Sickening Laminate Hack Jobs

[Ernesto]

I looked at a buckling laminate floor yesterday for a lady who's friend I did a job for told her to call me.

Laminate installed by a home flipper, maybe he did it himself. Crap product from Floor an Decor. Laminate installed in living room, dining room and three bedrooms with no transition strips in doorways. Which in itself is not a problem UNLESS YOU DON'T UNDERCUT ANY DOORCASINGS AND SQUARE CUT AROUND THEM AND FILL IT WITH CAULKING!!!! LMAO

Zero clearance at some moldings and butted straight up to exterior doors. sigh

This IMHO is on the verge of criminal trying to pass this shit job off as professionally installed.

 

[Nick]

They're out there E. Makes you mad , Don't it ?

 

[zannej]

I looked at a buckling laminate floor yesterday for a lady who's friend I did a job for told her to call me.

Laminate installed by a home flipper, maybe he did it himself. Crap product from Floor an Decor. Laminate installed in living room, dining room and three bedrooms with no transition strips in doorways. Which in itself is not a problem UNLESS YOU DON'T UNDERCUT ANY DOORCASINGS AND SQUARE CUT AROUND THEM AND FILL IT WITH CAULKING!!!! LMAO

Zero clearance at some moldings and butted straight up to exterior doors. sigh

This IMHO is on the verge of criminal trying to pass this **** job off as professionally installed.

man..I've never installed laminate (I've only installed sheet vinyl) and I don't know all that much about installing floors, but even *I* know not to do the **** you just described! WTF?

 

[Ernesto]

Oh so mad indeed. I get the calls from flippers. Course I am too expensive.

Then people freak out when I tell them it is not installed to the industry standards or the manufacturers specs. My Gawd all you have to do is read the instructions!!!
I mean, it is hard for me to understand how people would accept that as a good installation and buy the house from some idiot home flipper. He should be sued, tarred and feathered in public.

 

[Ernesto]

man..I've never installed laminate (I've only installed sheet vinyl) and I don't know all that much about installing floors, but even *I* know not to do the **** you just described! WTF?

zannej, I've been known to undercut door casings for vinyl, cork and rubber installs so yeah it isn't that hard to comprehend that all floors move.

 

[Floorist]

I could never get over going into a house to lay carpet against DIY installed laminate. They are always so proud of it and it looks like crap. You can't say anything.
I guess that ceramic installed with mastic on plywood is worse because you know it has no chance.

 

[Ernesto]

That job was only the start of the week. Looked at another repair refinish bamboo that was destroyed by tenants. Problem was water damage everywhere, gouging etc.
The original install was like they took the three planks out of a box layer like and staggered three in a row. Then proceeded to stop the bamboo on the wrong side of all the interior doorways where it met carpeted and vinyl rooms. I had to laugh.

 

[highup]

zannej, I've been known to undercut door casings for vinyl, cork and rubber installs so yeah it isn't that hard to comprehend that all floors move.

I think a lot of people don't have a clue as to what as little as 3/32" or 1/8" expansion can do when a floor is locked in.

 

[zannej]

I think a lot of people don't have a clue as to what as little as 3/32" or 1/8" expansion can do when a floor is locked in.

I still remember watching a case on People's Court where the plaintiff (the homeowner) was suing a flooring installer because the installer not only didn't leave any space between the boards & the walls, but glued down a loose-lay floor that wasn't supposed to be glued. The people wanted their money back as well as the cost of replacing the floor since the material was ruined-- and they didn't trust the company that did it wrong the first time to do it again.

It's one thing if a DIYer doesn't know to leave gaps, but a supposedly professional company? Sad.

 

[NickR]

Despite all the recommendation, instruction, manuals and strong advice to all that a professional should do the job, somehow laminate installations always seem a too easy job to actually pay for the fitting and not agree to the lowest price or doing it yourself...

 

[Ernesto]

It's the Box stores tellin people to DIY thats the problem. "You can we it - we can help" is their motto. With a little fifteen minute seminar on how to do a five by five foot box. Yup, just like a CFI crapet certification.

 

[highup]

It's the Box stores tellin people to DIY thats the problem. "You can we it - we can help" is their motto. With a little fifteen minute seminar on how to do a five by five foot box. Yup, just like a CFI crapet certification.

You don't need 15 minutes. Just pull 2 planks from a box, lay them on the front counter and lock the two pieces together. It's that easy........... ya don't even need to sweep the floor.

 

[Ernesto]

I always love it when people call after doing the easy big part of a job and ask me to do the hallway. hehehe

NO! Of course not. Maybe I should ask the total of the job and charge accordingly. But then your married to the job. Who knows what they did prior to you getting there. And out here a licensed contractor is liable. Last one touched it, owns it.