Have I been fucked over here...

[Midsommar]

...or do I just need to pull up my big girl pants and calm the fuck down?

I have booked a guy to fit laminate flooring in my hallway and dining room this Friday.

During the booking process the guy I spoke to told me the floor might need screeding (levelling out, depending on the state of the concrete underneath). He said the floor probably won't need screeding as the house is fairly new build.

I have text him today asking him about Friday and if he needs to screed will it all be done in one day - he has dropped the bombshell on me now that if it needs screeding he will need to book in on another day to get the actual laminate fitted. This may be weeks/months away.

He never explained this to me at the time of booking; he made out that it would be done under one booking.

I'm really annoyed about this and feel like I've been conned a little bit - he never made it clear to me that I would potentially need multiple appointments. I was under the impression this could be done in one go (from what the fitter said to me).

I'm probably being hugely unreasonable but I needed to vent!!

It's just a miscommunication. He's probably assumed you realised it works take more than one day.

Just cancel if it's not convenient.

Not sure why it’s months away but yes - screening is pouring a wet mixture over the floor - it needs to dry and set so cannot be done on the same day.

For memory o think last time I had it floor couldn’t be fitted for about three days (but obviously I guess they are backed up for obvious reasons.

Has he actually said it will be months before he can do it or have you somehow assumed that?

Did you know what “screed” was when he mentioned it?

He should have made it clear -he is meant to be the flooring specialist after all

How much extra will it cost you if it does need it? Has he said?

I would assume it couldn’t be done in the same day, how could it? Do you know what screeding is? I assume so since you gave an explanation to us!

If it needs screeding then a general guide is that it will need one day of drying time per 1mm depth of screed, although individual products vary so it'll depend on what he uses and what depth. At our old house we had to wait three months of drying time between having the initial screed done and the wooden floor fitted in our conservatory.

Fingers crossed the concrete underneath will already be in good condition and won't need it so he can get straight on with the flooring.

The screed has to be left before laying flooring. It also takes a while so it is not possible timewise for both to be done in one day. Dod you reakise what screed was? Who and when will decide if it is necessary?

Yes, I know what screeding is and aware it takes up to 24hrs to dry. The carpet fitter made out to me that the screeding and fitting would be done in one appointment. Now he is saying he is "very busy" and may not be able to fit it for a couple of months due to Covid backlog.

@Heartlake I agree it was miscommunication but it is still pretty annoying. He did not explain the process properly to me and I'm going to he left with ugly concrete floors for potentially a few months.

First world problem I know but I needed a rant and hoped some of my fellow MNetters would pull me back to earth a bit!!

@VettiyaIruken it is an extra £400 for screeding

The fact it needs screening is fair - and it needs drying time - waiting weeks for the floor to be fitted is unreasonable. I would find someone else who can lay the floor within a few days of the screening

@whereorwhere

The fact it needs screening is fair - and it needs drying time - waiting weeks for the floor to be fitted is unreasonable. I would find someone else who can lay the floor within a few days of the screening

This - appalling follow-up service to say you might have to wait months even after it has dried.

Yes, I know what screeding is and aware it takes up to 24hrs to dry.

Then surely you knew it couldn't be done in one day

If it's an extra £400 for the screeding, how do you know that it actually does need screeding and they aren't just saying it does to earn an extra £400?

I know what screeding is and aware it takes up to 24hrs to dry. The carpet fitter made out to me that the screeding and fitting would be done in one appointment

That makes no sense. How could the screeding AND fitting be done in one appointment?? Unless you think he would be sat around for 24hrs waiting for it to dry so that it could be all done in one appointment

@Zaphodsotherhead this is also what I'm worried about.

@SoupDragon the guy made out to me he would be back the next day should they have to screed. The fact it may need to be done over multiple appointments wasn't explained to me

@Pamalarrrr as explained to another PP, I was under the impression that the "one appointment" was a two day long process.

Probably a huge miscommunication. My husband has told me to chill out and stop worrying. Maybe I should take his advice 😂

So you know what it is, that it takes 24 hours to dry but you thought it would be done in one appointment?

Tell him to screed and return in a certain time frame or you will seek alternative tradesmen.

No you haven’t been fucked over, you don’t even know if it needs screeding.

If it's a fairly new build, I doubt it would need screeding. Is there any lumps or bumps in the floor that you can see?

They should just be able to fit it. I had my kitchen done on Monday after waiting 2 months for the appointment. They recommended screeding but I declined and it looks great, no need unless majorly uneven floor.

Took about 20 minutes, very quick. Hallway would probably take longer as all the doorway cuts.

I get that you're annoyed with the large gap between screeding and fitting. FWIW, I have eventually got a quote this week for a carpentry Job. Took him a week to come, then a week to quote. He now informs me he can't do the job til November.... I think they deliberately don't tell you what their backlog is, until you've half-committed to employing them for the job.

@whereorwhere agreed. If it does need screeding and they can't come for weeks I shall take my business elsewhere

@Zaphodsotherhead

If it's an extra £400 for the screeding, how do you know that it actually does need screeding and they aren't just saying it does to earn an extra £400?

That's exactly what I was thinking!

Screed takes a while to dry, it's basically self levelling concrete, a thin layer. Impossible to do that in one day - I'd have thought that was common knowledge!

Honestly much better to have the job done properly, even if it takes a while longer x

@Redcherries please see my previous responses regarding the screeding and one appointment. I'm not that daft to think he would wait around for a day for it to dry! I was under the impression it would take a couple of days (a couple of days being the one appointment). Is it not too late to look for another tradesman?

@namechange2020onceagain no lumps or bumps from what I can see. The screeding isn't essential then?

Thank you all for your responses by the way, appreciate you all taking the time to read and comment.

Who is buying the laminate ?