Flooring company refusing to reinstall laminate unless we pay for subfloor repairs

Charliewashere

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163516#Comment_82163516

I can’t magic up money from thin air so I’m doing the next best thing we can actually afford. 20k on essential house refurbs in the 3 years since purchase, we’ve had enough. It’s a poo sandwich either way. Not sure what else to say. We’re out of here in 4 years hopefully

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163522#Comment_82163522

That makes the short term solution less preferable. If the last flooring failed within three years, you're likely to be in a position where, at around the time you might think about putting your house on the market, you've either got to pay to have it sorted yet again, or cross your fingers and hope the problem isn't visible enough to draw the attention of a prospective purchaser or their surveyor.

Charliewashere

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163561#Comment_82163561

Yep, and the risk will be taken in full knowledge and maybe perhaps priced in. The future buyer/surveyor point was half the reason I pushed for Tapi to come back and refit in the first place. I appreciate some of the criticism I’ve received, but getting it from all angles, even when taking into account my attempts to mitigate the situation and my financial limits, is like being criticised for not having a solution I simply cannot afford.

As mentioned before, it’s our only feasible route. I can’t spend money where it doesn’t exist. And when Citizens Advice has told me there may be grounds to pursue a claim for my losses, of course I’m going to explore that avenue.

Aylesbury_Duck

Understood, and in that case, I think you have the answer. The affordable route is the one to take, but go into it understanding that recovering your losses could take many months (I think I saw a post recently where the average wait for court was 9 months) and might not work in any case, if the court considers that the preparation work was going to have to be paid by you in 2023 and so paying for it now isn't a loss.

One question, having just re-read the thread - you said the existing plywood sub-floor is uneven and flexible. What's underneath it? Might it be the case that there's a decent, solid, even floor underneath it, and by taking it up, you actually do have a suitable floor upon which to lay the flooring?

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163385#Comment_82163385

If this was financed in house by Tapi's own lender. Then they are going to have contact here. Which leaves the worry that "SubFloor" is the issue & you have been told needs sorting. So S75 could end up being declined.

Boohoo

I am not sure from the 2 threads the OP has going on this issue what and where the flooring is being redone as it's down and up stairs.

OP do you have the photos of 3 years ago and recently taken ones?

Charliewashere

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163632#Comment_82163632

To be honest I don’t know about what’s beneath the ply and I am extremely hesitant to do that at this stage. But I appreciate what you’ve said thus far

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163638#Comment_82163638

It’s a separate finance company (Novuna Finance) so I’m not expecting any conflicts lin that regard

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163642#Comment_82163642

As part of the original job, they carpeted 2 bedrooms, LVT’d the bathroom and laminated entire ground floor.

Upstairs bedrooms we have no issue with, upstairs bathroom was re-done yesterday with sheet vinyl and happy with that. Laminate downstairs is the sticking point. We do have photos of the exposed subfloor right before they installed it in 2023 which shows similar, if not the same, picture as it looks now.

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163522#Comment_82163522

To put things in perspective, that amount of 5mm ply is around £200, a bag of screws and you could put it down yourself in an afternoon.

The £20k is a sunk cost, it is already gone, but by the sound of it you bought a house knowing it was going to require a significant investment so that does not seem like it was unexpected.

The point is even if you take the more expensive route of paying someone £700, that should be findable, take it from the money saved from maternity leave and pay it back over the next few months. No one is saying the money has to be magic, but the point is to make a rational decision not an emotional one, short term belt tightening for long term resolution and piece of mind. You seem to be desperate for this "to be finished", but the route you are taking means it will not be, it will just be hidden for a few weeks or a couple of months, that is why everyone is advising you against that path, not to be difficult, but to try and help.

sheramber

How did you find this independent fitter?

Are you only going with him because he is cheaper and is able to proceed?

A good workman does not have quick availability.

Aylesbury_Duck

"To be honest I don’t know about what’s beneath the ply and I am extremely hesitant to do that at this stage"

It seems to me that given your intention to re-lay the laminate, you have three options:

1. Lay it on top of the existing plywood which has already been assessed as uneven and flexible. Cost is £600 you may be able to recover. plus whatever remedial work might be needed if/when it fails again (another £600 plus inflation).
2. Remove a section of the existing plywood in each of the living room and kitchen, to get a sense of what's underneath. If suitable as a base, your outlay is the cost to remove all of it (you may be able to do that yourself) plus the cost of whatever the appropriate underlay material your fitter recommends. Those underlay materials are relatively inexpensive, and cheaper than the £600+ it looks likely to cost you in a few years' time).
3. Remove the existing plywood and replace it with new, stable and even plywood. Cost on top of the £600 fitting appears to be £700 of plywood plus a labour charge to fit it.

With money tight, you might rule out 3. I think 2 is worth considering. For the sake of maybe a couple of hundred quid, you might end up with a floor that doesn't need ripping up again in three years time, when you'll have a toddler running around to worry about, and a house to try and sell.