The floor had marring, footsteps, skid marks, and sawdust, which made it markedly unsightly. Furthermore, I tried Windex, Simple Green, and the Bona system. Nothing worked until a friend suggested PineSol, which worked using the Bona mop - which is mentioned because when I say the three cleaners I mentioned wouldn't work with hands and knees type scrubbing - let alone just mopping.
I used to do landscaping and couldn't leave the property looking worse than when I found it. Other professions such as carpet, tile, cement, paint, etc. left the jobs looking professional. But hey, I guess laminate/vinyl is different.
Ultimately my wife and I used a Bona mop and Pinesol and the floor looked great. It took 30 - 60 minutes to do the thousand square feet - all without a French maid's costume - but that's not the point. I expected a finish that would require maintenance - not what should have been part of the job.
And to the issue of "looking for" issues. What? People who pay thousands of hard earned dollars don't have the right to point out the obvious. So, if someone steps in dog poo and walks in your house, you can't say anything? Or how about when we moved a recliner and found a transition with a large chunk broken out. Can't say anything?
There is a difference about having expectations of a finished job than looking for knitpicking little problems. Why should a person not have the right to point out the obvious when the installer ignores it? And then there is the salesperson who make such a big deal about how great their finished product will look in a house. If it's going to take so much "extra time", charge an extra $100 or two.
If I ever have another floor done, I will be sure to include the finish in the contract. But than again, it's obvious that the majority of installers couldn't finish a floor because they don't know how to. Alright, let the games begin.
