LESLIE: Alright. Heading down to Texas where Robert has got a flooring question. What can we do for you today?
ROBERT: Well, I laid engineered hardwood down, about just a little under 700 square feet.
TOM: OK.
ROBERT: And the problem is is the top 3-millimeter layer is starting to peel up on a few of the boards. When I say a few, I’ve got about eight pieces where the corners are starting to peel up and then about two pieces where the actual side is starting to peel up. I would almost describe it as bubbling up.
TOM: That’s odd.
ROBERT: My question to you is: should I submit a warranty to Lumber Liquidators? Or should I wait and try to fix the problem myself?
TOM: Well, it’s not supposed to delaminate, which is what sounds like is happening here. We hear about delaminating engineered hardwood from time to time. So I would go ahead and contact the manufacturer or the retailer, in this case, and get their feedback. They’ve got technical experts that could look at this and determine what’s going on. But certainly, when you buy engineered hardwood, you shouldn’t be facing delamination, which is what sounds like happening. Is this going down – did this go down on top of a concrete floor?
ROBERT: Yes, sir. It went on top of concrete and I glued it down and I let it acclimate for actually a month-and-a-half. I was delayed on laying it.
TOM: Did the manufacturer instruct you – were there instructions on how to attach it to the concrete floor?
ROBERT: Yes, sir.
TOM: There was no leftover adhesive on the concrete that should’ve been removed?
ROBERT: No, sir.
TOM: And did it say to glue it down?
ROBERT: They said to glue it down and the recommended glue actually has a sealant in it.
TOM: Alright. Listen, I would reach out to them. I don’t think it should be happening.
I live in Texas and installed engineer hardwood floors too. 50 Floors who installed the floors lied about the scratching and denting and more. A year after installation I had bigger gaps that didn’t look that good between boards and the beginning of what sounds like bubbling of the top layer.
I don’t think the boards were in my house even an hour before they were installed. I’ve contacted the company 50 floors before about the issues and they said it was fine. Then the President of the company happened to be in town and wanted to see it. These two men came to my house and proceeded to tell me that all Texas homes have moisture and it’s my own fault for even having wood put in. When I said why didn’t his sales people say something, or how about the fact that thousands of homes have wood or engineered wood floors now. Was he saying that everyone is wrong. Or was he saying, as he continued to tell me how cheap my hone was and that he could get inexpensive painters out to fix the other damage they did. But based on my home it would cost only $50. He was very unpleasant and again nothing was his companies fault and everything was mine.
I got so tired of being terribly insulted that I asked the men to leave. It was very obvious this had never happened to the President before. But he was not planning on fixing anything. They didn’t even leave one extra piece of wood so any repairs could be made. And as for the gaps again he told me that regardless of the warranty It was still my fault fir having wood floors put in at all.
Before you ask, yes they had to put down a special coating on the concrete. Or at least they said they did. But again even if I wanted to repair the boards that are bubbling, I can’t. No scraps were left. Not even a small piece could be found when I asked. I wanted to send it to my mother to show her the product.
It’s now two more years since I threw the President and his store manager from my home. I’m finding more bubbling on boards in random spots throughout the area that has this floor. The number of issues with this flooring is unreal. Not only scratches, but dents and more. A pot fell over in my entryway and even though it only weighed about 8 lbs and just fell over, it took out a chunk of the floor the size of a nickel. You would have thought it was butter based on how easily it all happened. I’ve even had my regular shoes just walking on the floors leave dents. But the one with pot actually had part of the floor come detached.
I already know if I try and fight this again with 50 floors that they will do nothing. And the manufacturer of the engineered wood-well I called them two years ago and all they will do is refer you to the company that installed the flooring. Ie 50 Floors.
So they will do nothing too.
What is the worst part about all of it is that there is supposed to be this great warranty on the flooring. But it’s up to 50 Floors to decide if there is a need. They will ALWAYS say that it’s the homeowners fault for installing or getting someone to install the flooring due to Texas moisture issues. The President of 50 Floors made that very clear that he didn’t have to pay to fix anything not covered by the warranty. And moisture issues isn’t covered. The product has to be defective and they don’t feel that even the small amount of bubbling I had in 2018 was caused by defective product. They didn’t think there was anything at all wrong with it.
In this case what would you do?
I was so excited when the $6000 floor was put in. And now I look at it and all I see are all the things the sales person lied about. He even knew I had 3 dogs and still told me that these floors don’t scratch or dent. I asked point blank as it was my worry. I was told that they didn’t scratch or dent and the dogs wouldn’t harm the floors. What a joke!
Just walking on regular shoes, not high heals(I know those will dent the crap out of the floors) but regular shoes.
Just think I could never have a bunch of people over unless I had everyone take off their shoes because if these floors that I believe are defective.
Never ever ever use 50 Floors. They don’t stand behind their workmanship or the products. Instead I had 4 different times were employees tried to first give false hope they would do something. Then they squash it. Then they send out the next higher executive. And he will pretend and then Squash. Lastly the fact that the manager begged me to have the President if 50 Floors to come out to see and the man knew there were issues. But instead he just kept insulting me, my home, my choice of product, everything. He made me feel dirty and so I did politely ask him to leave. He was never going to do anything but to try and pretend he was the only person right and why.
Thanks