Laminate Flooring Problems in Mfg Home

[DD716TED]

We recently had a local flooring firm install Mannington Laminate (Click Style) flooring in our manufactured hame. Within the last 6 months, it has started popping and moving at the joints. Mannington sent a man out to look at it and he said that the flooring material itself was not defective after taking moisture measurements, checking gaps around edges and a sample back to the lab for analysis. That leaves installation as the suspect for my problem. Now most of the edges are peaking and you can see movement at many joints. The installer says that it is not his problem and that we shouldn't have instralled the material in a manufactured home to begin with. Any thoughts or opinions on my dilema before I launch a full scale crusade against the business that sold and installed it to me in the first place? Thank you

[kactuskid]

Was the product brought to your home and left there for a few days prior to installation. This is required for it to acculmate to the environment, otherwise it can peak as yours is when it's subjected to humidity. Here's a link to explain. I'd also find out what the installation instructions state from Mannington.

http://www.fjbcarpets.com/wood.htm

[DD716TED]

The material canme straight from the truck to the house and was inatalled.. I questionsed this but was told that it was not a factor... Thanks

[kactuskid]

No problem. I'd get a copy of the manufacturere installations instructions and see if they were all adheared to, sounds like the installation is the culprit here. Let us know what you find or how it turns out. Good luck to you.

[LazyPup]

I would again contact the MFG reps to see if the product is suitable for installation in a manufactured home, and if so, are their any special installation requirements that are not listed in the general installation instructions.

Furthermore, I think your installer has put himself in a position of liability when he stated the product was not suitable for manufactured homes. If he had that knowledge prior to commencing the work he was obligated to inform you. His proper course of action should have been to inform you the product is not compatible and decline to do the installation, or he should have informed you, then sought a waiver of liability prior to commencing the installation.

[John712]

Theese problems can't happen on our lamiante flooring.

[dkpbxman]

Sometimes installers will skip the step of having the wood acclimate inside your house before any installation begins, with the excuse that :"Oh, it's OK, the warehouse where the wood was kept, is heated."

It doesn't matter. Unless the warehouse has the EXACT humidity level as your house, the wood will expand/contract for a few days until it reaches equilibrium.

Not only should it be inside your house for a few days, the boxes should be in the room they will be installed in.