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Searching for a
professional hardwood floor installer or
finisher contractor can be a frustrating
experience for many. I've seen my share
of jobs over the years that lacked the
skill one expects when a "professional"
is called in. Unfortunately, many
unsuspecting people without the
knowledge of what a professional job
should look like find themselves taking
the word of a neighbor, relative, or
friend.
Big Box Stores
Now that we have our Home Depot, Lowes,
Home Centers, and Mennards to mention
some of the very
large players in the home improvement
business, the consumer has the option of
buying elsewhere. However, with the
explosion in the big box stores
and internet sales over the last 10
years, one item has not been addressed
as it should; the hardwood flooring
installer. It doesn't surprise me of the
many emails I get from folks like
yourself that have bought from one of
these big boxes, but are reluctant to
use their installation services.
Big Box Store
Problems?
Why? The leader in
the home improvement field is going
though some unpleasant problems
associated with installation and the
installers themselves. Some of the more
cut throat installation companies are
moving in and expecting many of these
installers to actually take a pay cut in
their hard earned labors. Unfortunately
these companies don't seem to grasp the
importance of quality over money and the
better installers are going elsewhere.
If we cannot trust these services where
can we turn? You could try some local
mom and pop retailers in your area.
However you'll find many are not willing
to get involved if the product has been
purchased elsewhere. There are two
reasons for this. One would be the
warranty involved as they cannot
guarantee a product they are unfamiliar
with. Another would be the loss of
profit from the sale of the product
which accounts for a good margin in
their overall business.
Where do we turn now? We could search
through the yellow pages as you will
find some independent installers listed.
That's usually one method in finding
someone to to do the work. There are
many floor covering organizations, but
many do not offer a formal crediting
procedure or submit applicants to
testing.
I'm sure many of us hear these kind of
commercials often: "Free this and free
that....we use only certified
installers..." While this may be true,
one has no idea if they will get one of
the better installers, or one that will
show up on time when you expect them,
not when they feel like making an
appearance. Additionally, some of these
installers may have the proper knowledge
and expertise for installing carpet, but
not hardwood flooring.
The recent surge in hardwood flooring
popularity has some inexperienced carpet
installers calling themselves hardwood
flooring installers. If you're searching
for an installer I'll provide one little
secret that sets the good aside from the
wanna bees. Ask them what type of
moisture meter they use. If they stumble
or admit they don't own one, I would
strongly suggest running in the opposite
direction. The first picture below
(left) is an example of a failed $90,000
installation that was the result of no
attention to moisture testing. The other
is a $20,000 wide plank installation
failure that was installed two times
before the cause was determined.
Okay, what
happened in the two jobs above? The one
on the left was a solid 3/4"
installation over plywood and
concrete.
The installers followed many of the
proper procedures such as acclimation to
the jobsite and material, but failed to
think about the plywood underlayment on
the concrete slab. It was taken from a
humid garage during the installation.
High moisture content in the plywood
caused the finished floor to cup.
In the second
example the home was situated at the
bottom of a hill. No attention to
drainage or water runoff was considered,
causing the floor to buckle. Anybody can
install hardwood floors or so it seems
nowadays, but there is more to it than
nailing or gluing it into place. Folks,
please, when looking for an installer
don't let price be the determining
factor in choice. |
