Laminate install - matched planks throughout

[Arken Sparq]

Hi All,

First post here.
I've worked in construction for over 20 years (electrician) and currently have a reno taking place in my own home.
We just had our laminate flooring professionally installed and are not very impressed.
The flooring is a wood plank style, with about 11 or 12 distinctly different "boards".
We assumed (perhaps wrongfully) that the installer would naturally check as he was laying the floor to ensure that he wasn't placing identical boards immediately adjacent to each other.
Instead what we found was that many of the boards are matched nearly side by side and occasionally in groups of 3.
My builder insists that this is a "normal" install, but everyone else I have talked (professionals included) to seems to think otherwise - but they are my friends.
I'm here for an unbiased opinion, preferably from professionals.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Floorist]

Do you have any pictures? Your description makes it sound less than professional.

 

[highup]

We just had another guy here with the same problem.
The installer probably took them out of the box one after another without looking. Sometimes a box will have two of the same patterns stacked back the back. You're supposed to pull planks out of a few boxes at the same time. You're also supposed to look at the plank patterns before clicking them together to ensure that two of the same planks aren't side by side or end to end.
It takes a lot more time, but that's part of the process.

 

[Incognito]

I'd also have to see the specific material and installation concerns with pretty good photos------distance/perspective/lighting. We do know this "pattern repeat" is an issue with many products and the obvious solution is to "rack" the goodsout , taking the pieces from a minimum number of cartons, mixing the cartons and spreading them out on the floor immediately in front of you to determine if the pattern repeat is noticable before assembly.

As mentioned above there ought to be some specific manufacturer's instructions or recommendations to refer to in cases like yours where you're not happy.

 

[Arken Sparq]

Thanks guys. Manufacturer instructions say to draw from several boxes at once, but that's to account for dye lot variations. Best photos I could get right now. No lighting in there yet. Maybe later in the day I can get some better shots. Sticky notes mark boards that are identical, same sticky means same pattern. These are a good representation of what is throughout the floor. Same pattern side by side or in a row.

 

[Incognito]

I think it's beautiful!

 

[Arken Sparq]

I think it's beautiful!

You don't see any issue with identical boards being placed side by side?

 

[havasu]

You don't see any issue with identical boards being placed side by side?

But being staggered, it is not as noticeable to a viewer. Remember, the homeowner is his worst critic. It looks great to me as well. I have 2000 sq ft of LVP in my house, and if I want to freak myself out, I could walk the floor and probably find two that are also exact, but once staggered, nobody would notice.

 

[Floorist]

But being staggered, it is not as noticeable to a viewer. Remember, the homeowner is his worst critic. It looks great to me as well. I have 2000 sq ft of LVP in my house, and if I want to freak myself out, I could walk the floor and probably find two that are also exact, but once staggered, nobody would notice.

Get staggered enough and no one cares.

 

[Incognito]

You don't see any issue with identical boards being placed side by side?

You know Sparky we're frequently using different devices and different browsers (tech) to use the internet. I cant speak for others but the photos I see show me an EXTREMELY blurred view of what I can barely even confirm is a floor-----let alone laminate-----let alone with an issue of pattern repeat.

I said it looks beautiful as a joke.

 

[Arken Sparq]

You know Sparky we're frequently using different devices and different browsers (tech) to use the internet. I cant speak for others but the photos I see show me an EXTREMELY blurred view of what I can barely even confirm is a floor-----let alone laminate-----let alone with an issue of pattern repeat.

I said it looks beautiful as a joke.

I wondered if you were joking. Hard to tell sometimes.

I'll try and get better photos. Lighting and camera aren't the best.

Thanks.

 

[Arken Sparq]

Hopefully these are better. Some of the planks are indeed staggered and only overlap by a foot. Most however are nearly side by side. The worst cases are groups of 3.
Thanks.

 

[Incognito]

Well I can see your complaints now. It's SLOPPY work for them----the installers AND the General Contractor not to notice that. They probably get away with at all day every day because people are not nearly as observant as you.

What I have no idea about though is how to advise you to negotiate mitigation.

FYI, my last job before I retired was Quality Control. It was my job to read those specs----communicate our expectations before, during and after the installation. Then every day I had to file a report swearing on a stack of bibles and signed in my own blood that EVERYTHING that all of my subcontractors did that day was 100% in compliance with every MF'ng city/county/state/federal and milatary regualation.

I was counting down the days............til I was eligible to collect my full pension.

 

[havasu]

I don't know. I have OCD and really watch for randomness (or lack of), stairstep staggering and things which look awkward, and I don't really see much of an issue with your floor. Sure, the installer could have moved one plank (the center plank) to another location to break up this "3 plank" pattern, but I'm sure in a few weeks, you won't even notice this. I really love the floor, and I honestly don't see much of an issue.

 

[Arken Sparq]

I don't know. I have OCD and really watch for randomness (or lack of), stairstep staggering and things which look awkward, and I don't really see much of an issue with your floor. Sure, the installer could have moved one plank (the center plank) to another location to break up this "3 plank" pattern, but I'm sure in a few weeks, you won't even notice this. I really love the floor, and I honestly don't see much of an issue.

Thanks for the reply. It's been interesting to see that there seem to be two schools of thought here.
I'm finding a lot of people agreeing with me, but also a fair percentage that don't.
Both groups seem to feel that their perspective is common sense.
I know most people probably wouldn't notice when it's all done, but for me it's the kind of thing I see all the time, and in our case the worst of it seems to be in the traffic areas that won't be obscured by furniture etc.
Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[highup]

Get staggered enough and no one cares.

I don't care.