lvt over ceramic tile

[Sinister28]

I had a company install LVT over a floated tile floor now I'm seeing gaps everywhere on the slab floor! As well as my upstairs where they didn't have to float! What the heck is going on?! Please help

 

[BuddyZ]

Can you post some picture? Pull a register and take one of the layers of floor if your can.

 

[Ken]

Why in Gods name would you float a tile floor? I would imagine that's the reason the lvt is failing.

 

[BuddyZ]

That's why I wanted to see a picture. This sounds like a crazy big mess. I mean technically Audra and dura ceramic are floated tile

 

[BuddyZ]

I bet rite rug did it lmao

 

[rugaddict]

a floater over a floater? or a glue down over a floater? both are a complete no no but i would like to get my wrongs right

 

[Sinister28]

View attachment ImageUploadedByFlooring Forum1420338609.798987.jpg

 

[Sinister28]

It's even worse upstairs with the regular wood subfloor

 

[Sinister28]

The downstairs is concrete floor with tile on top an then floated for this glue down LVT

 

[Floorist]

Do you mean they floated SLC over the ceramic tile before the LVT was installed?

 

[Sinister28]

What's that SLC SORRY

 

[Floorist]

Self Leveling Compound. It would fill the grout lines between the tiles.

 

[Sinister28]

Ok yes they did!

 

[Floorist]

Well LVT should be OK over that but it wouldn't be OK over a floating floor.

 

[Sinister28]

So why the separating like that

 

[rugaddict]

the downside to floating products is the same both for laminate and floating lvp----first is the quality of the locking mechanism--that is the whole job----unlike hardwood where each board expands and contracts--a floater expands a contracts as one giant peice---a.k.a. a monolithic slab---if the locking mechanism is subpar gapping occurs ----the other main issue with floaters is the flatness of the floor---each company gives specs---generally 1/8 inch over 8 feet---if the floor is not flat gapping occurs----other issues with floaters are expansion gaps--transitions----appliances---heavy furniture---i prefer gluedown lvp--but hey thats just me

 

[Ernesto]

As the rug-addict mentioned about the numerous ways a floater can separate there is also length of runs which has limits and pinch points where the flooring is hitting a vertical obstruction, lack of a gap, heavy furniture, direct sunlight hitting the flooring and pivot points like at the bottom of stairs.
And you can still be out of flatness spec over ceramic even if its had the joints filled. Get a 6 foot level and run it around the floor in the affected areas and see if theres any teter - tottering going on. Check behind base boards or quarter round. Many installers who don't understand expansion will even caulk around some things like sliding glass doors and door casing. Caulking will inhibit expansion and cause gaps.

 

[Sinister28]

Ok so do I talk to the company that installed it an have them come back out?! Last time they came out with putty an stain color pen cause there was a few a few spots that did this! Now it's 50 times worse! I'm thinking redo this mess!

 

[Floorist]

Call them and complain.

 

[BuddyZ]

I replaced a 1k sf job of floating lvt a couple weeks ago for bad locking mechanisms. Big spreads with cheaper product I pay more on installation and have the ends glued.