Page 3 - 2017-03-CFR Volume 102 A DISTURBING ISSUE - IT'S YOUR FAULT March 2017

And yet another one. An epoxy adhesive used under March 2017
hospital beds that is supposed to negate indentations
in the sheet vinyl which does work but when the con-
crete substrate develops small cracks freezes the
sheet vinyl in place so it doesn’t move resulting in
hairline cracks in the concrete being mirrored in the
sheet vinyl. This only happens with the non-yielding
epoxy adhesive. All the other flooring material, in-
stalled with a different adhesive and that’s installed
directly adjacent to the affected flooring with the
crack in the concrete continuing under it is fine.
There were no indentations in the sheet vinyl from
the beds but apparently no one thought of the conse-
quences of using an epoxy adhesive over a substrate
that had the potential to crack. Another important
point overlooked that resulted in the material having
to be replaced and an alternative adhesive used to
prevent the reoccurrence of this condition. Another
one of those snakes in the woodpile that no one fore-
saw but that the flooring contractor winds up eating.

And in yet another case which is all too common to-
day is carpet tile curling shortly after installation that
the manufacturer says can be fixed. They do so by
sending in their own crews to correct the curling by re
-gluing it using an adhesive that’s so aggressive you
can’t get the material off the floor. This negates the
whole sales proposition of being able to replace a
carpet tile if one needs to do so for any reason. Is
the product still merchantable for service and fit for
the intended purpose of use if it doesn’t do what it’s
supposed to do and defies one of the basic reasons
for an end user to buy it?

Here’s my opinion on all of this; if you make any
flooring material or ancillary product that is designed,
engineered or constructed to be used alone or in
conjunction with a flooring product and it’s supposed
to perform a particular function and perform as ex-
pected and it typically does, you better make darn
sure it does what you say it will and test the daylights
out of it to prove it. And if you make comments or
promises your product can’t keep and they fail then
you need to fess up and fix the failure. The mistakes
you make that cost the innocent money and their rep-
utation are on you. Don’t make comments that have
no basis in fact or defy logic, try to alter the laws of
physics with your words or put exclusions in your
warranty after touting how great it is that take away
any benefit of the product your selling.

3 Commercial Flooring Report