence, has shrunk a bit. If your furnace is now running, perhaps the addition of a humidifier would help.