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Ways your flooring company may cost you more money and hurt your credibility
Improper installation of backer board
Backer board is usually installed when preparing a floor for tile installation on wood. The reason for this is to give the tile the appropriate material to adhere or bond to. Here are the steps to properly install backer board:
- Make sure the sub-floor is level
- Spread the area with the multi-purpose thin set to accommodate for each piece of backer at a time. Make sure the thin set is applied evenly. It is imperative to place the backer on the thin set in a timely manner as the backer will absorb the moisture from the thin set quickly.
- Once the backer board is in place, screw or nail the board down.
- Continue the process until all areas to be tiled are covered with the backer cement board.
- Let the backer board setup for a minimum of 6 hours
If backer board is not installed properly, the results could be very costly. Separation of backer from the wood could create an unstable subfloor. This can result in the grout cracking prematurely or even a tile breaking. The tile will have to be repaired and grouted as well as possibly sealed. Not to mention the customer could grow weary if the problem persists and this could cause damage to your credibility. In this slow economy, we must protect ourselves when possible.
Felix DeLeon
Not allowing the wood or laminate flooring to acclimate before installing.
When preparing a hardwood or laminate flooring install the material MUST be stored in the area it will be installed for at least two days to acclimate. Acclimating means adjusting to the temperature and humidity in the area that it will be installed since it expands and contracts. Once the material is acclimated, it can be installed with minimal expansion and contraction which mean no buckling or gaps. If the floor buckles after installation the installer will have to return and make difficult adjustments and possibly cuts to accommodate for the expansion. Same goes for contractions, the gaps created will be very visible and tough to correct. If the problem persists the customer will grow weary and your company could lose credibility. Let’s face it; social media and word of mouth have united. Your brand or company name can be tarnished because of a few bad installs by a flooring company you subcontracted.
Felix DeLeon
Phone - 409-771-4126
Email - info@armorcoverings.com