Expanko Cork Tiles Glue Down

Grainywood

I had an attorney call me about a 1300 sq ft salon that had plywood and glue down expanko installed by another flooring company. Apparently they installed the plywood and the cork in three days. The total job cost with materials was around $19,000. Within a few days the owner noticed rows of nails, the seams of the plywood telegraphing through the cork. When you walk in you can see all the lines and nails under the cork.

I usually staple my plywood and obviously you have to level all the seams, sand any uneven spots etc.

The attorney and the owner felt that they hadn't done this. I went to inspect and it sure didn't look like they'd done it either.

Now one of the installers from the flooring shop is going over there on Wednesday to pull out a bunch of tiles to "determine" whether the plywood was properly prepped or not. The attorney wants me present on her client's behalf.

I'm hesitant to go but the attorney feels like she is getting a run around and convoluted explanations and wants an expert on her side to "decipher" it all. I don't know. I gave her all the expanko literature that tells exactly how the subfloor needs to be prepped. It's obvious the installers didn't follow it. Too bad cause the tile installation itself was very clean. But fastening the plywood with round nail heads? What the heck were they thinking. Over time they are all going to back out.

I'm supposed to get paid for my expert services but frankly I don't have time to get into some deep legal rangling for a floor I didn't install.

Any suggestions or warnings I should be aware of?

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Peladu

Tell them your services start at $100 an hour ... and $225 an hour should the matter go to court.

Mike Finley

Yeah.

and cross your fingers that it goes to court!

PrecisionFloors

Are you a certified independant floor covering inspector? If not I highly suggest your client find one asap. If you have no documentation showing your supposed expertise, whats to stop a judge from asking why your opinion should be trusted over the other shops? I'm not saying you don't have the ability but just trying to play devil's advocate....which you really should do on matters like this.
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Tscarborough

I have been in this situation a couple of times, and my guideline is that I will help the customer determine what may be done to correct the problem to their satisfaction, but I will not become involved in any dispute between parties.

Grainywood

That's what I was thinking but this isn't complicated. The Expanko directions are right there on the website. I'm not giving uncoraborated expert information here, it's verbatim what's said in the Expanko literature and if I had to testify, I'd just tell them I follow those directions when I install Expanko glue down. Anyone can see once the tiles come up whether there is Ardex on the plywood seams or not. You don't even need to be a flooring guy to know that. It would be nice if Expanko would come out and say it but well let's just say they don't want to lose this flooring company as one of their distributors.

This flooring company not only didn't prep the plywood, they used round nails, didn't apply feather finish to smooth out the seams; they didn't even put any coats of finish which Expanko explicitly states is required on all commercial installations of the product.

But I guess the company won't let it go. They still insist the salon owner pay the $19,000 and insist it's a minor fix. And like many of you, most contractors don't want to get involved so the attorney is standing there trying to figure out if the company is faking the jargon or being real. Kind of sad. I feel for both of them. The company is reputable otherwise but is also known for using union workers, so I suspect they aren't able to pass it on to a sub unless they would have by now.

__________________
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."

BKA

Bay area huh? I'm involved in cork in that part of the world. I'd like to know. We should do some business when you have a need to buy any commercial cork.

Word on the street is Expanko is going bust. The corp leadership in Chicago and Lancaster have splintered and started other companies. Had interesting conversations at surfaces this year.

I do not recommend the placement of cork in salons. Cork in a water prone environment is not so smart. But some of these greene's want what they want over any common sense. Sac State has a new athletic facility where the arch spec’d Expanko cork in a locker room situation. My spider sense is telling me there is going to be problems.

Quote:

It would be nice if Expanko would come out and say it but well let's just say they don't want to lose this flooring company as one of their distributors.

Expanko does not sell through contractors as distributors. Like Gerbert / Dodge Cork and DuroDesign Cork they have local sales reps.

I'd say the cork requires two coats of PU coating. That should have been there. Also I don't know how effective ardex would be on bending plywood. Certainly not round nails. Perhaps screws?

Too bad that the cork floor brand gets a bad name when it sounds like a problem install. I’d like to know who the original installer was so I can have my guard up should they need any cork in the future.