The Trouble with Flooring Jobs

Installing flooring in a home or commercial property can be a complicated process that requires the utmost attention from your builders. Many modern floor materials are designed with longevity in mind, but they can still fail due to human error. To help you with your next project, let’s review some of the most common problems that lead to floor failure.

The Top 4 Hurdles with Flooring Jobs

We break down the most common problems construction companies face with flooring jobs. If you know about this ahead of time, you can avoid them, saving your company time, raw materials, and labor costs. 

1. Moisture Issues: Whether your company is pouring a concrete floor or laying down hardwood floorboards, the level of humidity in the building must be considered. In wood floors, moisture can warp or buckle the wood, leading the boards to pull away from the subfloor. For tile floors, moisture rising from the subfloor can break down the adhesives between tiles. Finally, in concrete flooring, water vapor can seep through the concrete and eventually collect on the surface of the floor causing cracks, mold, and can even be wicked into walls causing water damage. To avoid these problems, moisture testing should be completed prior to building to ensure that the materials being used for the job can withstand the natural humidity of a building or room. 

2. Choosing the correct materials: Choosing the right material for a job is essential, especially when a customer is trusting you to get the job done right the first time. Floors can fail if a builder does not consider how their choice of materials will interact with each other or how the building’s climate will affect the floor installation. For example, when choosing an adhesive for a carpet or tile, one should consider how much daily use a floor will get or if it will be exposed to water. Today, adhesives are available in waterproof, rapid-set, and heat-resistant varieties, along with many more options, specifically designed to combat common construction problems. 

Similarly, customers should be aware of the problems that might arise when installing a wood floor in an extremely humid climate. In this case, if the customer does not want to deal with ongoing maintenance of wood floors, they may be open to other options such as ceramic tile or LVT flooring. 

3. Hardwood flooring: Hardwood flooring can be a beautiful addition to a home or business, but it must be treated and installed properly. One of the most common mistakes builders make when installing hardwood floors is not allowing the wood to acclimate. Normally, it takes three days for the wood to reach an equilibrium between the moisture in the air of a building and the moisture in the wood itself. Another avoidable problem in hardwood installation occurs when a contractor does not perform any self-leveling. If a subfloor is uneven, which is often the case in old construction, liquid self-leveling compound can be used to fill in low spots to create a perfectly level surface. 

4. Tile Flooring: The most common problems that arise in tile flooring are cracked tiles and tiles peeling away from the surface. As with many problems in construction, the solution is proper preparation and selecting the right material for the job. For tile floors, builders should always take the time to fill in any cracks or dents that are deeper than 4mm and grind down any bumps bigger than 4mm. Additionally, any grease or liquid that can interfere with the adhesive should be meticulously removed. 

Quality tools by trusted brands

Construction company owners, builders, and installers alike know how many challenges must be considered when installing flooring. That is why The BECK Group is committed to providing innovative construction solutions to our customers. One such solution is the F44 0-degree Nailer. This construction tool easily drives plastic sheet coil nails for use in subflooring, decking, fencing and more. Its fully pneumatic feeding and positioning system, packaged into a lightweight, easy-to-handle body allows for precise nailing with every use. You can learn more about this helpful tool below.