New build flooring nightmare

tillypops

Hi all
We had 3.5k worth of LVT laid on the concrete downstairs of our new build by a local flooring company - woodpecker brand, sold as requiring no screed prior to laying. We noticed on day 1 of moving in that there was a significant dip in the flooring around the patio door and the fitter who was still at the house finishing up as we were given entry, acknowledged the dip but said he was short on time and had no option but to the lay the floor (even packing other areas with cardboard!). We raised this issue immediately with the flooring company AND our builders and have gotten absolutely nowhere with either of them for the last 10 months. Over this time period all the boards have buckled, they bounce away from the floor and some have even chipped.

The flooring company blame the builders for the dip, the builders say the flooring company shouldn't have installed the flooring if it was that bad.

As the customers we feel we are getting batted back and forth like a game of tennis. We feel that essentially it is the flooring company who are at fault as their fitter should have stopped the installation and made us aware of dips in the concrete floor. They arranged for the flooring manufacturer to come and assess and want us to wait for his report. When he visited the property he agreed the flooring is not laid to the standard they would expect. But he also checked for moisture levels and said it is off the scale.  

We feel so helpless - how do we resolve this? The manufacturer are suggesting more testing needs to be done regarding moisture levels which will probably mean months longer of waiting for what? So they can go back and blame the builders?? 
Then we are no further forward 😔

Bendy_House

Do you have legal protection on your house insurance? If so, call them up for advice right now.

It's nuts that this has taken so long to resolve. It would seem to me that the flooring installer is at fault, regardless of which of these two identified issues are to blame, but certainly for the unevenness.

The sub-floor- regardless of its construction - should be at a minimum moisture content. A NEW CONCRETE floor should at least have been treated with caution, and some way of determining whether it was 'dry' enough should have been used.

More obviously, tho', is that the floor has just been laid without adequate preparation, and the manufacturer has confirmed this. 

WHEN did the manufacturer come out to assess the work? How long AFTER it was laid? And the readings are STILL 'off the scale'? Did the person make any other comment about this - who should have CHECKED the moisture levels before laying, or is the 'implication' that it ain't the installer's fault 'cos they wouldn't have known?! 

Mil has just had LVT glued down on her concrete floor. The house had been empty for 2 years prior to this, and the floorer told her what temp he wanted the floor at, and for how long, before installation. Had this been a new build, I have little doubt that he'd also have been equally aware of the time needed to allow a new screed to fully dry out before he'd entertain putting down the floor. Why? Because he's a professional, and knows what he's doing. Your guy doesn't appear to be.

This floor - WHY would it be so damp? Is it a NEW floor that has yet to dry out fully, or is it an OLD floor that, perhaps, might not even have a DPM?

Bendy_House

Pros on here - would a floorer be expected to take a moisture reading before laying LVT as a standard check?

Doozergirl

Is this the click down, non glue woodpecker LVT flooring?  What a pile of utter, utter junk it is.   We have our own nightmare story to tell. 

However, if the flooring company supplied and fitted the product then they are entirely liable for the quality of both the supply and fit of it.   It has nothing to do with the builder.  

The flooring fitter should check the levels of the floor are suitable to accommodate LVT AND check that the moisture levels in the concrete are low enough to allow the fitting of LVT.  Being a new build, concrete takes about a month to dry per inch of screed, so they should either request that you wait or that you put down a liquid DPM to form a barrier.  

Second however:  The reality is that the click flooring is actually of a shocking quality and that the click together bits are capable of snapping just by hand, let alone when it is laid on a large area when it just starts spontaneously snapping. 

But a supply and fit contract is a supply and fit contract and therefore whether the problem is the product or the fitting, it's their problem.  The floor not being suitable is their problem for not informing you and dealing with it.  I deal with flooring companies all the time and the fitters always check - in fact they always put down self level over concrete for LVT without fail.    You can talk to trading standards, but you might want to make a claim via money-claim online for a refund.  

A new build developer will
never put anything over the screed if they weren't doing the flooring; if you had carpet or a thicker click flooring or wood then it simply wouldn't need self-level, just underlay.  It is not the developer's problem.  

FaceHead

tillypops said:

....said he was short on time and had no option but to the lay the floor 

This is all you need to know. The installer did a rush job, hoping to get away without the required prep by slapping it down and moving on. And he clearly didn't have 'no option'. He could have said this floor needs self-leveling, and that'll be an extra £x00, and given you the option to have to done properly, take the risk consciously, or get carpet. 

If this is their business model they need to be prepared for the for the regular occurrence that they don't get away with it and have to do it a second time, properly

Agree with the comment re:legal protection. Assuming you don't have this, write to the flooring company firmly, telling them they did a bad job and to sort it it. (You might have done this, and they've said it's the builders fault). The next step is to write back, saying no it's your fault, sort it out or we'll get a court to make you pay someone else to sort it (get a quote form someone else to fix it at this point). 

Ergates

I'm assuming you contracted the flooring company directly (as opposed to the builders doing it), and that they subcontracted to the fitters? (or the fitters work directly for the flooring company)   If this is the case, then your complaint is with the the flooring company.   

They are correct that a dip in the floor is the responsibility of the builders, but they're flooring experts and as a customer you have a reasonable expectation that they would notice and inform you of any conditions in the building that would prevent proper installation.  This would also apply to the moisture level - if it being a new concrete floor was relevant they should have known to ask.

bob_a_builder

Doesn't this speak volumes -  " but to the lay the floor (even packing other areas with cardboard!)."

Doozergirl

bob_a_builder said:

Doesn't this speak volumes -  " but to the lay the floor (even packing other areas with cardboard!)."

It does.  Screams of a blatant bodge.  

travis-powers

Bendy_House said:

Pros on here - would a floorer be expected to take a moisture reading before laying LVT as a standard check?

Depending on the flooring yes and if possible check for dips, even flo-screed can have dips.