Homeowners Frustrated with Contractor Quality

“Hey folks, wife and I bought a house December last year and it looked pretty good around then, but the last month or so we’ve noticed more and more issues with our LVP floor. Gaps forming, a couple areas where a plank has buckled and is actually a tripping hazard, and a lot of very noisy spots. I’m assuming the previous owners did all this themselves and just didn’t do a great job. I’m a bit familiar with the prep work required for installing LVP since I was planning to do it in the basement som”

“We’re in a new build, less than 4 years, and the floor boards are starting to be to tear like in the images and even buckle a bit in others (tried to capture in last photo but hard to see). Someone is coming by to look at it tomorrow because I’m nervous it’ll get worse but wanted to get some opinions. submitted by /u/bananascanning [link] [comments]”

“I'm having LVP laid on top of a concrete slab with a acoustic mat (Dunlop Advantage 3mm) underneath. The job has been in two parts - the living/kitchen areas (while I stored all furniture in the bedroom), and now I'm ready to have the bedroom done. In the first job, the guys prepped the concrete, glued down the rubber mat, then let that glue cure overnight before coming back to glue the planks on top. I'm trying to book the guys to come back to do the 3m x 3m room and they want to do”

submitted by /u/tofurainbowgarden [link] [comments]

“TL;DR: professionals did a botched job. Do I give them a chance to make it right or hire someone else to fix? I just had hardwood floor installed by professionals hired through my GC who has used these guys for years, I’m told. There are staples sticking up, with visible tops sanded. Staple holes all over (all the green tape in pic #2). In the living room it feels like you’re walking on a topographical map. It feels like the floor was aggressively over sanded. Boards are textured. Swirl lines al”

“Had my office floor replaced in 2024 through a "flooring company". They used some type of LVP I can't remember the brand (maybe it started with a K) that said it was rigid core. About a year later it started peeling apart. It is a home office and I do work 8-10 hours a day in here rolling around on chair with castors. Then in late 2025 I had it replaced with a different LVP product that was supposedly thicker. Now that one is bowing and separating. Already sent them an email. Thing”

“In the process of prepping these floors for glue down LVP. Started feathering out the pieces that are nearly impossible to remove but the more that I look at the flooring the more I see stuff that needs to be feathered. Would floating the entire floor be a better option or should I continue feathering it out? Not sure how to go about floating an entire wood floor and if the process would be much different than floating a cement floor. For context it’s an entire finished attic area that has two b”

“These gaps are larger than 1/4 inch and that is with the existing baseboards, is this acceptable even using quarter round and will my flooring not end up shifting and loosening up? submitted by /u/Gregsterocks138 [link] [comments]”

“We just had some Shaw flooring (lvp) installed and they did the upstairs and the stairs and it does NOT look right where they transitioned it to the rest of the floor. I reached out to the installation manager and he told me everyone thinks it’s installed incorrectly but it’s actually correct. Is this right? Because it looks terrible. I also think the stairs themselves were done horribly and not cut to the right length and they were planning to cover their work with just caulk. Can people give m”

“My contractor installed engineered hardwood (glue down) and it’s beautiful. However, the gaps in the baseboard are such a distraction. I’m planning to ask the contractor to correct this. Would you get this corrected? I’ve done some research and it looks like the current baseboards can be removed, shaved down in some areas, and then reinstalled. That’s a very simplistic explanation for the process, but I have read that this issue can be fixed. Thoughts on next steps for me to take? Thank you! EDI”

“We just got LVP installed and I think these seams might be an issue but I'm no expert. The first one is the seam I'm most worried about. submitted by /u/jimmythegiraffe [link] [comments]”

“We are installing 12mm Lions laminate flooring and in order to avoid a transition piece we hired a contractor to match the existing flooring from the kitchen to the living area. We will be using a thin underlayment. Is this acceptable? Am I being overly picky? The contractor insisted that I will not be able to notice once the floor is installed. My feeling is this is terrible/shoddy work. We are having the flooring company install the floors not the contractor. We are already way over budget and”

