Need Advice on Flooring gone wrong

I recently had a Durastone vinyl floor. It was defective. Next, the installer stapled each tile 8 times and then put a luan sub floor over it and glued down a high end sheet vinyl. The luan was defective, causing a washboard effect.
His solution now is to put leveler over the vinyl and put another vinyl foor in.
This makes three floors! Is this going to work? Your advice is welcomed.

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**Moderator Note** I removed the e-mail address only. For your safety they are not allowed in the forums.

 

a floor sandwich is a recipe for failure, make them rip it out. also be ready for some touch-up work when their done, ripping out multiple layers it not east to do without a few scuffs here and there.

 

The installer claims the glue that was used for the Durastone tiles never drys out and still remains tacky. He says it would be an impossible mess to deal with. What do you think?

 

The durastone glue is not YOUR problem, it's their's. It will dry when exposed to air or floorpatch powder. They are giving you a line of crap.

What was the original problem with the durastone?

What reason do they give you for using luan for underlayment instead of 1/4" underlatment approved plywood?

Do you think installing a third floor on top of two failed installations last?

 

Their were a lot of gaps between the tiles. Some seemed to be coming up. When you pressed on them they would go back down but not remain there.

The installer said he has always used luan for sub flooring. After we noticed the washboard effect on the second floor. He checked his last piece of luan. It wasn't visable to the eye but you could feel bubbles in the luan.

I have a contract with the store and they hired a free lance installer. Who is ultimately resposible?

I have 2 bathrooms and a kitchen that need to be fixed. This means the stove is diconnected during this time and all the appiances have to be moved on my brand new wall to wall carpeting. Meals were eaten out for the two days it took for the last repair. That adds up. This time it will take much longer. I also worry about damage to the new kitchen cabinets and the ivory carpeting that is adjacent to the flooring. Frankly, I've lost confidence in these vendors.

 

Go to the congoleum website and look at the installation instructions for Durastone. www.congoleum.com

The tile should not have been laid into wet adhesive, it should have been allowed to dry. Why didn't they take the time to read the instructions? Arm yourself with all the knowledge you can before calling the dealer back.

Who was the dealer?

 

I made the mistake of thinking because I bought a good quality product and hired professionals that all would be well. The installers let the glue dry for an hour or so before they installed the Durastone. This was installed mid October. They pulled up a tile about a week ago and the glue is tacky. They told me that it is supposed to be that way and that it will never dry.

I bought it from Chapman's Carpet and Tile in Melbourne, FL.

Thank you for your advice. I really appreciate it.

 

The glue is supposed to be dry to the touch before the tile hits it. They possibly used the wrong trowel notch to spread the glue and got in a hurry to get done.

 

What is a trowel notch? I suspected something was up. My installer was singing the country song "My give a damn's busted" while he was installing the floor.

Thank you. The information you have given me will help me to go forward.

 

A trowel with the wrong notch can either put down too much adhesive or too little. Too little= no grab. Too much=too long of a dry time and slipping tile.

How long was the Duraceramic stored in your home before it was installed?

 

They didn't store it here either. It was a very hot day here in Florida when they put it in. Now, we are in December and have had some really cold evenings. I think it is still affecting the tile.

 

The installation company dropped the ball.
The retailer dropped the ball.
Tell them that after reading the installation instructions on congoleum's website that they missed acclimation and flash time for the adhesive. Had the adhesive been allowed to flash off, there would have been no problem. I kinda wonder if they even used the right adhesive.

 

The woman at the store said it was the right adhesive. She said she bought it. The installers said halfway through the installation they noticed that the tiles weren't cut square.

 

I forgot to tell you that this is an ungrouted floor. Does it make a difference?

 

You do not use grout with vinyl tile.

 

Thank you for your expert advice. I feel well informed enough to go to the store and make my request (demand). I'll wait until after Christmas so they can enjoy their holiday.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!