ᐅ Very Poor Parquet Flooring Installation – Is Rectification Impossible?
Created on: 19 Jan 2023 10:55
P
pim1985
Hello,
unfortunately, we are having problems again with our parquet installer (a small family business in NRW). The work on the transitions and the baseboards was done very poorly.
A brief summary of the situation: After a long wait due to residual moisture in the screed, the parquet was installed (oak, 18.5cm (7.3 inches) wide, fully glued).
As you can see in the photos, the gaps at the transitions are about 1cm (0.4 inches) wide and filled with a cork material that does not match the color.
The baseboards (1.8cm (0.7 inches) wide, about 5.8cm (2.3 inches) high) at the floor-to-ceiling windows do not look good, the smaller baseboards/profiles are odd, and the work was very untidy. The reason for the unusual small baseboards/profiles: the window reveals are too narrow (1cm (0.4 inches) wide baseboards would fit; this is the case with our neighbors in an identical semi-detached house). There are nicer solutions for this, but there was no communication that the baseboards would not fit. The parquet installer is unable to accept criticism and is old-fashioned, just doing things as he learned 30 years ago. He refuses to make any corrections.
Regarding the cork filling, we probably have no legal chance for corrections, even though the boards at the transitions were cut unevenly. (I saw examples from other providers, unfortunately too late, and spoke with specialists from a large parquet company (Parkett Dietrich) who said that transitions without joints or with very small joints about 4mm (0.16 inches) are possible. These could be filled with parquet joint filler in a similar color and would look a thousand times better). Baseboards before the step in the staircase area???
The small baseboards in the window area are impossible, though. I am a member of the property owners’ protection association (legal insurance is also available) and I am considering taking legal action with a specialist lawyer and construction consultant, although I would prefer not to. But this job cost a lot of money, and now I will probably have to hire a second company to fix it.
I would appreciate any tips on how to salvage one or the other issue.
unfortunately, we are having problems again with our parquet installer (a small family business in NRW). The work on the transitions and the baseboards was done very poorly.
A brief summary of the situation: After a long wait due to residual moisture in the screed, the parquet was installed (oak, 18.5cm (7.3 inches) wide, fully glued).
As you can see in the photos, the gaps at the transitions are about 1cm (0.4 inches) wide and filled with a cork material that does not match the color.
The baseboards (1.8cm (0.7 inches) wide, about 5.8cm (2.3 inches) high) at the floor-to-ceiling windows do not look good, the smaller baseboards/profiles are odd, and the work was very untidy. The reason for the unusual small baseboards/profiles: the window reveals are too narrow (1cm (0.4 inches) wide baseboards would fit; this is the case with our neighbors in an identical semi-detached house). There are nicer solutions for this, but there was no communication that the baseboards would not fit. The parquet installer is unable to accept criticism and is old-fashioned, just doing things as he learned 30 years ago. He refuses to make any corrections.
Regarding the cork filling, we probably have no legal chance for corrections, even though the boards at the transitions were cut unevenly. (I saw examples from other providers, unfortunately too late, and spoke with specialists from a large parquet company (Parkett Dietrich) who said that transitions without joints or with very small joints about 4mm (0.16 inches) are possible. These could be filled with parquet joint filler in a similar color and would look a thousand times better). Baseboards before the step in the staircase area???
The small baseboards in the window area are impossible, though. I am a member of the property owners’ protection association (legal insurance is also available) and I am considering taking legal action with a specialist lawyer and construction consultant, although I would prefer not to. But this job cost a lot of money, and now I will probably have to hire a second company to fix it.
I would appreciate any tips on how to salvage one or the other issue.
chand1986 schrieb:
Jigsaw instead of circular saw, indeed. Probably his circular saw was stolen and not yet replaced; he didn’t want to postpone the job and had to tell the client that this is how it has to be.
(Tool theft among tradespeople has become all too common, which is why I suspect this).
I actually like the track as a visual transition! Well, when they installed the baseboards, they used a circular saw. I think this tradesperson doesn’t care about aesthetics, and fine workmanship is a foreign concept to him. But here’s the kicker: he wants to sue me for "defamation" because I gave him a 1-star Google review with the comment: "the pictures speak for themselves, contract value 2x xxx €." Interesting approach on his part 🙂
Tassimat schrieb:
I can understand why you posted the pictures, but what you did is somewhat damaging to the company’s reputation. Don’t you think?This is a professional company that delivered their work this way. Why shouldn’t this be allowed to be shown? Then if guests ask who messed up their floor, should the person only be allowed to say, “I can’t say, that would damage the contractor’s reputation”?Tassimat schrieb:
I understand why you posted the pictures, but what you did is somewhat damaging to the reputation, don’t you think?Wrong argument:- Either the company considers it defective, then they must fix it
- or they say it’s fine. In that case, they can’t complain if someone posts pictures of it.
A
AllThumbs10 Feb 2023 13:50Tassimat schrieb:
I can understand why you posted the pictures, but what you did is somewhat damaging to the reputation, don't you think?I agree with the others. These are pictures of the company's work, which the company is obviously satisfied with. It would be damaging to the reputation if I posted some poor workmanship that came from someone else.The comment with the 1-star rating clearly indicates a very negative intention.
Online comments are minefields. Like negative eBay reviews used to be, for those who still remember. But come on... if you’re not already busy enough with the construction, you might find yourself facing new challenges there.
Online comments are minefields. Like negative eBay reviews used to be, for those who still remember. But come on... if you’re not already busy enough with the construction, you might find yourself facing new challenges there.