msinstallations
Well-Known Member
How are the LVT installations in commercial settings holding up? Do the seams stay tight enough to prevent moisture from collecting under the floating floor?
Floating LVT for Commercial Use.
- Thread starter msinstallations
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We lay miles and miles of commercial LVT and have never had issues. Now if the material is loose laid then of sure you set yourself up for complete failure. We have installed a lot at hospitals. They clean daily with wet mops, still no issues.
We had one large scale failure with a "Konecto" type floating LVT. The biggest part of being Incognito is I don't want to name names and point fingers. I suspect (and have seen) where some corporations are chasing down bad online reviews or comments to rebut them. I imagine they'd have a problem with a shop that they felt was badmouthing them--------deservedly so or not. There's REALLY no privacy or secrecy on the internet. If you think there is you're not being realistic. So I'll not mention the brand or specific product. To be honest I'm one of those guys who figures "it's all the same crap anyway" to the extent that they're all copycats of each other.
I didn't do the install. I only saw a portion of the failed floor in a lunch room maybe 10'x15'. The bulk of the replacement I did was already demoed out when I got there. The issues were seams curling, distortions/tweaks from what I assume was poor storage and/or mishandling----but who knows.
..........so basically this was a conglomeration of all the nightmare stories I've read about on the internets about these floating floors that glue together with overlapping/underlapping tabs.
It was just under 4K square feet. The factory offered full replacement but nothing for labor.
Other than that the handful of jobs I've done went smooth but I haven't had a reason or opportunity to check 1-5 years down the line how they're holding up. I have no concerns about the surface layer as it's the same as the glue down products we've done by the tractor trailer load. So what I do need to learn more about is how it telegraphs my prep. I can assume it's better than glue down over slabs with movement like saw cuts/cold joints/trenches and such that ripple or crack VCT and at least show through LVT/LVP. But for me it's yet to be determined what level it needs to perform well over the long term. I've been prepping as if it were VCT figuring it's all going to mold down eventually, if not crack.
I'm also not very confident in the adhesive bond system for commercial applications. The one larger job I did was in fact a market--------tons of refrigeration units to fit to and work around. It just doesn't seem like it'll be a good long term choice for that. If I could remember the name of the market I'd go scope it out next time I was in south Orange County. Not all the jobs are public places you can just wander back into.
I didn't do the install. I only saw a portion of the failed floor in a lunch room maybe 10'x15'. The bulk of the replacement I did was already demoed out when I got there. The issues were seams curling, distortions/tweaks from what I assume was poor storage and/or mishandling----but who knows.
..........so basically this was a conglomeration of all the nightmare stories I've read about on the internets about these floating floors that glue together with overlapping/underlapping tabs.
It was just under 4K square feet. The factory offered full replacement but nothing for labor.
Other than that the handful of jobs I've done went smooth but I haven't had a reason or opportunity to check 1-5 years down the line how they're holding up. I have no concerns about the surface layer as it's the same as the glue down products we've done by the tractor trailer load. So what I do need to learn more about is how it telegraphs my prep. I can assume it's better than glue down over slabs with movement like saw cuts/cold joints/trenches and such that ripple or crack VCT and at least show through LVT/LVP. But for me it's yet to be determined what level it needs to perform well over the long term. I've been prepping as if it were VCT figuring it's all going to mold down eventually, if not crack.
I'm also not very confident in the adhesive bond system for commercial applications. The one larger job I did was in fact a market--------tons of refrigeration units to fit to and work around. It just doesn't seem like it'll be a good long term choice for that. If I could remember the name of the market I'd go scope it out next time I was in south Orange County. Not all the jobs are public places you can just wander back into.
I have seen the same issue with the floating lvt planks with the adhesive however I just started selling a line of vinyl plank to my customers that lock together like laminate instead of sticking together and the difference is night and day. So much better than the older kind.
I do a ton of inspections on "these floating floors that glue together with overlapping/underlapping tabs. " I can tell you that if the temp gets out of the zone, or the floor flatness is not absolutely perfect, that stuff is not going to go back together by itself. Most of the problems I see is extreme lengths and widths areas that under any other floating floor manufacturers specs would void the warranty, they do not convey the necessary limits as any other floating floor manufacturer like lamninate or even engineered hardwood do.
All these guys want is the money.
All these guys want is the money.
Ernie,
I just got in some samples of a brand new lvt product from USfloors. Its vinyl plank on top of a cork/bamboo/composite core on top of attached cork underlayment. Total thickness is about 1/4" and its completely waterproof. Very cool stuff. Im pretty excited to start installing it. I think its call cor-tec or something like that. The company says that the material doesnt expand or contract so you can install it without a break for as long as you need to and you dont need transitions in doorways either.
I just got in some samples of a brand new lvt product from USfloors. Its vinyl plank on top of a cork/bamboo/composite core on top of attached cork underlayment. Total thickness is about 1/4" and its completely waterproof. Very cool stuff. Im pretty excited to start installing it. I think its call cor-tec or something like that. The company says that the material doesnt expand or contract so you can install it without a break for as long as you need to and you dont need transitions in doorways either.
Click LVT tiles are fine for commercial locations, the sub-floor needs to be smooth and you need to use an underlay like xtrafloor, the underlay has a small amount of adhesive similar to that on a post it note to help stop any movement.
Also remember to leave an expansion gap on installations above 100m2
Also remember to leave an expansion gap on installations above 100m2
