Our builder arranged for a flooring contractor to come and lay Karndean planks today. He hasn't finished but on inspection we are worried. The planks are not stuck down properly in several places round the edge and the edges are less than straight. There are several gaps between the planks and skirting board. I don't know what he's intending to do tomorrow in respect to finishing off and sealing the edge. I presume a clear silicon sealant but that won't hide the imperfections. Am I being too picky or have I had a poor fitting? They poured a latex screed over the concrete floor first and patched areas but round the edges there are a few spots where the latex splashed up the skirting board or were not completely flat around the edges. We thought they would rectify before they laid the planks. I attach pics. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Dont let them continue anymore, you are just throwing your money up in the air. It clearly shows the person who attempted to fit that is far from a pro fitter, he's probably a window cleaner doing a favour for his builder mate Tell your builder that you are not happy with what's been thrown down and it all needs taking up and having a proper prep and a pro fitter in. He's been tearing them planks with his teeth by the looks of it and using a heatgun to cut in, shambles!!!
Urgh I was sort of hoping you were going to tell me I was being picky! Should the finish be good enough not to need mastic? I'm going to ring the flooring company tomorrow and express my displeasure. Any ammo gratefully received!
I can’t see your pics but from your description alone I know it’s bad fitting. A finished installation should never need sealing around the edges/perimeter Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Shocking work. Not a pro LVT fitter at all so don’t pay. What adhesive has been used. Was a liquid moisture suppressant used. Was it a new concrete / sand & cement sub floor.
He's been appointed by our builder as part of a wider fixed price contract so withholding payment not straightforward unfortunately. I wish I'd done more research now. He's used Styccobond F46 Pressure Sensitive acrylic adhesive. Is that right? I don't know if he used a liquid moisture suppressant, I didn't see him put anything down before he started spreading on the adhesive so I doubt it. He seemed like he was rushing it and was gone by the time I came home at 3.30, despite only a small section of utility room left to do. We have had an extension built and the back wall knocked through. The existing part is concrete floor but half of it is covered with those old fashioned vinyl tiles that contain asbestos so builder wouldn't touch them. The extension was built with block and beam floor covered in screed and then the whole lot covered in latex which wasn't flat when first laid where the rooms join. Someone came out on sat morning and spent all of 5 minutes pouring more latex onto the join to try and flatten it out but it's still not flat.
Really? Have we got a major problem with the subfloor too? Should they have just spent more time making sure it was flat or should they have also laid something else before the planks went down? What would your advise be on how to proceed?
Ok so most floors with old vinyl tiles Down doesn’t have a damp proof membrane. Were the tiles 9”x9” ? How old is that side of the subfloor ? Any floor built before 1965 doesn’t have a damp proof membrane but that can include up to 1980 I’ve found. If none then the adhesive should of had a grinder on it. The new section how many weeks ago was that put down.
Our house was built post 1980. The extension screed was laid about 5-6 weeks ago. I'm ringing them this morning to insist they send a different fitter to lift the edges and relay properly. Do you think I need to insist they lift the lot? Most of it seems fine, it's just the edges and the section where the existing house meets the extension isn't perfectly flat.
If they didnt do any moisture tests and it's still wet then whilst it looks fine in places it'll soon start to lift. Dont settle for that, its embarrassing. Get them to take a few areas up and moisture test then take it from there. The builder will spin you all sorts of excuses so dont let him pull the wool over your eyes else you'll be back here in Easter complaining what to do with your floor.
Update: have called Karndean who have confirmed everything you guys have told me. I've called the flooring company who tried to tell me that a bead of mastic round the edges was planned and would solve it and in fact they can't cut right to the edges as they need to allow for expansion?!?!?! Apparently they do a lot of work for Bargate homes which presumably was supposed to impress me! Waiting for a call back.
They using the old 'expansion' excuse to cut it short of the skirting Doesnt matter whether they do work for harrods or the queen, they're finishing should be 100% better than that. No excuses they clearly dont have it in them to do the 'perfect' job.
It doesnt news to have an expansion gap round the edges so make sure they dont try and keep to that theory
Thanks for all your help, the manager is on his way round but unbelievably the fitter has already turned up. My builder is also on his way. Feeling ambushed so pleased I have pro advice on what's bullsh*t. They didn't acclimatise planks either which presumably would mitigate any shrinkage/expansion.
If they do new build work they will be used to cutting it short as every job is mastic/siliconed after Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes it rang alarm bells with me! The manager agreed with me that it was sub standard, apologised and is sending a different fitter to rip it all up, sort the subfloor and relay in Jan. Result! Thanks all!
