Hello House Building Community
I would appreciate hearing your opinions and expertise regarding the builder’s warranty when subcontracting the installation of flooring to a third party.
The new build property I purchased is being fully constructed by the builder (or their subcontractor). The property would come with a standard floor covering, which I would like to change. Unfortunately, the subcontractor does not offer alternatives to the standard flooring, so I would have to turn to third-party providers and accept the property without any flooring installed.
Regarding the issue:
- The handover inspection, including defect checks, would therefore take place without any flooring installed, and the builder’s warranty applies only to the work they have carried out (excluding the flooring).
- The flooring would then be installed later by a third party, which hopefully will not cause problems, since flooring is usually laid shortly before completion (normally only the doors are installed afterwards).
- However, I am concerned that in case of warranty issues, the builder and the floor installer might blame each other (for example, if there is damage to the underfloor heating), and I might end up responsible for the damages.
I would be very grateful for your opinions on whether my concerns are justified or exaggerated.
Thank you in advance!
I would appreciate hearing your opinions and expertise regarding the builder’s warranty when subcontracting the installation of flooring to a third party.
The new build property I purchased is being fully constructed by the builder (or their subcontractor). The property would come with a standard floor covering, which I would like to change. Unfortunately, the subcontractor does not offer alternatives to the standard flooring, so I would have to turn to third-party providers and accept the property without any flooring installed.
Regarding the issue:
- The handover inspection, including defect checks, would therefore take place without any flooring installed, and the builder’s warranty applies only to the work they have carried out (excluding the flooring).
- The flooring would then be installed later by a third party, which hopefully will not cause problems, since flooring is usually laid shortly before completion (normally only the doors are installed afterwards).
- However, I am concerned that in case of warranty issues, the builder and the floor installer might blame each other (for example, if there is damage to the underfloor heating), and I might end up responsible for the damages.
I would be very grateful for your opinions on whether my concerns are justified or exaggerated.
Thank you in advance!
S
Sandmann200018 Feb 2016 13:13Thanks again for the helpful answers.
As a layperson, I would like to double-check my understanding...
The starting point is that two bathrooms will be tiled, and the rest of the floors are planned to be covered with parquet. The vinyl flooring will be lower in height than the parquet, meaning a height adjustment will need to be made.
Question: Until now, I thought this leveling would be done by the vinyl flooring installer using a leveling compound – or is it the responsibility of the builder/developer, and if so, how is it done?
The problem could be that the doors don’t quite fit or cannot be adjusted properly before the floor is installed, and therefore might need to be trimmed after the vinyl is laid.
Question: Is this an issue, or do I need to give the builder specific instructions (e.g., to adjust all doors to the tile height, since the vinyl flooring in the rest of the area will then be aligned with the tile height)?
As a layperson, I would like to double-check my understanding...
The starting point is that two bathrooms will be tiled, and the rest of the floors are planned to be covered with parquet. The vinyl flooring will be lower in height than the parquet, meaning a height adjustment will need to be made.
Question: Until now, I thought this leveling would be done by the vinyl flooring installer using a leveling compound – or is it the responsibility of the builder/developer, and if so, how is it done?
The problem could be that the doors don’t quite fit or cannot be adjusted properly before the floor is installed, and therefore might need to be trimmed after the vinyl is laid.
Question: Is this an issue, or do I need to give the builder specific instructions (e.g., to adjust all doors to the tile height, since the vinyl flooring in the rest of the area will then be aligned with the tile height)?
B
Bauexperte18 Feb 2016 16:30Sandmann2000 schrieb:
Question: Until now, I thought the vinyl flooring installer would handle the leveling compound – or is it the builder’s responsibility, and if so, how? On one hand, ask your supplier, and on the other hand, the flooring contractor what they prefer. Both approaches are generally possible, but not for every height difference.
Sandmann2000 schrieb:
Question: Is this a problem, or do I need to give the builder specific instructions (e.g. adjusting all doors to the tile height, since in the rest of the area the vinyl flooring will be aligned to the tile height)? It only becomes a problem – for you – if you don’t deal with it in time.
Regards, Bauexperte
As @Bauexperte already mentioned, discuss the flooring early on with the builder. The screed installer can ensure that the screed is leveled in advance to match the floors that will be installed.
Due to the tolerances involved (I’m not exactly sure how many millimeters), I would recommend installing the vinyl flooring first, then the tiles afterwards. This has the advantage that the tolerances can be better compensated for with tile adhesive than with vinyl. Only once the floors are finished should the doors be installed. This, in turn, saves the floor installers time because they don’t need to trim door frames or cut around them. The carpenter also saves time during door frame installation because they no longer need to consider the floor height.
Additionally, this prevents damage to the door frames and results in even, neat joints between floors and frames as well as between the floor and door leaves.
Best regards,
Sigi
Due to the tolerances involved (I’m not exactly sure how many millimeters), I would recommend installing the vinyl flooring first, then the tiles afterwards. This has the advantage that the tolerances can be better compensated for with tile adhesive than with vinyl. Only once the floors are finished should the doors be installed. This, in turn, saves the floor installers time because they don’t need to trim door frames or cut around them. The carpenter also saves time during door frame installation because they no longer need to consider the floor height.
Additionally, this prevents damage to the door frames and results in even, neat joints between floors and frames as well as between the floor and door leaves.
Best regards,
Sigi
We provided the interior door installer with our exact finished floor height by giving him a cut piece of the flooring material, including the underlayment for soundproofing, placed directly next to the door. This physically demonstrated the final height as a sample. Using the sample, he was able to determine the necessary height for each door.
The installer was grateful to see the correct height directly, and you benefit from a significantly reduced risk of errors. This approach was well received by our construction company, as they often have to guess how high the floor will end up. That uncertainty causes unnecessary stress, which could be avoided (and the defects that come with it would always have to be accepted, since replacement wouldn’t be cost-effective).
The installer was grateful to see the correct height directly, and you benefit from a significantly reduced risk of errors. This approach was well received by our construction company, as they often have to guess how high the floor will end up. That uncertainty causes unnecessary stress, which could be avoided (and the defects that come with it would always have to be accepted, since replacement wouldn’t be cost-effective).
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