Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Who is responsible re flooring issue

35 replies

beckypv · 10/06/2019 11:50

Last week we had lvt (that I purchased) installed across our new extension plus hallway (60m2). I used an independent fitter. Unfortunately within a week over half the floor has lifted and they have come today to look and have concluded that he sub floor is still damp and that is why the screed has lifted away from the floor. So my question is, who’s responsibility was it to check the sub floor moisture levels. The slab was laid on the under floor heating at the beginning of March? Obviously there is going to be a lot of cost to burden of redoing this. The flooring guy has implied to us today that the builder should have told us when flooring is ready to lay. I think surely the flooring fitters should have taken a moisture reading if that was a potential problem. Or should I have warned the fitters that it might still be damp? The flooring guy is a nice guy but obviously it’s going to be pretty expensive to buy all new lvt, and he doesn’t want to bare that cost. How should I play this? Basically it’s a cock up!!!

OP posts:
beckypv · 12/06/2019 15:49

Thanks for the info re underfloor heating. It has not been on for a few months (so before, during or after install). I wonder whether it might now be wise to have it on at a low temperature to help remove some of this excess moisture.

OP posts:
mommybear1 · 12/06/2019 16:08

Hi we had a screed floor laid over WUFH - nightmare. It took nearly eight months to dry. Other posters are right most flooring experts won't touch a floor unless it's 75% or under. Our heating engineer and the builders took our moisture readings and we responsible for confirming when the floor could be laid. In the end we had to have the floor "scrabbled" ie the top layer finely taken off with a diamond type cutter and we then had to turn on the heating to help the moisture escape. It was a really game it then took about 3 months to get the moisture down to then get the flooring done and even then the heating engineer had a chap come out and keep checking the hydrometer and we had a specialist non slip matting put down before the tiles and a material called a supressit . The floor has been down just over a year now and touch wood no problems but I have to say had I have known how long we would have had to wait I'd have chosen a different path. I'd also add the builder took responsibility for the screed as they organised it being laid and apparently (we later found out) our screed was laid too thick. As such I think it is really more of the screed supplier's responsibility - your installer would never know how much screed had been laid which can also led to moisture issues.

mommybear1 · 12/06/2019 16:09

*were responsible

Bones1 · 12/06/2019 20:40

Mommybear1, that sounds like an anhydrite screed you had over your ufh.

mommybear1 · 12/06/2019 20:43

Hi @Bones1 yes that is what we had.

MoMa70022010 · 13/06/2019 06:35

Sadly you will not be able to make the fitter do anything - this would most likely be the outcome also if you went through the courts as well.

You are getting a lot of disinformation in this thread from some people who sound like experts in their field. Sid Bourne mentioned is one of the foremost technical experts in the country however I am unsure if he has owned both a commercial and retail enterprise - I do.

I have run our family business which is 126 years old for 23 years. This in itself means nothing as I have met many people in my industry who have worked in it for decades and they still don't know what they are talking about!

I would put myself forward as exceptionally competent in technical issues although I don't claim to know everything - I do know who to ask if I am less than 100% sure about anything and I have done this thousands of times over the years - this has made me correct on most occasions which is mostly down to who I know not what I know.

The following information is based discussions with the Contract Flooring Association, Citizens Advice and company Lawyer

1 - Buying product as supply only then organising the fitting yourself - this could be argued that you are undertaking the role of main contractor and as such responsible for ensuring checks are made lie with you.

2 - Buying product and services from a retailer - no matter if a retailer had you sign a disclaimer to absolve them of responsibility should something go wrong like your experience - this would mean nothing - as a consumer you are deemed not expert and the retailer as the main contractor in this instance is responsible for testing to ensure the subfloor is fit for purpose - your floor was not

3 - If flooring is installed by a commercial flooring company through a main contractor e.g. you buy a new house and the builder has the floor fitted by a flooring company - This would be challenging but legally the main contractor is responsible for handing the building i.e. the sub floor over to the flooring contractor fit for purpose (we always take moisture readings as building contractors have no clue how long it takes for screed slabs to dry)

I am unsure if you will have a claim but I would suggest contacting your buildings insurer (carpet claims would be contents - hard flooring is always buildings insurance)

Lastly, as a long established business who 8 years ago was selling over £250,000 worth of Amtico per year, my company has taken the commercial decision to step back from LVT (plastic tiles).

This is the fasting growing market which means more and more people want them.

This also means

1 - China is flooding the market with cheap options which in the same way as laminate flooring became a bad word, LVT will soon be thought of as being rubbish (not true for quality LVT or Laminate)

2 - As it appears to be very expensive to lay - a £35 per square meter product can easily cost £75 per square meter or more once installed - many people go down the route of buying it online or through a fitter and then organise fitting themselves - often a big mistake

A couple of thoughts to finish

1 - I'm not bitter about LVT - I sell loads of it cheap through my cash & carry business which is separate to our high end retail business - I am just not willing to offer our considerable expertise for nothing.

2 - other parents - instead of LVT check out Berry Alloc High Pressure Laminate - this is the only laminate made the same way as Pergo used to be. Pergo was the product that started the Laminate flooring revolution and everyone wanted as it was brilliant (the new Pergo is not HPL and nowhere near as good). We are still replacing Pergo floors that look brand new after 20 years because people want a change. Berry Alloc may cost you £35 - £45 per square meter however it will only cost £15 - £20 per square meter - zero moisture issues as well as it is laid in a different way.

I hope you have managed to stay awake to the end of this 😊

chopc · 13/06/2019 10:33

@MoMa70022010 what about kitchens then? Not the same principle?

I think this was clearly the floorer's fault. If he wasn't happy to lay the flooring he shouldn't have .

But I will get checking this with my own builders thanks to this thread

Bones1 · 13/06/2019 18:40

@MoMa70022010. I know Sid Bourne on a personal level. I was also Educational and Technical Manager at Europe's largest training centre. I therefore think I'm more than qualified to comment !!

christinebernadette1234 · 06/02/2020 15:49

Hello I have just added a new thread under Amtico Issue and hoped you would have a look and give your advise on what we should do next

fitter101 · 23/08/2020 06:58

He never buffed the floor or primed the floor he's used a cheap screed . When it was fitted the underfloor heating got turn on to high and blew the screed

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread