Armstrong Tile Pro-Install (Help!)

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Claire

New Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2022
Messages
4
Location
Massachusetts
Hi, need help/advice with what is the best thing to do for my new (Vivero Best) LVT kitchen floor. Purchased tile and the install from a reputable Co. A truck with a different name arrived for the install.

The communication was non existent...no inspection/no prep/no measuring/no chalk line...I had to point out some loose plywood seams that still needed addressing...that got a few nails, but no sanding/patching. They had no idea what areas have a base board and which don't and couldn't have cared less...they couldn't get in and out fast enough (2 guys 4 hours). Glued the whole floor at once using an unknown glue from the truck while my new Armstrong $60 glue went unused till the very end. They had no roller and stomped/banged to seat all the tiles.

I am unhappy with the cuts/gaps at the threshold, the cuts at the L shape counter (which will now need a molding on bottom) the tile beside the fridge, the workmanship, the lifting/bubbling etc etc...The Co. has looked and offered to send a different person to install some molding around the L, caulk the threshold and replace a few tiles and finish the perimeter (they ran out of tile, more on order.)

Should I give them a second chance or try and reach a settlement and walk away. Not thrilled with hiding cuts at a threshold with caulk. The tile beside the fridge is open seam on both sides, how could that be solved, even with a new tile? That will need a filler/caulk as well? Should there be an expansion gap at the perimeter...(IMO) there is a lot of tight binding?

Is it best to tear up and start over or would you attempt repairing? Will this tile lift/peel over time with the unknown glue and not being rolled?
Can any tiles taken up be reused and what is to be done with the dried glue on the floor...does that need to be thoroughly removed?

We are a couple in our mid-eighties but we do have some family with some skills. Please see video and share comments/advice please.

Thanks for reading, any input will be deeply appreciated.

Video
 
I quit watching half way through.

Total hack job in need of full replacement. For starters it looks like they cut their own trowel teeth and cut them too small and too far apart... Not enough adhesive. The cuts are horrendous as are the spaces, slices and loose tiles. If they didn't snap a line where did they start? And in answer to your question, yes, a proper layout would have helped.

Rip it all up (Looking at it, it should come up easy), install 1/4 plywood and have someone who knows what they're doing install the tile... Do not let that same crew back in your house. Good Luck!!!
 
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Edit: didn't catch the video link

Yeah, that's freaking horrible. In fact, there's just nothing professional about their work.

Solutions?

They have to be allowed to repair.......that's the law. So you DONT have to accept what they're going to try to sell you as acceptable. Those cuts ought to be SCRIBE FIT. Caulk/putty doesn't look nice even when it's just done, let alone when it shrinks, cracks and discolors.
 
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It sucks that you got a less than stellar installation. You mentioned that you went to a reputable company yet it doesn’t sound like they really want to make sure you are fully satisfied. Do you still owe them any money? Or perhaps you paid by credit card and can dispute the charges with your CC company? Those two things are leverage for you to get some satisfaction. Maybe you need to escalate the situation and talk to management or the owner if you’re not getting any help from the salesperson.
 
Hi everyone, thank you for the replies. This is a family owned Co., we have dealt with two sons. Did pay with credit cart but the tile (Vivero Best 9 boxes $1,600) sale dates back to August, the install 1/2 down ($1,000) was paid in Dec, still owe $500. They started the tile at the family room threshold.

We did strip/prep this floor ourself, it was 95% done with exception of a few loose plywood seams.
 
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Hi everyone, thank you for the replies. This is a family owned Co., we have dealt with two sons. Did pay with credit cart but the tile (Vivero Best 9 boxes $1,600) sale dates back to August, the install 1/2 down ($1,000) was paid in Dec, still owe $500.

We did strip/prep this floor ourself, it was 95% done with exception of a few loose plywood seams.
It's true they are due a chance at repairing it but that job can't be repaired. If they don't agree on replacing it take that video (or one with a better quality camera) to small claims court with you.

And as for the prep any respectable installer would make sure it's secure, flat, and flush, before installing. Otherwise they would need a signed release from you before professionally installing new tile.
 
Thanks JPFloor and JCobb...Yes, this is a depressing mess, there are too many open seams/boo-boos, I have no faith this floor is or will stay bonded....there are 2 new spots lifting. I wonder if the coming heat/humidity will prompt/hasten the glue bond to fail, proving the need for a whole new floor. Maybe wise to wait and see what happens before additional work is done?

If the tile was taken up carefully and say most/all the glue releases from the tile and remains on the floor, could those tiles be reused?

We are waiting (over three weeks now) for two additional boxes of tile that the Co. has on order. To complicate things, the tile (Armstrong Vivero) has been discontinued.
 
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If the tile was taken up carefully and say most/all the glue releases from the tile and remains on the floor, could those tiles be reused?
Maybe, if you just needed to use a few for a repair or something but to remove them all and reinstall them would be a mess. Way more trouble than it's worth. At this point I think if you could get the owner of this "reputable business" to come have a look at this job he would agree it needs to be replaced. Or just show him your video.

If that tile is discontinued and you're still waiting 3 weeks for the remaining 2 boxes to arrive something is fishy. Pick another tile and replace it all. No need to bother finishing that installation.
 
A chalk line would not help those "installers" at all.
If your own prep work wasn't done to the flooring manufacturers specifications, the flooring 'dudes' should have brought that up and discussed a cost to make it good enough for a proper installation.
It's got to come out, get prepped correctly and new material needs to be installed...... There are no fixes for this installation.
Its sad that hacks don't respect the money you saved to make your home nicer.
If everything, installation and all was paid to the store, they owe you a new floor. It's up to them to recuperate their losses caused by the hacks.
If you paid the installers directly, only then do you need to fight them over this botch job.
Work that isn't perfect can be acceptable...... sometimes homeowners are unrealistic and overly nit picky and you aren't one of those people.
Go get em and don't accept a "fix". They did an awful job. Has to be replaced.
 
Thanks everyone for your time and input. JPfloor, one of the owners was here 3 days after install, took many pictures. Plans on sending a different installer to replace a few unacceptable tiles, caulk the threshold, add baseboard for the counter L and finish tiling the perimeter. Thats how it was left 3 weeks ago as we wait for the tile to arrive.

I think asking for a new floor would be countered by "you have to give us a chance to fix/make this one right" response.
 
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like they're not going to make it easy for you. A respectable company would take one glance at that job and admit they sent the wrong installers and replace it. I hope they change their mind and do right by you.

Court is always a last resort but it may be you're only option for satisfaction. You're certainly in the right here as any judge will agree.

Good luck and let us know how things work out.
 
I saw a lot more than a few.
What if 3 or...... 21 more tiles come loose a month or a year from now?
Did they use the correct adhesive?
Did they apply the adhesive with the correct trowel? Not all products need the manufacturers exact adhesive...... but they need "a" correct adhesive applied correctly and with the correct flash or dry time.
Have you pulled a string ( clean string, not a chalk line) tight down the length of the room centered on a tile to see how straight they layed them?
Tapered gaps show it wasn't straight.
You said they didn't use a chalk line as a guide..... I'm just curious how well they did.
What happens when dirt carried by mopping water eventually fills in all those gaps?
I don't like the shops method of brushing you off. You knew more about installing this flooring than the installers did.
 
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Thanks everyone for your time and input. JPfloor, one of the owners was here 3 days after install, took many pictures. Plans on sending a different installer to replace a few unacceptable tiles, caulk the threshold, add baseboard for the counter L and finish tiling the perimeter. Thats how it was left 3 weeks ago as we wait for the tile to arrive.

I think asking for a new floor would be countered by "you have to give us a chance to fix/make this one right" response.
Your response should be:
"I think I'm going to hire an independent flooring inspector"
 

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