Problems with LVT floor

[SAH07]

We had a new lvt floor fitted in Dec 23 in our kitchen diner. The company was recommended. Cost quite a lot.

At the time of fitting all good but within a few months I noticed lines appearing in the floor. Now 9 months later these are ridges. I've emailed the company today showing photos and asked them how this can be rectified.

Realistically what can we expect? Should the company sort it? Or would be be expected to pay for a new floor?

We've followed advice on how to clean, there hasn't been any water damage and it's not in direct sunlight.

Thanks

I think I would go to another company and ask their opinion as to why that would happen so you don't just take their word for it. That's really bad. We had problems with our floor - not like that - and the company did nothing other than go bust and open again with another name. Good luck. I hope they replace it.

have you been using a steam cleaner on it?

It looks like a problem with the subfloor underneath it. Looks like it has cracked or something. Do you have underfloor heating?

i’m going to wager that it’s not amtico or karndean?

It's an interesting failure.

I fitted a LVT floor in my kitchen. It hasn't failed but clicks a bit. I know why. There are also a few gaps that are bigger than they should be. Fortunately I have some spare boxes of tiles and will probably refit at some point.

That failure does not look to me what would be a typical failure on an LVT floor. Normally I would say joint failure is the most common thing I have seen heard of.

It's hard to imagine for me what is going on underneath that floor to cause that failure pattern. Maybe an LVT expert will be along that knows more.

Water damage maybe ? Did they install a moisture barrier under the LVT ? Was the floor previously damp ? Do you spill water on the cracks on a regular basis that can lie underneath trapped between the floor and the underlay ?

Out of interest was the floor screeded first before flooring laid? I'm contemplating a new floor you see but with screed it's looking at over £5k

Does the sun come through that window and heat the floor ? I'm wondering whether or not it might be constant heating cooling cycles.

Thanks all to answer questions

We clean with a damp cloth and then dry with microfiber using ph neutral cleaner as instructed. Any spillage of any kind would be cleaned up striaght away. To be honest this part of floor doesn't get cleaned as often as kitchen part.

Not aware of any damp. This part of the house is actually suspended so higher than ground level and dpc not breached.

It was floorboards initially , then boarded and then screed or whatever the product was they used before fitting the lvt.

It's not amtico or karndean but not cheap either. This is classed as slightly lower range than amtico. Approx 7k to fit

The sun does shine on that part but we do usually have a curtain across the window

what brand?

Yes it was, boarded then screed

is the company an independent local one?
recommended to you?

Carina

We used to renovate houses. My husband says either faulty flooring or it has been laid without sufficient gaps when laid unless there is damp getting underneath it. Get the company in who laid it back in. Did you say you paid seven thousand pounds for it. Surely not?.

We used to renovate houses. My husband says either faulty flooring or it has been laid without sufficient gaps when laid unless there is damp getting underneath it. Get the company in who laid it back in. Did you say you paid seven thousand pounds for it. Surely not?.

I notice no beading at the edges.

Did they lift the skirting boards and put it underneath for the expansion gap ? Are there any other parts apart from near the window where it has crinkled in the same way ?

Yes independent, I think they also have a shop.

There was actually large gaps under the skirting due to the previous tiles being thicker. I actually moved the skirting approx 4 months later. The ridges cover the whole of that room really. Oddly not in the middle of the room and some have started to appear in the kitchen area

ok that’s good

recommendation?

did the provide the flooring too? authorised seller?

According to the manufacturers website this business is one of their approved stockists.

The recommendations were actually from facebook. I do spend time researching, a variety of people recommending from a number of local groups, not the same people who are clearly family of the business.

in that case be positive they will address

I used to work for a LVT manufacturer (commercial) and did occasionally get involved in faults, although we did have a tech dept and I don't think I have seen anything like that before to be honest. It may be fitting but it also may be that one of the layers the floor is made of it actually lifting, which would be a product fault.
Assuming the same company supplied and fitted they need to come and have a look, in one way it might be better if its a manufacturer issue as they should pay for the whole thing (hopefully)

That looks like a faulty LVT manufacture to be honest. We have the same floor set up, floor boards then plyboard and the flood down on top of that. The only other thing it could be is the adhesive reacting to something? Either way, get the fitters out to check it.

It's the latex screed underneath breaking up. It will have to be lifted and redone.

Do you know what would cause that please?