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Original poster

To ask the fitters to stop fitting my floor today

485 replies

Ncfgjdo · 25/04/2023 05:54

So this situation is absolutely ridiculous and I am perfectly aware that my pregnancy hormones are clouding my judgement here and I'm in an incredibly fortunate position, but I could really be doing with some urgent WWYD advice as I am so stressed over this. I am 33 weeks pregnant and have moved into a complete renovation project (not ideal I realise!). The last few weeks since I got the keys I've had to make a lot of quick (expensive) decisions re the design of the house to allow me to get in to it before the baby's born. I'd thought that would be really fun and exciting, but I'm actually really starting to feel pretty stressed over the whole thing and no longer trust my own judgement. I'm becoming quite teary and doubting every decision I make. One of the major outlays has been flooring. It accounts for a significant lump sum of the budget and the fitters started work yesterday and will complete today. As soon as I saw the flooring down it looked completely different from I had thought it would from when I saw it in the shop. I did immediately mention this to the fitters but they assured me it was the correct one. I'm not blaming anyone else here but me, as I do appreciate flooring looks different in natural/ artificial light etc but I immediately hated it. It really looks nothing like I thought it would. They are about halfway done. Should I call the shop and ask them to stop and at least try to salvage some of the unused packets of flooring? (It's herringbone design and there's a LOT of it as the floor space is massive) or should I let them finish and suck it up and not lose thousands of £?) I'm so angry at myself for making the wrong choice and of course I'm not suggesting that I don't pay for the flooring or wiggle out of fitting fees etc. I also realise this is causing me way more distress than it should- my hormones are all over the place.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
27
Puccini1900 · 28/04/2023 06:07

@Ncfgjdo yeh, that looks crap 😅

But... you've obviously used the wrong colour.
You need to get the correct colour (not white) - either matching the floor or the skirting.
Put it all the way around (apart from door trims obvs) and it'll look great.

Overall, the work looks like it was done with the intention of using scotia beading - as they've take the effort to cut and fit the door trims (which is flipping fiddly)

Puccini1900 · 28/04/2023 06:13

@pfftt if you actually look, most laminate flooring uses Scotia beading.

It's much better than having meter2 sized holes in your walls plaster (unless your happy to replaster your walls?)

Puccini1900 · 28/04/2023 06:17

Also, I'm not sure people realise - it purposely has to have at least a 1cm gap between it and the wall.

GoodChat · 28/04/2023 06:27

Puccini1900 · 28/04/2023 06:17

Also, I'm not sure people realise - it purposely has to have at least a 1cm gap between it and the wall.

But it doesn't have to be bodged and cut really poorly

Original poster
Ncfgjdo · 28/04/2023 06:45

@Puccini1900 I haven't chosen the wrong anything... the beading was supplied and chosen by Tapi- and yes, the whole house is being re plastered.

OP posts:
User0610139736 · 28/04/2023 07:32

Wow Tapi are not coming out of this well OP. I’m sorry for all your stress and I hope they sort it out for you but it’s definitely putting me off them!!

SkankingWombat · 28/04/2023 07:49

Puccini1900 · 28/04/2023 06:13

@pfftt if you actually look, most laminate flooring uses Scotia beading.

It's much better than having meter2 sized holes in your walls plaster (unless your happy to replaster your walls?)

The only reason most laminate has scotia, is that most laminate is the cheaper flooring option and scotia is the cheaper fitting option, and these things often correlate.
Top of the range laminate, engineed wood floors, and solid wood floors are rarely finished with scotia, as running it under the skirting makes for a much nicer cleaner finish. If you are shelling out ££££ on the floor, it is worth spending a little bit more to do it right.
The plaster generally isn't a issue either, as the little bit of damage you sometimes get is usually covered by the skirting being refitted higher up the wall once it is sitting on the new flooring. If the plaster is coming off in much bigger chunks above the skirts, you've got bigger problems to worry about!
(Written as a carpenter who has fitted many many floors)

weirdoboelady · 28/04/2023 09:15

SkankingWombat · 28/04/2023 07:49

The only reason most laminate has scotia, is that most laminate is the cheaper flooring option and scotia is the cheaper fitting option, and these things often correlate.
Top of the range laminate, engineed wood floors, and solid wood floors are rarely finished with scotia, as running it under the skirting makes for a much nicer cleaner finish. If you are shelling out ££££ on the floor, it is worth spending a little bit more to do it right.
The plaster generally isn't a issue either, as the little bit of damage you sometimes get is usually covered by the skirting being refitted higher up the wall once it is sitting on the new flooring. If the plaster is coming off in much bigger chunks above the skirts, you've got bigger problems to worry about!
(Written as a carpenter who has fitted many many floors)

Show quote history

Have you read the OP? She is having the whole house replastered!

I have popcorn, and am waiting with bated breath for Tapi's formal response to the email and 40 photos.....
'

SkankingWombat · 28/04/2023 09:30

Yes, I've RTFT, have you? I was correcting another poster who was talking nonsense.

weirdoboelady · 28/04/2023 09:31

SkankingWombat · 28/04/2023 09:30

Yes, I've RTFT, have you? I was correcting another poster who was talking nonsense.

Ah OK, I get it now.

noimaginationforausername · 28/04/2023 09:36

Someone should tweet Tapi this thread so they can realise how many of us have had a shitty service!

shakeitoffsis · 28/04/2023 09:46

Tapi are absolutely awful we had a shit experience with them too. Our LVT has big bumps under because they said she didn't need the floor screeded even though we knew we did!

Puccini1900 · 28/04/2023 10:48

@SkankingWombat - I agree about both being a cheaper option. And looking at the scotia provided by Tapi - no wonder it's considered a much worse option - they've provided the op with completely the wrong colour.

JolyGoodBloviator · 28/04/2023 11:15

SkankingWombat · 28/04/2023 07:49

The only reason most laminate has scotia, is that most laminate is the cheaper flooring option and scotia is the cheaper fitting option, and these things often correlate.
Top of the range laminate, engineed wood floors, and solid wood floors are rarely finished with scotia, as running it under the skirting makes for a much nicer cleaner finish. If you are shelling out ££££ on the floor, it is worth spending a little bit more to do it right.
The plaster generally isn't a issue either, as the little bit of damage you sometimes get is usually covered by the skirting being refitted higher up the wall once it is sitting on the new flooring. If the plaster is coming off in much bigger chunks above the skirts, you've got bigger problems to worry about!
(Written as a carpenter who has fitted many many floors)

Show quote history

(I’d love a ska-loving wombat carpenter in my address book - don’t suppose you are located in the Greater MCR area?)

grannygailolivia · 28/04/2023 13:06

I sounds like it is wood, it never looks the same as it did in the shop because trees, even the same species, differ in colour depending on the growing conditions. That should have been explained to her during the initial meeting. She needs to let it settle & give it a few weeks

AFlockOfTigers · 28/04/2023 14:03

I love the way this thread has split into two happy parallel threads: one talking to the OP about the finer details of floor fitting, and one full of cheque-cancellers merrily trickling in to discuss whether it's grey or brown.

AdobeWanKenobi · 28/04/2023 14:20

AFlockOfTigers · 28/04/2023 14:03

I love the way this thread has split into two happy parallel threads: one talking to the OP about the finer details of floor fitting, and one full of cheque-cancellers merrily trickling in to discuss whether it's grey or brown.

AKA People who've read it and those who have not 😂

Original poster
Ncfgjdo · 28/04/2023 14:51

AFlockOfTigers · 28/04/2023 14:03

I love the way this thread has split into two happy parallel threads: one talking to the OP about the finer details of floor fitting, and one full of cheque-cancellers merrily trickling in to discuss whether it's grey or brown.

🤣🤣 me too!

OP posts:
YouCould · 28/04/2023 14:56

GoodChat · 27/04/2023 18:28

The gaps will be covered by the beading that will go on top.

They won't as the fitters are claiming they're finished

The OP has now posted a picture of the flooring with beading. Which supports the view that the wonky cutting at the edges of the floor aren't necessarily a problem.

TBF the beading in the photo looks awful so I'm deffo not saying the floor has been fitted well.

SkankingWombat · 28/04/2023 16:53

JolyGoodBloviator · 28/04/2023 11:15

(I’d love a ska-loving wombat carpenter in my address book - don’t suppose you are located in the Greater MCR area?)

Show quote history

Sadly not! I'm in deepest darkest Bedfordshire.

askmenow · 28/04/2023 17:02

FFS OP asked for the skirting to be removed prior to fitting the flooring!!!

OP has NOT been provided with the service requested. Simple as!

The contract is with Tapi. It is down to them to remedy the problem.

Scotia of any colour shape/hue looks cheap and tacky, a second rate job.
OP wants the job she paid for.

ALWAYS pay with a Credit Card and ALWAYS put complaints in writing (with names) so there is a paper trail...."not he said she said" or whatever.

Difficult I know, but cover your back at all times because invariably there will be some dispute

Soontobe60 · 28/04/2023 17:05

User0610139736 · 28/04/2023 07:32

Wow Tapi are not coming out of this well OP. I’m sorry for all your stress and I hope they sort it out for you but it’s definitely putting me off them!!

Are you saying you’re having the walls replastered after the flooring has been laid??? Surely that’s just madness?

YouCould · 29/04/2023 09:58

FFS OP asked for the skirting to be removed prior to fitting the flooring!!!

If it's tapi flooring fitters (albeit a separate company) I would have thought it unusual for them to agree to remove the skirtings. That's something you would normally have to get your own builder or independent floor fitter to do.

The OP mentions missing beading in one of her posts too so maybe there is some confusion all around about what was agreed.

Im sure the floor has been laid badly by the Tapi fitters (the photo of the beading is awful!) but I'm still unconvinced that the gap at the edges is an issue. It really depends what was agreed.

Summerfun54321 · 29/04/2023 10:59

The order of work should go: 1. Skirting off 2. Plaster walls 3. Fit floor 4. Skirting back on (or new skirting on).

The flooring guys have done a shit job but there's no way the floor fitters should be expected to turn up and start ripping skirting off and making a mess of the walls. It sounds like your order of works aren't right. Equally if you're now expecting the walls to be plastered, a plasterer isn't going to start taking off that floor beading and slosh plaster everywhere over a new flooring.

Summerfun54321 · 29/04/2023 11:01

New floor then skirting should be the very last things done in a house refurb.