“The initial flooring had a large soft spot maybe 4 ft x 4ft that when walked over would noticeably sink in. But all the boards were installed flush with each other. The soft spot was due to unlevel floor with a grade of about 2cm over 5 ft or so. My contractor cut out 5 ft past the uneven section, put down some leveling compound to smooth out the grade to 1cm and then reinstalled new boards. But now a few of the boards arent flush with each other and overall the floor feels slightly spongy over”

“Hi, I had some work done in my basement to install LVP the contractor claims he used 10-15 bags of self leveling and that it won’t be perfect but as I walk across the floor there is noticeable dips and rises. Some parts of the floor have too squishy of a landing and some parts of the floor you can feel the rise. He is saying this is normal And that self leveling won’t make the floor flat across and it’s going to have some soft spots. I’m guessing that’s BS but can’t tell submitted by”

“Moved into a UK new build in May. Noticed this bump on our herringbone LVT flooring that catches the light and feels hard underneath, along with sticky glue residue wiping out of the seams and leaving cloudy patches. The builder is refusing to look at it, claiming their sub-contractor won't take responsibility for any flooring issues reported after 2 months of moving in. Is a bump like this acceptable, or does it look like a fitting defect? Has anyone successfully got the builder to fix floo”

“I need someone who is an expert in flooring to chime in. I am a first time homebuyer and have had virtually no experience with many contractors, especially those who specialize in redoing floors. When I first called in the contractor to take a look at my property, I had told him I wanted the stairs redone as well as the upstairs floors and one floor in the bottom floor. Unfortunately, I was unable to be home on the first day of work. After the sanding was completed and the first stain applied, I”

“There is concrete under the LVP submitted by /u/SufficientWill428 [link] [comments]”

“I am a homeowner who hired a builder to build a 1,500 square foot addition. They subbed out the framing, but installed the lvp flooring themselves (their employees did). My brand new subfloor is insanely squeaky, and I won't accept it. If I allow them to pull up the lvp to make the subfloor repair, should I let them re-install the same lvp? My concern is that the interlocking pieces will be damaged and break during the process of pulling them apart. submitted by /u/whynotthebest”

“We had our carpet ripped out on the second floor with the plans to have LVP (evoke atacama) installed. Our installer pointed out that there’s over a 1 inch variation within a foot of the wall, most prominently seen butting up against walls that connect to bathrooms. I tried to capture this showing how the flooring isn’t level with the gap. Our house was built in 1995 and have lived here 3 years, we don’t think there’s any structural issues - nothing feels spongy and drywall looks fine. They ment”

“Got new carpeting installed. I am disappointed on how obvious the seams are. Is this normal or bad contractor work? submitted by /u/Mean-Plastic8301 [link] [comments]”

“Recently had water damage in our bathroom and we just had LVP installed on Friday. I’m worried about these gaps and that over time the flooring will start to warp if any water/moisture gets into the gaps. I’m disappointed that the project manager didn’t mention anything to me about it. Is there anything that can be done with the vent door/gaps? submitted by /u/peachyyypieee3 [link] [comments]”

“Concrete floor with ply. Lvt on top. Fitter says this is acceptable as its a floating floor?? Does it need redone? submitted by /u/Cold_Grade_7195 [link] [comments]”

“I recently had some rubber cove base installed by my flooring subcontractor for a commercial space. The cove base doesn’t look great and the owner has issues. We feel like it was installed too high and you can see gaps along the floor surface and bottom of the base. You can also push the kick out portion against the wall with ease. They also used the flooring glue and trowel to install it. Im not a commercial flooring installer so I’m far from an expert in rubber cove base. Are the concerns legi”

“Just wanted to get a sanity check here, is this join acceptable or should I go back to the installer? The carpet was installed about 2 months ago but the seam has gotten more noticeable if anything submitted by /u/Silent_Cartographr [link] [comments]”

“Hi all, I’m having an Aspecta Contours Chambord click PVC floor installed in a Hungarian point/chevron pattern and I’m wondering whether what I’m seeing is normal. At the beginning of the installation, the 2 ends line up perfectly and form a sharp V. But as more rows are installed, the ends of the left and right planks gradually stop lining up. After a number of rows, the difference is around 1 cm, so instead of a clean point, one plank ends noticeably higher than the other. The installer says t”

