Page 5 - 2018-05-CFR Volume 116 - Admission of Guilt - May 2018

Layout of installation citing how the product is supposed to be fitted or that it can be used over a sub-
strate that is less than flat and level. Not taking into consideration the fact that the material, typically a
vinyl tile or specifically a vinyl plank, will conform to the floor and challenge it being fitted properly, level
or stressing the locking mechanism if it’s a floating installation.
Inappropriate specifications where two products that are incompatible are used together defying the
chemistry of either such as LVP/LVT with a crumb rubber underlayment. PVC, the vinyl flooring and
SBR, the crumb rubber, are incompatible chemistries and will react. Or using an underlayment and ad-
hesive that is supplied by the manufacturer of the flooring material that the adhesive won’t stick to the
underlayment and then blaming the installer.
Ludicrous and just plain ignorant statements relative to product integrity and quality or performance that
the product can’t keep or that defy the laws of physics and logic or common sense. Such as the adhe-
sive, if applied properly, will hold the flooring material to the substrate – they will become as one – when
the adhesive is pressure sensitive. Nice try on that one. Or the product shrinking on all four sides and
saying the building is expanding or contracting causing the separation. Do buildings expand and con-
tract? Yes they do. Have you ever seen them take the flooring with them when they move as each indi-
vidual tile shrinks exactly the same on all four sides? If your answer to that question is no you are cor-
rect.
Changes in the directions or information from a manufacturer that cloud the issue by spewing BS. This
may upset some but, hey, you know what, I’m always upsetting someone anyway. Or, statements that
have no basis in fact and are pure speculation and guessing or hyperbole, as to what took place on a
job site that caused the flooring problem. Such as lifting edges on a product due to not being acclimat-
ed, not enough adhesive, wrong adhesive, you should have used this one, no adhesive transfer, flooring
fitted too tight (really) can you actually do that if you’re an experienced installer?
And sometimes admission of guilt is not even realized when a statement is made that is, as Vizzini, the
Sicilian says in The Princess Bride; inconceivable. In another word, unbelievable to the point that you
have to ask yourself, “did he really just say that and expect us to believe it or am I in some kind of a
trance.” The introduction of luxury vinyl flooring material which is actually just vinyl flooring material in
pieces has created not just an enormous number of problems but a throng of people who know virtually
nothing about the product and expect you to think they do when they tell you what’s wrong and that it’s
your fault. When this happens you have no admission of guilt just an excuse to pass the blame onto
someone else.

I’ve been involved with vinyl flooring since
I got into the industry 47 years ago when
we had true luxury vinyl tile. If you have
a problem with this product, and you’re
bound to at some point, we can help you
with answers. If there’s not an admission
of guilt then the product or the circumstances
will provide the answer as to what went wrong
and why and the product never lies.

5 Commercial Flooring Report May 2018