Oak floor installation gone bad

[Grant2016]

In November I paid to have a solid oak floor laid in my home. The area of flooring covered included one room with an old ceramic tile floor which had been down since the 60's and an concrete floor in an adjoining extension I had built in the early summer.

Installation consisted of pouring levelling compound directly on the old tiles (but not on the concrete area) on day 1, on day 2/3 installing the new boards and skirting. He did not prime the floors or do any sort of floor preparation. He also didn't perform any moisture testing.

Things have since gone wrong. There are multiple problems which only affect the boards laid over the tiles, the boards on the concrete base of the extension are (currently) fine. Problems include:

1. Serious buckling of the floor affecting an area of ~2sqm, where the boards had completely detached from the floor beneath.
   
2. Various areas throughout the floor where the boards have detached from the floor beneath.
   
3. Extensive ‘cupping’ of boards throughout, where moisture has caused the underside of the boards to expand.

I contacted the owner of the business and he is trying to argue I have a damp problem. In my view this is hugely improbable. There is no evidence any damp problems. He's also saying he'll help me to claim on my insurance and get it fixed that way. Which sounds to me like he's hoping to get paid for the same job twice.

Here is a more detailed account of how the installation proceeded:

On the morning of Monday November 23rd 2015, I was working on my laptop in the Livingroom when I overheard the owner telling ‘Dave’ to mix in “some of the **** stuff” since there wasn't enough of the 'good' levelling compound for the whole floor. Presumably he also watered it down excessively so as to have enough for the whole floor.

On the night of November 23rd 2015, I was so concerned at how wet the levelling compound was that I photographed the floor and also took a short video. The media clearly shows standing water in some areas of the floor and also an area which had disintegrated. Of course the initial drying/curing time for levelling compound is between 2-4 hours. Something seemed to be wrong.

The following morning (November 24th 2015), I looked at the floor again. As previously stated, large areas were cold and damp to the touch and the compound was dark grey, indicating to me it hadn’t dried. I took more photos and also photographed the two different brands of empty levelling compound bags which were left in the house. I also informed 'Dave' of my concerns but trusted his experience and opinion when he said it was ok to proceed.

I've since looked at the installation details of the two brands of compound used:

Setcrete – Universal Floor Levelling Compound

• Application thickness 3mm to 6mm
  
• 3 hour walk on time
  
• “Setcrete Universal is not suitable for use when bonding solid wood flooring.”
  
• “Floors should be primed to ensure good adhesion between levelling compound and substrate”

Sikafloor Level-25

• 4 hour walk on time
  
• Priming
  “Priming with SikaLevel®-Pro Primer is essential to ensure good adhesion and reduce air release from the substrate.”
  “For very smooth e.g. steel trowel finished surfaces, grind surface prior to priming.”
  
• “Use only on cementitious substrates."
  
• “Concrete substrates must be prepared mechanically using abrasive blast cleaning or scarifying equipment to remove cement laitance and achieve an open textured surface.”
  
• “Make sure the moisture content has achieved the required value for the application of the coating product.”
• The concrete substrate must be sound and of sufficient compressive strength (min. 25 N/mm2) with a minimum pull off strength of 1.5 N/mm2.

Both are only suitable for use on concrete substrates. One isn't even suitable for wooden flooring.

As far as I'm concerned he has made a complete mess of the installation and if he doesn't fix it, I'll take him to court.

How do people advise I proceed?

Does anyone know of a reputable flooring contractors near to Chorleywood I could call for a professional opinion?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AronSearle]

The Typical drying time for a screed is 1mm per day*.

So at 3-6mm, if he installed it less than 6 days after pouring (note* minimun of 6 days), then the screed would have been to wet.

Some might argue the use of seals will stop this moisture coming upwards, I'm not convinced, but that argument would be moot anyway as it has demonstratedly leeched moisture into the boards


* curing times may be measured in hours, drying times are as above.

 

[big-all]

if the tiles are sealed as i assume they are the moisture will have no choice other than to work out through the wood ??

 

[dazlight]

I'd post this problem on theflooringforum.com
Mainly because their a lot of wood fitters on there that can help.
But I'd be getting a written inspection done.
If it's solid wood being glued down then the concrete should of had a DPM put in.
It would need a high compressive strength screeding compound to. Which would be dry after a day if conditions are right.
Anyone fitting a wood floor should be doing a moisture test.
Setcrete is brought from builders yard not flooring stockists which is a worry.

 

[dazlight]

Was it a flooring company or a joiner ?

 

[Grant2016]

A joiner by trade, using a couple of lads to do the install. He has been laying floors for many years.

I had him come over today to look at the job. I've stated that I'll get an external company to come in, assess the situation and make recommendations for remedial action. I guess that the good thing is that he and I are still talking things through even though he's of the view that this is all the result of a big damp problem rather than his installation. Even if this were the case (and there is currently zero evidence to suggest it is), he should have moisture tested the room prior to commencing any work. He should also have moisture tested the levelling compound prior to gluing the boards to it.

Given the products used, the way in which they were used and the nature of the damage, it strikes me as virtual certainty that the compound was wet when the boards were laid and the moisture just sat on the tiles and soaked into the boards. I expect the compound also hasn't bonded properly to the tiles, which are really smooth, solid old green, 60's era tiles. So as the boards have started to distort and we started to walk on them, they've all started to come unstuck and the compound is breaking up.

I expect the whole lot will have to come up, possibly the old tiles also and then what? Level, wait for it all to dry out and select the most reliable fixing method possible (whatever that may be?).

So, now I need to find a reputable local installer or two to survey the job and make recommendations.

 

[dazlight]

I thought you meant ceramic tiles.
That floor with the old green tiles on should of come up. Then the old adhesive grinded off.
Then a epoxy DPM on it after a moisture test.
The new concrete on average can take 6 months to a year to dry out.
Sounds to me that the fella don't know what's he's doing.

Anyone laying a floor should do a moisture test then decide on the plan of action.

You should be asking for your money back!

 

[Grant2016]

Thanks again. You've all pretty much confirmed my views, which is reassuring.

Unfortunately, now that he has done the job I am legally obliged to allow him the opportunity to fix things. Second time around though it will be on my terms.

I'll be contacting Sid Bourne to make an independent assessment of the floor and recommendations for remedial action.

 

[chappers]

As Daz says combination of wrong prep and wrong products