Flooring Forensics

Third-party observation and comment on all floor covering issues, problems and complaints

The common refrain that I hear after explaining what I do - is there really that much that can go wrong? After looking at these images I’m sure you’ll agree that I do indeed lead a charmed life.

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) doming and releasing from adhesive

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) doming and releasing from adhesive

LVP doming and releasing from adhesive

LVP doming and releasing from adhesive

Carpet (residential) buckled

Carpet (residential) buckled

Hardwood splitting at ends (excess water used during maintenance)

Hardwood splitting at ends (excess water used during maintenance)

Micrograph of a concrete coating

Dimples along edges of hardwood caused by improper nailing

Dimples along edges of hardwood caused by improper nailing

Mold growth under resilient flooring

Mold growth under resilient flooring

Adhesive failure caused by moisture and high pH

Adhesive failure caused by moisture and high pH

The meter says the slab is wet

The meter says the slab is wet

Adhesive re-emulsified by moisture and high pH

Adhesive re-emulsified by moisture and high pH

Calcium chloride (moisture vapor emission) test setup

Calcium chloride (moisture vapor emission) test setup

Floating plywood substrate over a moisture mitigation sheet membrane

Floating plywood substrate over a moisture mitigation sheet membrane

Efflorescence (soluble salts) buildup under vinyl composition tile

Efflorescence (soluble salts) buildup under vinyl composition tile

Sleepers over a moisture mitigation sheet membrane to support a hardwood sports floor

Sleepers over a moisture mitigation sheet membrane to support a hardwood sports floor

Edge swelling caused by liquid intrusion

Edge swelling caused by liquid intrusion

Edge swelling of laminate floor

Edge swelling of laminate floor

Moisture seepage from beneath a vinyl composition tile

Moisture seepage from beneath a vinyl composition tile

Seepage from beneath VCT flooring

Seepage from beneath VCT flooring

Carpet releasing from gluedown installation

Carpet releasing from gluedown installation

Buckling of hardwood due to adverse moisture conditions

Buckling of hardwood due to adverse moisture conditions

Moisture-related installation failure

Moisture-related installation failure

Test location marked for destructive testing

Test location marked for destructive testing

Adverse moisture resulted in adhesive displacement

Adverse moisture resulted in adhesive displacement

Carpet yarn samples

Carpet yarn samples

Coating blisters

Coating blisters

Coating blisters

Coating blisters

Osmotic blisters

Osmotic blisters

Curling of carpet tile edges

Curling of carpet tile edges

Core samples

Damage to floor caused by improper maintenance

Damage to floor caused by improper maintenance

Removal of ceramic tile (destructive testing)

Removal of ceramic tile (destructive testing)

ceramic tile removal destructive testing)

ceramic tile removal destructive testing)

Coating defects

Coating defects

Relaxation of concrete slab curl causing joint telegraphing

Relaxation of concrete slab curl causing joint telegraphing

Crawl spaces (I hate spiders!)

Crawl spaces (I hate spiders!)

Bond testing before installation

Bond testing before installation

Examination of bond line during bond testing

Examination of bond line during bond testing

Destructive testing to determine suitability of subfloor

Destructive testing to determine suitability of subfloor

Examination of framing beneath the subfloor

Examination of framing beneath the subfloor

Pre-finished hardwood cupping

Pre-finished hardwood cupping

Meter says the wood is wet

Meter says the wood is wet

Preparing for a floor flatness survey

Preparing for a floor flatness survey

Checking trowel size

Checking trowel size

$Terrazzo floor fracturing$

Terrazzo floor fracturing

$Terrazzo stress fractures$

Terrazzo stress fractures

Preparing to core through the terrazzo

Preparing to core through the terrazzo

Terrazzo/concrete core

Terrazzo/concrete core

Terrazzo core - crack in concrete extends into the terrazzo

Terrazzo core - crack in concrete extends into the terrazzo

Gymnasium floor cupping after water damage

Gymnasium floor cupping after water damage

Missing roof and a rainstorm saturated the inside of a building

Missing roof and a rainstorm saturated the inside of a building

Plywood subfloor damaged by rain water

Plywood subfloor damaged by rain water

Rain water penetrated beneath the plywood subfloor

Rain water penetrated beneath the plywood subfloor

Concrete moisture testing at UCLA Pauley Pavilion

Concrete moisture testing at UCLA Pauley Pavilion

Luxury vinyl plank end joint peaking

Luxury vinyl plank end joint peaking

Examination of the bond line

Examination of the bond line

Linoleum buckling

Linoleum buckling

Removal of linoleum to determine cause of buckling

Removal of linoleum to determine cause of buckling

Cupping of hardwood

Cupping of hardwood

Water intrusion through an exterior wall (seen in the expansion space of a hardwood floor installation)

Water intrusion through an exterior wall (seen in the expansion space of a hardwood floor installation)

Water intrusion through an exterior wall (seen in the expansion space of a hardwood floor installation)

Water intrusion through an exterior wall (seen in the expansion space of a hardwood floor installation)

