Page 2 - 2017-06-CFR Volume 105 - Update - What to Include in a Flooring Specification - June 2017

Installation firms bidding on jobs don’t always have the skills to work
with the products specified. They have not been exposed to the new
technologies and worst yet bid jobs without knowing what flooring prod-
ucts are to be installed, or what the site and substrate conditions are.
They also may not know how to deal with them or even not understand
when a failure occurs due to something they should have known to do. The experts at LGM
Myriads of issues that populate each project with unique challenges are
specialize in consultation, correction
not taken into consideration. What should be a clearly defined progres- and resolution for flooring complaints,
sion of information is often misconstrued, misunderstood and contested. claims, installation and performance
Worst of all, mid-stream in a project or not long after its completion or, issues.
in some cases, just before the flooring is to be installed, a problem pre- No issue is too big, too small or too far
sents itself that no one seems to have the answers to. And, worst of away for us to handle.
all, everyone is an expert and thinks they know what to do when in reali- All ads are interactive. Just click on
ty no one does, which only exacerbates an already bad situation. For the ad to enter their website.
these reasons a very
specific specification
needs to be written and
provided. There is no
reason the spec cannot
be definitive and pre-
cise. To be less than
that only allows for in-
terpretation and com-
promises that can jeop-
ardize the finished prod-
uct and project. Argu-
ments should not be
started with the words,
“what does the spec
say?” The spec may be
wrong!

The following example is how we write a flooring spec and depending
on the project, the spec would fit the demands of that project; it would
be unique to it. We take into consideration all that is required; the
jobsite conditions, the work and project conditions, staging and logistics,
picking the appropriate product and testing it before it’s installed, com-
pared to other flooring offerings and just after manufacture but before
installation, to insure it is what it is supposed to be. And because we
know the industry so well, we build in safeguards that prevent the client
from getting bad flooring from otherwise very good, reputable and con-
scientious manufacturers which also serves to keep the manufacturer
out of trouble. A properly written flooring specification should prevent
trouble. A very important factor to understand is that there are those
who make promises their products can’t keep, distort science to fit their
agenda and speak words that are not supported by the law of physics.

Page Layout By: Anita S. Drennon
2 Commercial Flooring Report June 2017