Gents Not been on for a while but would welcome your input on this... Would you say a parquet floor [prime oak] 230 x 70 x 15mm would start cupping if the m/c of the timber was 9-10% ?? This figure was taken with my Tramex [prong attachment obviously] the client assures me that it has been cleaned properly and excess moisture has not been used...however on my first s/v back to the job 3 weeks ago the m/c levels were 10-10.5% over the area, [35m2 room] the sheen levels of the floor did look a bit 'greasy' to be honest, and around the border of the room there was virtually no cupping at all. Second s/v last week and the cupping had decreased considerably, m/c was between 9-10% max, carefully took 7-8 readings. When we laid the blocks last September, we took m/c readings of the blocks before installation and they were between 7-9%, the client was pretty fussy and i'm sure if there would of been cupping beforehand he would of let me know the same day, he only got in touch 3 weeks ago and insists he hasn't used a steam cleaner [i asked him if he had been using one as soon as i saw the floor] although he did unbelievably have a brand new Bona cleaning kit with a virtually full reservoir to show me...so over 6 months the floor has been perfectly flat and no issues, all of a sudden its started cupping slightly... Subfloor is concrete all relevant tests were done, m/c levels were between 1.5 - 2.2 [CM method] over the area, was levelled and 2 x dpm used. Any input appreciated...
Not that i could see merit, but people do tend to hide things when it gets down to the nitty gritty...but they have said that a 'cleaner' has cleaned the floor for them on occasions, but of course she [the cleaner] hasn't done anything wrong according to them...
Had a cheap laminate bubble on the joins on me a few months back. Had to break out 3 boards in the middle of the hallway. Could see and smell the cleaning product in the joins but apparently they hadn't been cleaning it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Were you able to point out to the customer [the cleaning product] and what did they say ?? or was it all your fault even though you hadn't been anywhere near for months
Given that your customer denies having anything to do with the result, the onus here is on them. He must be able to able to prove that your work was the cause of his current problems. This problem is often caused by bad weather seeping into the building somehow - in particular, heavy rain such as like you have experienced in the north west recently. Or it might simply be a case that the timber used was quite old and has buckled naturally. On the other hand, your customer’s denials may just be a cover up. Your team are obviously proficient and have done their job as they always have done successfully, but unfortunately you are stuck in the middle when deciding who to believe. However, the only way to have the matter resolved would be for you to suggest to your customer that they hire an independent surveyor to come out and inspect the floor. A professional eye would be able to tell whether the cause could possibly have come about as the result of your work, if it was more likely to be down to climatic conditions, or the fact that the timber was old. Your customer may be able to claim on his household insurance for the costs of this survey to be carried out. Should the surveyor’s findings prove that you were negligent, then you have a couple of options. You can then either agree to pay some form of compensation, or you can hire your own surveyor for a second opinion. In cases where two surveyors may have different opinions, then you could either agree to split the costs of rectifying the problem with your customer, or make a decision to jointly agree to appoint a third and final surveyor and to stand by their findings. However, it should be re-emphasised that from the information you’ve supplied here, there is no evidence that you or you have been guilty of any wrong doing, so it really is up to your customer to prove otherwise. Your customer could decide to take you to court, which can be a very costly affair for both parties. Basically, it all very much depends on how you feel towards your customer. If the problem is relatively minimal, you might think it’s easier to suggest splitting the costs of any further work, as a small financial outlay might mean less hassle all round and will help you to maintain good relations with them. However, until your customer proves any differently, you are under no obligation to pay for anything. Bob www.floorfixer.co.uk
Hi Bob Thanks for your input, the parquet was a new install last September, blocks supplied by the customers [really nice blocks btw] they were between 7-9% checked before installation...personally i think its just been steam cleaned by their cleaner, in the 4 weeks since i first went out to have a look [i went out again 10 days ago] the blocks have flattened off considerably, i've asked them straight if they have used a steam cleaner but they insist it has been cleaned only with a Bona cleaning kit [which we recommended] for me the sheen level of the lacquer [Bona Traffic hd matt] looks slightly greasy, for me a sign of being steam cleaned, also virtually all around the border not cupped, and i also noticed under some low lying furniture it was the same [not cupped] the customers are nice people and are pretty amicable at the moment, but for me its pretty clear... So for us going forward there will be no more new parquet installs, for what you get out of it, its just not worth the hassle...
