Sub Standard Amtico Flooring Job

mrmanire · 10-10-2019 10:58pm #1

I'm sure similar questions have been asked before but I can't find a thread. I recently had an amtico floor put down across the whole downstairs of my house. It took two days for the job to be completed. A screed was laid, smoothed and then the boards were laid. The boards feel great and look good in the vast bulk of areas.

Unforunately, there are two sections of the floor straddling numerous planks that are not level and there are visible imperfections and bumps in certain lights. It can be felt when walking on the floor in socks or with your hands. Also the imperfect parts are in an area just as you walk into our kitchen so are unavoidable We haven't told the shop that sold and arranged installation yet (only laid today) but I suspect that remedying would result in numerous planks being taken up and replaced. More importantly, there would probably be significant labour costs.

We have yet to make our final payment of 1000 euro plus. We will be telling the shop tomorrow and are considering withholding the final payment until this is remedied. Well over 90% of the floor is fine but I suspect that remedying this could reduce or eliminate the store's profit due to the labour costs of taking up and redoing a substantial part of the floor to redo a small area (the store subcontacts for the installation).

We definitely don't want to be left with a substandard bumpy floor that could get worse and I feel we should stand up for ourselves. Can we withhold payment or will this reap a hugely negative reaction from the store? I feel we will have no leverage if we make the final payment.

Lumen · 11-10-2019 10:26am

mrmanire wrote: »

I suspect that remedying this could reduce or eliminate the store's profit due to the labour costs of taking up and redoing a substantial part of the floor to redo a small area (the store subcontacts for the installation).

That's not your problem. Only some jobs go wrong. If all jobs go wrong, they would have gone out of business. So the cost of errors is spread over a number of jobs.

Also, never underestimate profit margins! I have seen laminate flooring on sale in Ireland at 50% more than the price I can get ordering identical product from a UK company at list price.

Amtico is a high end product, it should be installed properly.

C3PO · 11-10-2019 2:44pm

Just to clarify - did the shop undertake the supply and installation or was the floor installed by a separate contractor recommended by them but paid directly by you?

mrmanire · 11-10-2019 6:10pm

The shop undertook to supply and install. The installation is subcontracted by the shop and paid by them.

We contacted the shop who directed us to the installers who will be calling out to view later this evening. They admitted there were ridges (which they never mentioned at the time) but somehow neglected to tell us before they left. Apparently they realised after they put it down that more screed may have been required that perhaps our original floor tiles should have been taken up. As far as I'm concerned that's not our problem. They made an assessment on the job.

I suspect now that the only solution is to take up the floor, add more screed and then lay new flooring which would possibly end up being far more expensive that the original job. I will confirm once the installer arrives to check.

Essentially, they may have misjudged how difficult this job was and how much screed was required and now it's our problem. according to them. I expect a bit of a clash.

Josieg · 13-01-2021 12:02pm

mrmanire wrote: »

The shop undertook to supply and install. The installation is subcontracted by the shop and paid by them.

We contacted the shop who directed us to the installers who will be calling out to view later this evening. They admitted there were ridges (which they never mentioned at the time) but somehow neglected to tell us before they left. Apparently they realised after they put it down that more screed may have been required that perhaps our original floor tiles should have been taken up. As far as I'm concerned that's not our problem. They made an assessment on the job.

I suspect now that the only solution is to take up the floor, add more screed and then lay new flooring which would possibly end up being far more expensive that the original job. I will confirm once the installer arrives to check.

Essentially, they may have misjudged how difficult this job was and how much screed was required and now it's our problem. according to them. I expect a bit of a clash.

Sorry for resurrecting and old thread but how did this pan out for you? I'm looking at Amtico for our downstairs renovation and I would have assumed that due to the price and guarantee that comes with this product this should have been fixed at no cost to you. Assuming you have it down now how are you finding it as a flooring? Do you have underfloor heating by any chance?

mrmanire · 15-01-2021 12:13pm

We got it sorted out at no cost to ourselves. We had no issue with the product and the issue we had was resultant from from the workmanship of the fitters. They should have taken more care in leveling the floor and they did in the finish. We've had no issues since and the flood is doing great.

It does require some limited maintance beyond cleaning periodically but we can only speak highly of the product since. Ressurect the thread again in a few years and I'll give you the long term view!

mrmanire · 15-01-2021 12:14pm

Josieg wrote: »

Do you have underfloor heating by any chance?

Oh and missed this, no underfloor heating. I don't believe that would be an issue but you'd need to check with a supplier.

Sub Standard Amtico Flooring Job

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