“We redid our floor in LVP (Malibu Wide Plank, French Oak) in February. We did have one really challenging spot. The house had an extension put on by a prior owner and—for reasons I cannot fathom except the contractor being drunk—there is a pronounced slant on the new part of the floor (this is where the refrigerator is). The angle is too much for the LVP to manage, but we had been assured by the friendly folks at Home Depot that we could use a transition strip to bridge the gap. As you can clear”

“I had laminate click floating floors installed and have had to call them back 6 times already to fix deficiencies. This current one dips now and there’s a lip that I can stub my toe on . This is also happening in another area I’m being told that one of the areas is “ within tolerances “ but when I stand on the area is flexes enough where I can see the side of the other board …. They have already had to rip all the flooring in the tiled area out and I’m getting seriously frustrated on what is act”

“Having some vinyl plank installed in a condo, and the contractor started work on it and at first glance it seemed fine but noticed in particular some dark streak along the seams between planks. They are NuCore Cedar point and there is an underlay being installed with the planks. Specs in the screenshots. Theyve only done a relatively small area so far, but does anyone have an idea what might these might be, what could cause it and if it’s something to be concerned about/have them redo? sub”

“Modular home on beams on a concrete slab. I have a Moisture barrier between subfloor and the LVP. I’m replacing a damaged plank and I found slight condensation underneath. I could only find two flooring guys to come out and I’m getting different answers from each. I’d appreciate any advice to help me understand this. submitted by /u/MysteriousRing5268 [link] [comments]”

“Just FYI this is a new build home and they may not have done a great job with this section of the floor so am trying to fix this issue myself (past warranty). So I pulled off the transition piece to try to pull the piece back together because it had come apart from the gap by the tile and it came out too much. now I think I need to cut a new piece. My concern now is if I do that how will I know it will stay together because there would still be a small gap after replacing the piece. submit”

“Just going to hit you with the cliffnote version Ground level LVP install (over slab) ripped up carpet. Floors went down no issues. After floors going down, a bunch of issues became apparent that required immediate intervention Out of haste, the floors never got covered. That's completely on me (I did all the work) and I got past the point of no return and never bothered covering them through the entirety of the project (ended up completely studding the whole room) I've done a cold water”

“We had a floor installed through Standard Paint (this was done through our contractor who is remodeling our home). A person who worked at Standard Paint recommended this DuChateau pre-engineered hardwood floor. It was installed by someone that Standard Paint hired. After living here for two weeks, we started getting multiple slivers in our feet when walking barefoot or with socks on. These are not minor slivers. There are missing pieces in our flooring, we are getting injured, guests without sho”

“My flooring contractor overall did a wonderful job and we’re very pleased. However, in this one corner the wood is ashy and doesn’t match the finish of everything else. It’s darker, feels rougher to the touch, and doesn’t have the same satin finish as the rest of the floor. My contractor said to fix it he would have to resend and refinish the entire floor. Curious as to how this would best be handled, my wife is 8.5 months pregnant and we can’t be gone for another week out of the home for them t”

“Hello, I had LVP glued down in my basement. I thought they did a really nice job, however three years later and I am seeing the edges are starting to peel up in places. Honestly a random amount in each room. I called them up and they checked it out. They think my floor has a moisture issue, they said in our area this is very rare. They say the best thing to do would be to buy click flooring and put that in over this floor as it has a built in vapor barrier. They would only charge me for the floo”

“Question for the people who do this for a living. What is the best way to remove glued-down LVP from a concrete slab? Trying to get an understanding as the unit next to me - approximately 800 sqft - is on day 6 of flooring demo using what I'm led to believe it a power scraper. The building is only ~5-6 years old and I'm guessing the original unit-owner cheaped out on the original flooring so new owner is having the floors re-done prior to move in. 6 days of 9-5 'jack-hammering' w”

“I just had wood floors put in and carpet put in upstairs. Both ended up having some issues and I actually went with different installers for both. Is this carpet seam poorly done? I called once and they came out and honestly I think made it worse. And just made some cuts put together and fuzzed it up. And the wood floors they did the wrong color the first time and then came back and not sure if these gaps are too big for wood on a new summer install? submitted by /u/callgally [link]”

