Installed vinyl floor 4 months ago and its separating
+21
The installer won't fix it, he says my floor is the problem, not his installation. Any help or ideas?
22 answers
-
Since the installer is not being cooperative I would call the manufacturer of the floor. They should be able to tell you how to fix this.Not knowing exactly all the information on the floor I do not want to give you a bad suggestion.
Janet Pizaro
on Nov 29, 2015
-
The Installer should make the repair for you... hopefully he is licensed and you can call the Contractor's Board and report him. If not, take him to Small Claims. He is responsible to prepare floor before installation...
Anne Alexander
on Nov 29, 2015
-
I'm sorry to hear that your new flooring is separating. You might get help if can call The Better Business Bureau. They might give you an idea on what to do OR help you. I have laminate flooring and I can only use a Swifter Mop with the cleaning pad wrung out. I can say that I'm looking at my floor right now and I'm noticing another spot that is curling a bit. Good luck. Maybe the owner of the company will come to your house, check the flooring out and help you out. Good luck. - Denise
D.
on Nov 29, 2015
-
Actually the installer is not responsible for the condition of your floor prior to install, he will just make sure it is swept clean. Anything beyond that is the homeowners responsibility. (Example: If I'm hired to paint a wall, I'm painting a wall. I'm not being paid to fix a drywall issue with the wall. If it's not written into my contract then I'm not doing it.) An installer is just that, an installer. If your floor had other issues (old adhesives that weren't cleaned off, unlevel cement, cracked cement) then you needed to address that before the installer arrived to install the floor. If the vinyl itself is delaminating (layers are splitting apart) then you have a manufacturer issue and it needs to be removed & replaced by whom-ever you purchased it from. Actually the person who posted originally did not include important information. She finally responded and mentioned they were a vinyl "tile" but did not say if they had a peel-off-sticky-backing or were glue down. Nor did she mention what type of floor it was going onto, sub-floor, cement or over old vinyl. Nor did she mention just where her installer came from, was a licensed and bonded contractor, employee of a company or next door neighbor.
Sheri L. Putnam-Cline
on Nov 29, 2015
- See 1 previous
-
All the afore-mentioned suggestions are good. If you paid the installers by credit card, you should also be able to submit a complaint to the CC company/bank as well.
B. Enne
on Nov 29, 2015
-
The contractor could not have installed that floor without seeing the underlayment. If he did nothing to warn you of an outcome like this, then he needs to make repairs to the flooring. Now if he did tell you that there was a problem before he installed it that is another matter entirely.
Debbie Miller
on Nov 29, 2015
-
The installer should have told you that the floor needed prep work and his estimate should have included the prep work and 3--1installation. If this is what happened and you paid for prep & install then you should file a claim against his bond. Based on his claim that your floor was the problem, if he neglected to tell you then his ethics are in question. Hopefully he gave you a written estimate.
Inetia
on Nov 29, 2015
-
If all else fails, maybe grout between the tiles? You didn't include a picture, so I don't know if they are separated evenly enough for this to look good or not, but it might be worth a try. If you decide to do this, you should seal the grout afterwards, though.
Tracy
on Nov 30, 2015
-
As many time as I have had different flooring layed throughout my house throughout the years never once did my installer not take into consideration the underlayment of the floor and made sure the correct prep work was done! I believe i would have a few words with him.
Rae
on Nov 30, 2015
-
If he was an independent contractor, you are probably stuck and need to bite the bullet and get a professional in to fix or replace. If he is affiliated with any manufacturer, company or store, I would get a hold of the product manufacturer, store of company boss/owner and ask of a second opinion and another installer to come fix it. Do not wait, as their interest will go away the longer time you are using the product/installation.
Johnchip
on Nov 30, 2015
-
Where did you buy the flooring? I would contact the store I purchased the flooring from and have them send someone out to look at it and let them deal with the installer.
Eileen B.
on Nov 30, 2015
-
Was it tiles or regular sheet vinyl? And where exactly is it "separating"? If it is sheet goods, you really don't have many options but to try contact cement, staples under the toekick, or quarter round base molding. If it is tiles, are they shifting and leaving gaps? That means they weren't installed tight enough (gaps that allowed the tiles to shift) and/or the surface under the tiles wouldn't allow adequate adhesion. (This happened to me 😣). If that is what has happened, you will probably have to pull up and replace. Also worth considering, if your retailer also arranged the installation, then they are responsible for their installer.
Susan
on Nov 30, 2015
-
I don't think it matters what kind of flooring it is, the installer is supposed to be a pro and it sounds to me like he didn't prep the underlayment correctly and unless he is affiliated with the store that sold you the flooring the only thing you can do is hire someone that is reputable to fix the floor then take the original installer to small claims. Good luck.
Patty
on Nov 30, 2015
-
I would argue that if the floor was an issue, he should have mentioned it before installing it ...Or did he mention it then ?
Ginger
on Nov 30, 2015
-
I would call b.b.b. and complain to them to see what you can do...
Kay
on Nov 30, 2015
-
If your new flooring was installed over concrete slab, your problem is most likely caused by moisture in the slab. In that case, your installer is not at fault, but he should have warned you that the floor could "blow up" from the pressure of the moisture. A moisture barrier underlayment could've been installed, but the only way to permanently fix an issue like this is to remove the floor, apply a moisture mitigation system, then reinstall the floor.
Kathi Keenan
on Nov 30, 2015
-
my floor is vynil tiles I think I am going to have it pulled up and relayed installer unwilling to repair tiles are separating at seams only in my kitchen rest of house ok
Honey Herrington
on Nov 30, 2015
-
Or try warming with hair dryer & push it together. , or fill cracks with caulking to match color floor. I would try installer or store.
Steffony
on Nov 30, 2015
-
pulled up floor and relayed it store still had open stock will be dealing with installer
Honey Herrington
on Dec 01, 2015
-
With older floorboards that move when you walk this is not uncommon. The underlying boards have to be stable. Also the vinyl needs to be excellent quality and flexible. If you used vinyl coated linoleum on anything besides concrete cracking is to be expected.
JC Sipes
on Dec 01, 2015
-
If the installer knows your floor is the problem, ask him what it is and what you should do. Clearly he must have some idea and/or opinions since he knows so much about laying a floor on a faulty bed! Then, go do some research including talking to a reputable flooring store sales guy and talk to them about the problem and what the worker said the reason was. When you are sure of the problem, you'll be able to decide how to fix it.
Duv310660
on Dec 03, 2015
-
If the seams are separating it could be the installers fault have him explain why it's separating. My husband is a flooring contractor. call the sells person that helped you.
Kari Roberts
on Dec 06, 2015
Sign Up to Answer
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
