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Contracting for Hardwood Floor replacement In Houston can be tricky |
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Houston Personal Trainer Melissa has all hardwood floors on the ground
level of her home and recently when the toilet leaked it damaged all
the floors and they had to be replaced. She was able to find the exact
same hardwood floors and even the same color as before and went with the
contractor that supplied the medium priced bid of $15,000. Though
the Personal Trainer saw samples of the floor, and asked all the right
questions, she still feels like the floor is not exactly what she
expected. To help others who are replacing a wood floor, here is what
she has learned about Hardwood floor replacement in Houston.
1) It is a messy job. The home is going to be difficult to navigate
because of the glue that is used. Be sure the original glue is
completely removed and this is the longest part of the process and can
take days or even weeks. But before the new hardwood floor is put down,
it is critical that the surface be smooth underneath. The contractor
Personal Trainer Melissa used, had sheets of plastic over the glue when
the removal process was in place so that he could walk around without
sticking to the floor and then went back over the floor later to fill
in the holes in the concrete (without bothering to remove the plastic
because he said it was very thin). In the places where the plastic was
just covered over it resulted in uneven surfaces..not a great idea to
let this go if it happens..make the contractor remove ALL roughness
including plastic sheeting.
2) Look at MANY samples of wood..the original hardwood floor had a nice
grain to it and was a yellow tone but the new wood floor looks more
"plastic" and there is less grain showing and it has a redish tone. It
is not as elegant looking and more research on the wood to be used
could have prevented this..do not assume that the exact same
manufacturer will supply the exact same quality. Over years, the
standard of workmanship could have diminished as it did in this case.
3) Repair all sources of potential water leaks BEFORE doing a hardwood
floor replacement. For example, check the water purifier under the sink
for leaks, the toilet supply lines, the dishwasher, and washer, the
gutter system around the eves and even the outdoor sprinkler
system to make sure it is not aiming at the windows or weep holes where
it can seep into the hardwood floor and damage it.
4)The wood floor will be smooth if the surface it is attached to is
smooth..if it is capable of producing splinters at the joints..then the
surface underneath was not properly prepared.
5) Make sure the trim for the hardwood floor is the proper size because
some of the door jam trim made it impossible to open doors because it
was too large.
6) If sections of the hardwood floor sound hollow or compress when
walking on it, make sure to have the contractor come back and fill in
this buckling area with additional glue. Some contractors know how to
do this without drilling holes in the hardwood floor.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 October 2007 )
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