Vapor barrier in place just before concrete is to be poured

Vapor barrier in place just before concrete is to be poured

broken tongue of a luxury vinyl plank

broken tongue of a luxury vinyl plank

Destructive testing of ceramic tile to determine cause of debonding

Destructive testing of ceramic tile to determine cause of debonding

Measuring board width to determine if shrinkage occurred

Measuring board width to determine if shrinkage occurred

Thermal expansion of luxury vinyl plank floor

Thermal expansion of luxury vinyl plank floor

Debonding of resilient sheet vinyl flooring

Debonding of resilient sheet vinyl flooring

Examination for the presence of carpet seam sealer

Examination for the presence of carpet seam sealer

Examination for the presence of carpet seam sealer

Examination for the presence of carpet seam sealer

Fractured concrete

Fractured concrete

No roof, no windows and a rain storm ruined the hardwood flooring

No roof, no windows and a rain storm ruined the hardwood flooring

Water at the bond line, coupled with alkalinity, re-emulsified the adhesive

Water at the bond line, coupled with alkalinity, re-emulsified the adhesive

Concrete mix design moisture testing

Concrete mix design moisture testing

Concrete mix design testing for compatibility with different flooring/adhesive types

Concrete mix design testing for compatibility with different flooring/adhesive types

Concrete mix design testing for compatibility with different flooring/adhesive types

Concrete mix design testing for compatibility with different flooring/adhesive types

Resilient seam failure

Resilient seam failure

Subfloor preparation

Subfloor preparation

Coating to a freshly prepared slab

Coating to a freshly prepared slab

Floor flatness survey

Floor flatness survey

Floor flatness survey

Floor flatness survey

Writing from the concrete surface was never removed, eventually bleeding through the resilient surface

Writing from the concrete surface was never removed, eventually bleeding through the resilient surface

Moisture and alkalinity adversely affecting adhesive

Moisture and alkalinity adversely affecting adhesive

New hardwoos system being installed in a gymnasium

New hardwoos system being installed in a gymnasium

Gravimetric (oven-dry) moisture testing

Gravimetric (oven-dry) moisture testing

Preparing to core through a floor assembly

Preparing to core through a floor assembly

Micro-shearing a carpet that fuzzed during use

Micro-shearing a carpet that fuzzed during use

Hardwood gym floor buckled as a result of water intrusion

Hardwood gym floor buckled as a result of water intrusion

LVP doming and releasing from adhesive

Carpet (residential) buckled

Hardwood splitting at ends (excess water used during maintenance)

Dimples along edges of hardwood caused by improper nailing

Mold growth under resilient flooring

The meter says the slab is wet

Adhesive re-emulsified by moisture and high pH

Calcium chloride (moisture vapor emission) test setup

Floating plywood substrate over a moisture mitigation sheet membrane

Efflorescence (soluble salts) buildup under vinyl composition tile

Sleepers over a moisture mitigation sheet membrane to support a hardwood sports floor

Edge swelling caused by liquid intrusion

Edge swelling of laminate floor

Moisture seepage from beneath a vinyl composition tile

Seepage from beneath VCT flooring

Carpet releasing from gluedown installation

Buckling of hardwood due to adverse moisture conditions

Moisture-related installation failure

Test location marked for destructive testing

Adverse moisture resulted in adhesive displacement

Carpet yarn samples

Coating blisters

Coating blisters

Osmotic blisters

Curling of carpet tile edges

Core samples

Damage to floor caused by improper maintenance

Removal of ceramic tile (destructive testing)

Coating defects

Relaxation of concrete slab curl causing joint telegraphing

Crawl spaces (I hate spiders!)

Bond testing before installation

Examination of bond line during bond testing

Destructive testing to determine suitability of subfloor

Examination of framing beneath the subfloor

Pre-finished hardwood cupping

Meter says the wood is wet

Preparing for a floor flatness survey

Checking trowel size

$Terrazzo floor fracturing$ $Terrazzo stress fractures$ Preparing to core through the terrazzo

Preparing to core through the terrazzo

Terrazzo/concrete core

Terrazzo core - crack in concrete extends into the terrazzo

Gymnasium floor cupping after water damage

Missing roof and a rainstorm saturated the inside of a building

Plywood subfloor damaged by rain water

Rain water penetrated beneath the plywood subfloor

Concrete moisture testing at UCLA Pauley Pavilion

Luxury vinyl plank end joint peaking

Examination of the bond line

Linoleum buckling

Removal of linoleum to determine cause of buckling

Cupping of hardwood

Water intrusion through an exterior wall (seen in the expansion space of a hardwood floor installation)

Water intrusion through an exterior wall (seen in the expansion space of a hardwood floor installation)

Vapor barrier in place just before concrete is to be poured

broken tongue of a luxury vinyl plank

Destructive testing of ceramic tile to determine cause of debonding

Measuring board width to determine if shrinkage occurred

Thermal expansion of luxury vinyl plank floor

Debonding of resilient sheet vinyl flooring

Examination for the presence of carpet seam sealer

Examination for the presence of carpet seam sealer

No roof, no windows and a rain storm ruined the hardwood flooring

Water at the bond line, coupled with alkalinity, re-emulsified the adhesive

Concrete mix design moisture testing

Concrete mix design testing for compatibility with different flooring/adhesive types

Concrete mix design testing for compatibility with different flooring/adhesive types

Resilient seam failure

Subfloor preparation

Coating to a freshly prepared slab

Floor flatness survey

Floor flatness survey

Writing from the concrete surface was never removed, eventually bleeding through the resilient surface

Moisture and alkalinity adversely affecting adhesive

New hardwoos system being installed in a gymnasium

Gravimetric (oven-dry) moisture testing

Preparing to core through a floor assembly

Micro-shearing a carpet that fuzzed during use

Hardwood gym floor buckled as a result of water intrusion