Who’s at fault for a "cupping" bamboo floor?
Two and a half years ago I had a Teragren solid strip vertical grain bamboo floor installed on the first floor of my townhouse. About 12 – 18 months after install I started to notice cupping of the boards. The problem has gotten worse over time but I’m not yet experiencing loose boards. I’m currently in discussions with the installer regarding how to resolve the issue.
The floor was installed with a glue-down application onto the concrete slab. The installer said they used an adhesive that also acted as a moisture barrier. The warrenty was for three years but the installer has said it doesn’t cover moisture penetration. Clearly, the floor is getting cupped by moisture penetration coming up through the slab.
My question is who is at fault for this issue? Is it the adhesive manufacturer, the flooring manufacturer, the installer or myself? The installer has told me: "This issue (moisture) was not evident at the time of my visual inspection or measured at the time of installation and if it were there, then we would have not installed your floor." I have asked the installer what tests they ran and what were the results but I haven’t received any details. They are a highly reputable installer that is local to my area. They are not a chain or a low-cost company. I chose them because of their reputation in the local commu
The best backup for making a claim against the installer is to have the installation instructions provided with the flooring…..that said, it is unusual, if not ill advised, to install wood planks of any kind directly to the concrete. Normal installation requires one of two methods: One is to precover the entire floor with plywood over a vapor barrier (such as felt paper or polyethelene) or install sleepers over a vapor barrier. The second method isfastening flat, dry, preservative-treated 2" x 4" planks in random lengths (18′ to 48") and can also serve as a nailing base.
Also, if the floor was installed before the flooring had time to acclimate to the room’s temerature (usually a week prior to installation, this can cause problems, such as cupping.
Also, if the floor was installed right up to the walls with no room to expand and contract, this can cause cupping. Installation requirements by the manufacturer of the bamboo flooring is the key to determining if the installation was botched.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:36 am
It depends upon the terms of the warranty for the product–whether it was installed according to manufacturer’s specs. Regardless the warranties usually only cover cost of replacement of the flooring itself, not the trim, glue, labor or anything else.
I don’t see how any could apply an adhesive and ensure that it doesn’t have skips or thin spots that would allow moisture to penetrate.
There’s a simple moisture test to use (which is not jsut "visual inspection") and no flooring sensitive to moisture changes should be used directly on top of concrete.
I’m sure your only recourse would be to get the installer to pay for replacement. It sounds as if your reputable company has changed ownership/management or doesn’t care about its rep anymore. And I wouldn’t want them to come back to redo the job, either.
You need to research the manufacturer’s specs on how the flooring you choose should be applied to different surfaces. And then make sure in your contract that those specs are spelled out, be home when they install it, and ask lots of questions along the way.
References :
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:51 am
The best backup for making a claim against the installer is to have the installation instructions provided with the flooring…..that said, it is unusual, if not ill advised, to install wood planks of any kind directly to the concrete. Normal installation requires one of two methods: One is to precover the entire floor with plywood over a vapor barrier (such as felt paper or polyethelene) or install sleepers over a vapor barrier. The second method isfastening flat, dry, preservative-treated 2" x 4" planks in random lengths (18′ to 48") and can also serve as a nailing base.
Also, if the floor was installed before the flooring had time to acclimate to the room’s temerature (usually a week prior to installation, this can cause problems, such as cupping.
Also, if the floor was installed right up to the walls with no room to expand and contract, this can cause cupping. Installation requirements by the manufacturer of the bamboo flooring is the key to determining if the installation was botched.
References :