Tuesday, October 22, 2013

You Don’t Have a Walking Abnormality! It’s Uneven Floors

Old Floorboards Stock Photo


You’re a fan of zombie movies, but haven’t picked up on the way they walk intentionally. Why are you walking funny?

Oh it’s uneven floors. Don’t pad the bottom of one shoe, okay?

Another sad fact is that uneven floors aren’t just an issue that owners of old houses need to face. It happens in condos. The fix can involve installers who are contracted with big brand repair stores and who won’t get a job done right either. For example, Navi went to Home Depot to switch out his carpet for wood floor. Unfortunately, he noticed that the concrete subfloor had multiple cracks and dipped in the center of the room. After several conversations with Home Depot flooring reps both in person and on the phone, he came away with the peace of mind that the installer would be able to use a self-leveling compound before installing the wood. So, Navi proceeded to purchase all the wood, brought it back to his condo, and met the installer at the door ready to make the switch. However, the installer wouldn’t install the floor and even admitted that the reps were all mistaken. Navi was left holding the wood and a ripped up floor.[1]

Not the experience you want when you’re remodeling.

Other bad news stories circulate also. Sometimes, contractors tell a customer that unevenness in the subfloor will become unnoticeable and they won’t take responsibility and fix it.[2]

So where do you go on a slippery concrete slope? A construction defect attorney like House Detective Barry Stone Certified Home Inspector recommends? Maybe.

But how can you avoid finding a contractor who won’t take pride in his work or provide a warranty?

One suggestion is that you don’t do a bunch of work before you talk to the contractor about the “what ifs.” What if you’re wrong and the unevenness doesn’t go away? What if you are responsible and you act differently, do you guarantee your work?

You need to keep in mind a few things. You will have to spend some money to fix a subfloor to standards. You will need to get a consultation. You will have to pay the contractor what they are worth. Maybe avoid the lowest bidder. There are a lot of articles on the internet about ways to hide the uneven floor problem.

Most qualified professionals recommend that if you are not familiar with working with concrete, contact an expert to correct any subfloor unevenness. Here is a list of common of subfloor problems and solutions.[3] Your best bet is to start with some questions and ask Home Improvement Leads’ CalFinder to help you find qualified installers.[4]



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