“Please explain difference between level & flatness. I paid $300 change order to prep slab for LVP. & now have low hollow spots, plank dipping, high spots. Now installer is back to fix & is GLUING DOWN spots & said my floor is the problem! The floor I paid to have 'flat' This is 177 sf with a good portion under stove, fridge, & washer/dryer, 8ft closet. I didn't even inspect those areas. submitted by /u/rulful [link] [comments]”

“The idea is to remove carpet and put down vinyl plank. When I removed the carpet I expected a subfloor but have blue and black linoleum tile. The edges where the tack strips were have all chipped tile. My parents mentioned possibly asbestos so I don't want to break up all the tile, but just remove the loose chipped stuff on the edges. Would I need to fill in the gaps to keep the floor even? My dad also suggested putting some paint over the exposed old glue to cover any asbestos dust, etc. Ho”

“I had LVP flooring installed and had a guy who works at the corporate store do it under the table. The problem is that the floor creaks everywhere. It’s not coming up or moving, it’s just loud. I’ve been reassured it’s not the prep. The floor was level. I sent a video and he was immediately like oh yeah you got a defective batch. We can replace it. It’s been months of getting them to reach out and at this point they have and want to do it in a couple weeks. I just can’t in my current position ha”

“Hi all - we just had new flooring and baseboards put in, and on the bright side, the flooring looks beautiful (engineered white oak). However, two pieces of damages found: 1) the contractor created quite a number of tears in the drywall along the baseboard. I know it’s not complicated to fix, and my husband has said to let it go, but I feel like this creates a lot of work I didn’t expect. Pictures attached showing some of these. 2) the contractor managed to pull a door frame out of place and it’”

“I am looking to have my first floor remodeled using LVP. Considering a couple options: 1) Lowe’s and having them install it;or 2) Buying the materials myself and horsing someone to install (like Thumbtack) Thoughts and advice are welcome! submitted by /u/rhondapd [link] [comments]”

“We have 12mm wpc vinyl from Coretec running continuous thought the entire main floor and into the kitchen as well. We would like to keep it "floating" despite our contractor suggesting that it doesn't really matter. This is a full renovation, so the floor is in already and the kitchen is going to be installed shortly. The kitchen cabinets don't have feet. One of my thoughts was to continue the lvp under the fridge, stove, and dishwasher and cut it where the side panels/gables w”

“Parts of the subfloor rotted out in my bathrooms. I replaced the subfloor with 3/4 plywood, but there are some height differences between the new plywood and old plywood. I bought plywood that was advertised as 3/4 inch. It measured 3/4 inch. However I think the older plywood is actually 23/32 of an inch. Also, the house is from 1973, so 50 years of age, heat and moisture cycles may have changed its dimensions. How best can I address this before having tile installed over it? Is Schluter Ditra X”

“Flooring contractor installed LVP up against the front of my dishwasher effectively sealing it into place. He states that there may be enough of a gap if the legs are removed and a crow bar is used to pry the unit out. I just have to note that prior to installing any flooring, one of our top concerns posed to the contractor was if the lvp would be able to go under the dishwasher. He stated there was enough of a gap and it would be ok. Our entire level is done with one of the final pieces being i”

“Person who did the leveling said that lvp should be okay even on uneven subfloor and refuses to take a look at it. Is there an issue with the lvp install like the leveler said? It clicked and locked initially, but now it won't due to what feels like a dip submitted by /u/pinkflutegirl [link] [comments]”

“The installation of my LVP has been an overall nightmare involving a 50% redo by a new crew. Now I have a new issue. The second crew, once done, did not fix an area of intense flexing due to lack of proper subfloor support. One of the installers came back and fixed that area and replaced an entire row in the process. I notice afterwards this gap and the installer said that should close up as the board acclimate with the rest of the floor. This fix was done roughly two days ago. He said if it doe”

“Looking for advice. We had Ivp installed by a flooring company in Minnesota for $22,000 in just about our entire home in the beginning of May. The agreement was to remove and replace moulding, caulk around the bath tub and toilet after installation and leave extra boards for us in case we need them later and install preordered Ivp stair treads. We paid one-half down prior to installation. The men that came were extremely hard to understand and some could not understand us at all. They left and d”

