Hello, we had solid wood parquet flooring installed. We were told it was laid, then sealed, then sanded, and afterwards oiled. Since there were some scratches, the floor was repaired. However, now the floor is heavily scratched, and you can clearly see where the sanding machine passed over, using a round sanding disc (is that the correct term?). When we pointed this out, we were told that this is normal. Are we overreacting, or is this actually normal?
For this, I would bring @KlaRa into the discussion.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
@ Holz123:
Viewed objectively, the marks shown on the parquet surface are not a valid reason for complaint.
Certainly, due to craftsmanship, the success of parquet renovation will always (!) depend on the experience of the parquet installer.
I personally once inspected a completely “over-sanded” parquet floor in a private home.
The response given at the time to the homeowner was: No, it cannot be done better.
However, it actually could be—just not by the original installer, but by a different parquet layer.
In your case, though, the assessment of a court-appointed expert would very likely regard this as a minor issue.
Please also keep in mind that any surface features that may bother you will likely become less noticeable through regular use, as they will visually fade among the wear and tear that inevitably occurs.
My comment may not fully satisfy you, but I strongly advise against pursuing the matter further. The effort involved would almost certainly be disproportionate to any results you could expect.
----------------
Regards, KlaRa
Viewed objectively, the marks shown on the parquet surface are not a valid reason for complaint.
Certainly, due to craftsmanship, the success of parquet renovation will always (!) depend on the experience of the parquet installer.
I personally once inspected a completely “over-sanded” parquet floor in a private home.
The response given at the time to the homeowner was: No, it cannot be done better.
However, it actually could be—just not by the original installer, but by a different parquet layer.
In your case, though, the assessment of a court-appointed expert would very likely regard this as a minor issue.
Please also keep in mind that any surface features that may bother you will likely become less noticeable through regular use, as they will visually fade among the wear and tear that inevitably occurs.
My comment may not fully satisfy you, but I strongly advise against pursuing the matter further. The effort involved would almost certainly be disproportionate to any results you could expect.
----------------
Regards, KlaRa
Hello KlaRa,
Thank you very much for the detailed and helpful response. Of course, I needed some time to let it all sink in. To put it mildly, I find it hard to believe that scratched parquet flooring is accepted and has to be paid for. Until now, I thought sanding was done to remove scratches. Well, now everything is scratched—that's one way to solve it. The lesson we have to learn from this is that it’s better to do such work yourself; you don’t need a supposed professional for results like this.
Best regards and thanks
Thank you very much for the detailed and helpful response. Of course, I needed some time to let it all sink in. To put it mildly, I find it hard to believe that scratched parquet flooring is accepted and has to be paid for. Until now, I thought sanding was done to remove scratches. Well, now everything is scratched—that's one way to solve it. The lesson we have to learn from this is that it’s better to do such work yourself; you don’t need a supposed professional for results like this.
Best regards and thanks
Holz123 schrieb:
Since there were some scratches, the floor was repaired. Holz123 schrieb:
Until now, I thought that you sand something down to remove scratches, [...] The lesson we have to learn from this is that it’s better to do it yourself—you don’t need a so-called professional for a result like this. I’m not sure whether this is currently a trade requiring master certification. If it was just a few, albeit “individual,” scratches in my opinion, using a large, vertically guided random orbit sander over a wide area is not an appropriate method, because I would expect the risks of this approach to outweigh its potential benefits. Therefore, I can understand why you might call the professional “so-called” if they didn’t inform you about this fact. However, when requesting a repair, it’s not standard practice to establish mutual agreement about the method to be used—the repair is initially a right of the contractor, and they are free to decide how to proceed. After all, they also take the risk that you might judge the repair unsuccessful and continue to refuse acceptance of their work. What kind of contractual relationship do you have here? Is this person your contractor or a subcontractor of your general contractor?
In my view, the takeaway for readers is as follows:
1. Be aware of your legal relationship with the tradesperson in case of such defects and whether the warranty applies under specific contract procedures (e.g., VOB / construction contract procedures) or building law;
2. Understand that every intervention has two sides—a chance of success and risks;
3. Weigh carefully (possibly with legal advice) whether it is wiser to do it yourself—and if you decide to insist on a repair, ensure you submit the complaint formally and within deadlines. Keep in mind that a collaborative discussion about measures suitable to fix the complaint is a matter of goodwill.
Chatting with the tradesperson via WhatsApp, accepting their work with the scratches in exchange for a $100 invoice reduction, and then sanding down the affected spots yourself with sandpaper on a block was probably the smartest solution. Because, considering @KlaRa’s expert background, I assume their assessment
KlaRa schrieb:
In your case, the opinion of a court expert would very likely be that this is a “minor issue.” reflects the practical chances of success in a legal dispute. However, I also fully agree with their second point,
KlaRa schrieb:
that the surface imperfections of the parquet that might bother you will probably be “masked” through regular use, meaning they will become “visually negligible” compared to wear and tear that will inevitably appear. https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Hello 11Ant,
Thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately, I cannot answer everything. We purchased an apartment in a new building within a newly developed area. The parquet flooring was the standard option; we had requested an oiled finish as a special request. We were told that the parquet manufacturer was also responsible for the installation. The craftsman was called in, and he said that he had sanded it with the sanding machine, which matched the semi-circular scratches. At the final inspection, the site manager—or the head of the construction company (?)—was called in and addressed me verbally in such a way that I ultimately signed the handover documents. I have had experience with parquet flooring in the past, and I have never encountered scratched floors before, which is why I found this completely scratched floor unacceptable this time. Well, it is the way it is now.
Thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately, I cannot answer everything. We purchased an apartment in a new building within a newly developed area. The parquet flooring was the standard option; we had requested an oiled finish as a special request. We were told that the parquet manufacturer was also responsible for the installation. The craftsman was called in, and he said that he had sanded it with the sanding machine, which matched the semi-circular scratches. At the final inspection, the site manager—or the head of the construction company (?)—was called in and addressed me verbally in such a way that I ultimately signed the handover documents. I have had experience with parquet flooring in the past, and I have never encountered scratched floors before, which is why I found this completely scratched floor unacceptable this time. Well, it is the way it is now.
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