Flooring question

Hi All, hoping for some advice.

While building a new home we selected a hybrid floor to go into our hall and open plan kitchen, dining and lounge (about 75square metres).

Prior to installation we noticed the skirting boards were installed and queried with the builder about this who said not to worry and everything would look fine. When the floor was installed, they left very noticeable and uneven expansion gaps and filled them with silicone. I spoke with the builder and pointed out that this was not great. They wanted to add scotia around the walls, which I did not think would match and found in the contract where it stated that the skirting had to go on last. We agreed that it would need to be done again.

Just before moving in. We noted that there was a lump in the hallway. Photos during construction show that this likely caused by a lump of plaster not removed. They agreed it would need to be fixed.

After moving in
- we found more lumps in the floor
- the floor popped out around door ways and there was no covering.
- the floor was installed around kitchen benches with big uneven gaps with no covering/ scotia. I have popped rubber weather strip over the top to stop food from getting into the gaps and damage to the boards.
- it has taken 9 months but they have agreed to redo the whole floor and admitted that the sub floor was not prepared properly.

However my issue now is that they are telling me the floor requires expansion joints which will be metal and run through the middle of my dining. The floor is wood look. This will spoil the aesthetic and likely lower resale value. At no point in time were expansion joints discussed with us during the prior two installs. We were not approached to waive install of such joints or pick where they should go. If they had done we never would have chosen this floor.

The builder is telling me that they will cover dismantling the floor, levelling and re-install (which technically we already paid for most of that) and if we chose to go with vinyl glued instead (which would prevent them needing to re take off the skirting boards) then we need to pay for supply.

I told him I don’t agree with this, as the product was not represented to us correctly and this is the third install. I said that we should only have to pay any gaps in price if a different product is more expensive or for example if I decided to do something that may require more specialised install then what we paid for.

The builder and I spoke to another floorer who stated they just leave bigger expansion gaps and do not install expansion joints and have not had an issue. I suggested that this could be an option as long as the floor company is willing to accept liability in writing for any future issues (not directly cause by us).

Has anyone had a similar situation? Or advice?

I've never heard of expansion joints going into a wood, hybrid or floating floor through the middle of any rooms. There's a gap UNDER the skirting around the entire perimeter of every room for expansion. Something tells me your builder is trying to minimise the loss of the remedial work by getting you to accept a lesser solution or a more expensive product.

I would chat with the supplier/manufacturer of the flooring and ask them about this expansion join in the middle of a room business. Better yet if your builder has installe dthat product in any display homes, you will have proof of it being installed without such joins through teh middle of a room.

Thankyou for your reply.

He has come back with a number of options, and all of them benefit him. This has left such a sour taste.

can you ask him for a complete refund of floor cost, and then find someone else to do it properly? or get a quote from someone else to do it properly, along with the options they suggest and present it to the builder?

The builder is trying to claim that I knew about the expansion joints needing to be installed base on ‘asking for hybrid flooring as a variation’, with no evidence or documentation. They are suggesting
1. Install with joints
2. Install without at my own risk
3. They will do everything and pay 50% of cost of vinyl glue down that won’t need expansion joints and I have to pay the other 50% (I think this one is actually lose / lose for all of us).
4. Refund just over a little more then half of what we paid. Which would mean if we installed ourselves we would be out over pocket by my estimate a little over $5000 if we had to put in a new floor.

The floor is getting lumpier and I’m concerned that it could get progressively worse where it’s very noticeable and unmanageable. If it does not get worse taking the money and run may be an option. I would do this if it was a full refund.

I’m not finding much help on line in regards to their responsibilities and my husband is worried that going via the fair trading process will drag out and just overall not be good for us health wise.

I’m going to try to get someone else to look at the floor and see if they think it will get worse or stay the same.

Have you got a floor plan? Are there logical expansion points? Would help to see sizing of areas.
Would changing flooring direction give more logical expansion trim areas?

Our whole house is hybrid (192 square metres supplied), there are two expansion points with trim covers. One is under a door, the other is a walkway but we don’t notice either.

I removed all plaster, paint, glue etc from the floor before floor installer got there. He checked the slab and did some local grinding in a lot of places. His go/no go gauge was a 1m level - if it could be rocked he would smooth it.

Skirting was drilled off before flooring was done (out fixing carpenter hates people who only glue and nail) and the skirting board installed after floor installation. We have scotia around kitchen area and an end channel trim at sliding doors (which allows movement).

Pics in this thread - I can get other pics if you need

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