I recently had LVT flooring installed throughout the ground floor of my new build home, over a power-floated concrete surface. Since the installation (two days ago), some areas feel more uneven than they did with just the bare concrete. The contractor mentioned that a smoothing compound, rather than a leveling compound, was used. However, this distinction wasn’t explained to me before the installation. I suspect there are high and low spots on the floor, so I’ve ordered a 2m straight edge to check for compliance with the SR1 standard (which allows for a maximum gap of 3mm over a 2m length). I plan to conduct this check as soon as possible. My question is, if I discover areas that don't meet the SR1 requirement, what should I do? Will the flooring company really re-lay the entire floor, given that this would likely require obtaining buying 80sqm of flooring from the same batch number? Or will they only address the problematic areas, and if so, could this result in visible seams where the new flooring meets the existing one? Should I consider hiring an independent flooring specialist to assess the situation and provide a report? I’m uncertain about the best course of action. My main concern is ensuring the floor meets UK standards, as I believed it would when I made the purchase.
I can feel the issue rather than see the issue. Here is a photo of a pound coin very comfortably under a straightedge in a low spot, there are a few spots like this.
Id be surprised if your original floor met the standards. I’ve never seen a new build screeded floor thats within that tolerance. Its possible to remove and repair areas of a floor. Depending on how bad it is
There are multiple areas on the new LVT floor where the gap under a 2meter straightedge is greater than 3mm. How unacceptable is this? The flooring requirement was SR1. What should I do next?
In theory all levelling compounds are actually just smoothening compounds the levelling of a floor is different job completely. Any stick down lvt requires a minimum of 3mm of smoothening compound(SC) before installation having said that a (SC) will take the small dips and hollows out of an uneven surface but judging from the photos it looks like the floor was very uneven to start with.. otherwise whoever poured the (SC) got it very wrong which with today's products can be difficult(but not impossible) to do as most flow pretty good and even when poured and applied with a little experience. Sent from my SM-S901B using Tapatalk
It sounds like a frustrating situation, and I can understand why you’d want to get it sorted quickly, especially after investing in new flooring. If the areas don’t meet the SR1 standard after checking with the straight edge, the first step would be to contact the flooring company and raise the issue. They should have used a leveling compound if the surface wasn’t flat enough. The company may offer to fix the specific uneven spots, but you're right to be concerned about visible seams. Re-laying just parts of the floor could lead to issues with matching the new flooring with the old, especially if it's from a different batch. As for bringing in an independent flooring specialist, that’s definitely worth considering. They could provide an unbiased assessment and report, which would be helpful if you need to negotiate with the flooring company or escalate the matter. Ultimately, you should push for the floor to meet UK standards, and if the company isn’t cooperative, having a report could give you a stronger case. Hopefully, they’ll address the issue properly!
I can get 3 pound coins in a few areas in the middle of the floor. mall my dogs balls roll to one side of the room! I’ve only paid half the money so far - do I even have a leg to stand on to ask them to do something? They’ve told me if il late paying I’ll be charged £500 extra