“My flooring contractor is going to be adding shoe moulding along the walls to cover the gaps. I’m worried about the gaps at the bottom of the door trims being too wide and looking ugly. I couldn’t find the same profile so I asked him if he can woody filler it and he said yea. But it wasn’t part of the original scope of work and I’m not sure if that should be part of the pricing now. Should I make final payment even if he doesn’t clean up those gaps or hold back the remaining mount until it’s all”

“Small pantry I’ve been working on (10x6 ft for flooring) Small hump in the middle about 3/16” it’s a double sub floor under the 1/4 inch underlayment I just added. 5/8 particle board following by 3/4 ply below that. I want to set lvp but not sure if the locking mechanisms in the lvp would crack from a hump like this. submitted by /u/Designer_Ad_2023 [link] [comments]”

“Would you be confident if the installation folks told you that there shouldn't be any issues with the (glued down) vinyl plank surface telegraphing underlayment imperfections like in these photos. I'm not convinced. submitted by /u/Important_Trade_5158 [link] [comments]”

“There is a very thin clear foam between the laminate and subflooring but it isn't much. I am thinking about maybe replacing the flooring to help with the noise. Here is a photo of it in my register. submitted by /u/ldissrh [link] [comments]”

“The contractor says this is no big deal, they had to nail it to the floor to keep the plank down. Am I wrong saying this is not done right? Also side note they laid the new lpv over the old failing lpv ( planks were delaminating and popping up) Edit: this is an apartment I rent (the landlord is family) I know it was installed wrong. I've installed lpv flooring myself before (not here) just wanted to back up and validate what I already knew, thanks! submitted by /u/Most_Focus_5655”

“I have a flooring project to rip off carpet and lay LVP in living area and kitchen. The kitchen area has a 1/4 inch plank laid over the base floor and then vinyl sticker. Where as the living room has carpet laid directly over base floor. Now one contractor suggested to rip off 1/4 inch plank and lay LVP. The other one suggested to have a quarter inch plank laid in living area after ripping off carpet. That levels with current kitchen floor and then lay LVP. None of them gave me a clear advantage”

“We our renovating bedrooms and after installing lvp in 2 of 3 bedrooms we realized we hate it and want carpet. We can feel all the imperfections in the subfloor and it's not a cozy feeling either. So we're gonna pull baseboards and pull the flooring and install it downstairs in the rec area. I feel like an idiot but better now than trying to live with it. submitted by /u/Gloomy_Guard_8906 [link] [comments]”

“Finishing up a room addition that connects to the existing main floor. The contractor installed the new LVP about a quarter inch higher than the hardwood in the adjacent room. The transition strip he used is one of those thin Tmolding pieces, and it doesn't bridge the height difference cleanly. There's a noticeable lip you feel every time you walk through the doorway. His position is that the transition strip covers it and the job is done. My position is that a quarter inch height differ”

“We recently had flooring installed, and I'm noticing several areas where the MDF baseboards and door casings are chipped, exposed, and damaged near the bottom (photos attached). Is this considered acceptable, or should I ask the installer to repair or replace the damaged trim? What's the standard expectation for this type of work? submitted by /u/EngineeringMuch3385 [link] [comments]”

“Does this look right, or a bad install? They were laid today. They don’t all look like this, but some in every room. ETA: I realized you really can’t see it on the second two pictures. So if I’m being too picky, then that is great- that’s one less thing I have to worry about :-). I just don’t want to let the installer go tomorrow if it needs to be fixed. submitted by /u/aquariagerl [link] [comments]”

“Is this of concern and fixable? I just had my whole upstairs done 1 week ago and i noticed this today. submitted by /u/andreyred [link] [comments]”

“I am getting 1300 sf of lvp installed throughout the whole house and am wondering if it’s best to remove the glued down vinyl or use floor leveler to flatten out the transition from the kitchen in to the other rooms? In the past when I’ve removed glued down vinyl, chunks of glue stay stuck to the plywood and you have to put luan over it to make a smooth surface. I can’t put luan over this area without doing it throughout the whole house. I could replace the plywood if needed but I want to do wha”